When planning a wedding, choosing a destination is the first, and perhaps most important thing. Will you stay local? Will you go abroad? Will it be a big wedding, or just close friends and family at an intimate venue? Much of these decisions will be dictated by your budget, along with where you and your families live. If everybody is relatively local to one another, you may choose to get married close to home. If the majority of your guests will have to travel anyway, or you’ve always fancied a destination wedding, then travelling abroad can be an exciting and surprisingly inexpensive option.

The Caribbean

The Caribbean islands pretty much sum up the view that most people have in their heads when they think of a destination wedding. Hot and dry for a good portion of the year, they offer you the chance to have an idyllic beach wedding that looks like something out of a movie.

Portugal

Although The Caribbean is alluring, you may find that the time and cost of travelling there puts off some of your guests. Thankfully, Portugal is just a few hours flight away, and offers the same picturesque beach settings, often at a fraction of the price.

Cyprus

Cyprus has become such a popular destination for couples in the UK to get married that there are several UK tour operators who offer wedding packages in Cyprus. When getting married abroad, an all-inclusive wedding package is an attractive option, as everything from your venue through to your flowers, cake and music will have been thought of for you – no need to try and find a local who speaks good enough English to understand your vision for the day.

Austria

If mountains and beautiful buildings are more your thing, Austria, with its rapidly growing wedding industry, could be the destination for you. The weather in the summer is surprisingly warm, and if a winter wedding is more your thing, you can find a destination with guaranteed snow. It is even possible to charter a wedding boat, and get married on one of Austria’s beautiful lakes.

The UK

With so many international destinations to choose from, it is easy to forget that there are destinations in the UK well worth considering. Cities such as London are convenient if your friends and family are scattered around the country. From hotels and places of worship through to tourist attractions, the number of venues to choose from is unrivalled. Outside of the big cities, there are country hotels to choose from nationwide, many of which will offer the chance to have your ceremony and reception under one roof, again, minimising the hassle if you are not local.

Wherever you choose to have your wedding, hiring a wedding videographer will mean that your memories will live on for years to come. If you have travelled to an exotic destination that not all of your nearest and dearest can make it to, the chance to watch your wedding film will give allow them to still feel like part of your day.