PACK YOUR BAGS! You’re tying the knot

If you're recently engaged, congratulations! It's now time to turn your attention to planning the big day. Maybe that involves seeking out the best venues near you or lining up a brilliant photographer first. Or, maybe you're planning a wedding abroad. If the latter is up your street, we've rounded up the best destinations for tying the knot abroad, whether you're looking for sun and sea or to elope in the US.

Italy

Italy is perhaps the most popular place in Europe for a sophisticated wedding. The venues across the majestic Amalfi Coast, as well as in nearby Naples, are worthy of the Hollywood A-List, but without the film set budgets. The region’s gorgeous coastline, with its colourful towns set into the towering rocks, impeccably kept villa gardens, not to mention the incredible food, are all ingredients that make you think of a film star’s wedding ceremony. Tuscany’s another favourite destination in the summer months, thanks to fields of sunflowers and enviable climate. For the ultimate Tuscan experience, rent Villa Medicea di Lilliano, an 11th-century wine estate with courtyards, vineyards, olive groves and swimming pools.

Las Vegas

Weddings and Vegas truly go hand in hand. The city that never sleeps needs no introduction. It’s big, bold and brash, the perfect ingredients for a classic style American wedding. Getting married in Vegas is a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list activity, that’s for sure. It’s surprisingly affordable, a wonderfully kitsch affair with wedding chapels, neon lights and Elvis impersonators for ministers. You can even do a drive-thru wedding in Las Vegas in a classic muscle car, for that unique ‘married in a diner’ vibe that works so well in the US desert. Follow in the footsteps of Frank Sinatra, Joan Collins, Britney Spears and many more, who have all tied the knot at A Little White Wedding Chapel.

Hawaii

The blissful Hawaiian islands are a celebrity wedding favourite, thanks to their close proximity to Los Angeles. The Royal Hawaiian Resort on Oahu is a pink palace which has played host to the rich and famous over the last 80 years. With beautiful lush gardens, a seafront setting and dozens of ceremony choices, like the terrace of the King Kamehameha Suite overlooking iconic Waikiki Beach, or the ocean lawn or coconut grove for larger celebrations. Classic wedding packages include flowers, legal documents and decorated location. You can even have a honeymoon registry here, so guests contribute to experiences such as a postwedding sunset cruise.

France

Cross the channel for some of the world’s most beautiful venues, from five-star city hotels to grand châteaux. One of the most romantic places to tie the knot is Chateau De Jalesnes in the Loire Valley. Built in 1620, it has extensive grounds with a pool, room for up to 65 friends and family and lots of ceremony choices - will you exchange vows in the tiny domed-roof chapel, in an ancient stone hunting tower, in a chestnut grove on the lawns or beside the moat? If you're after a seafront setting, stunning Cap Estel in the south of France is unbeatable. Its glamorous white tiers look remarkably similar to a wedding cake, while inside there are elegant function rooms that can cater for up to 80 guests, award-winning restaurants and bedrooms with balconies where the likes of Marilyn Monroe have gazed at the Cote d'Azur.