Wedding Packages Abroad

Why we use wedding packages abroad.

The Bridal Consultant is one of the original planners of overseas weddings for UK couples.
When the company was founded 16 years ago the industry was in its infancy with very few companies specialising in helping couples get married abroad. We decided to use our extensive knowledge of travel with our events management background and develop a business that offered UK couples a more ‘hands on’ customer focused experience when choosing a wedding abroad over a wedding at home.

In the early years we we’re constantly adapting the way we worked, as there were very few businesses like ours there wasn’t much research or experience to pull from.

We we’re always looking for ways to improve our clients experience and satisfaction with their planning journey and of course their wedding day. One thing became clear from day one and that was clients needed an idea from the outset of how much their wedding was going to cost.

Back in 2004 it was common for couples to use a travel agent who would offer a ‘wedding ceremony only’ service leaving the couples to then source any extra suppliers needed and organise their wedding reception, interestingly the wedding reception being the more expensive part of the wedding.

What looked initially like a low cost wedding would soon turn into one costing 100’s if not 1000’s more once all the additions where added on.

We wanted to work differently from the outset.

We decided to develop our own range of wedding packages abroad as a way of giving our couples a clearer idea of upfront costs for both wedding and reception. We included the basic costs of the ceremony and reception along with any essential legal work costs, the planning team and extras such as bride and groom flowers, photographs and transport too the venue.

Essentially everything the couple would need to get married abroad, along with the help of an expert team to guide them through the plans.

Over the years our wedding packages abroad have grown more detailed and tailored for each destination and venue, now we understand what is popular in each destination and for each venue, we the use them as the basic structure for each wedding we plan.

Today we try to keep the structure each of our wedding packages abroad as similar as possible so couples can compare one venue to another, this is relatively tricky considering each venue has different terms and conditions but it’s as close as we can get it.

How to use the packages to assist in your budgeting

It’s no surprise that the most expensive part of any wedding is the venue hire, food and drinks. These parts are always included in our packages, drinks we only include if they are compulsory as us Brits still tend to prefer a cash bar.

For budgeting purposes we suggest that the basic wedding and reception package not take up more than 70 to 80% of your total budget.

So for example, if you’ve a total budget of 15,000euros, the wedding and reception package should not be more than 10,500 to 12,000euro. Aim for the lower amount if you have big visions when it comes to flowers/decor.

This way you’ll avoid having to stretch things too tight when it comes to considering extras, or having to compromise too much and not ending up with the day you envisioned as your budget just wont stretch far enough.

Having an additional 20 to 30% of your budget left over means you can have fun when tailoring your wedding day. You can really make the day unique to you and although you don’t need to add any extras, most of our couples do, it could be an extra couples of hours with the DJ or live music for the ceremony or even bridesmaids bouquets.

Having the option of doing this makes all the difference, even if you never use it.

How to compare different wedding packages abroad.

This can be tricky as it involves looking at all the finer details of each package and there is really no way to get around this. If a couple are struggling between two venues, we’ll suggest a Zoom chat or phonecall with one of our planners to look at both wedding venues and packages in close detail. We can use our thorough knowledge of each venue and package to point out the key differences so the couple can really compare.

This is only really necessary when you’re completely stuck between two venues and are making a pro’s and con’s list. Luckily it doesn’t happen often, I tend to find couples usually fall head first for their perfect venue once they find it.

Here I’ve listed the items you should pay special attention too.

Duration of hire of venue – this can vary quite a lot and adding extra hours can become costly especially for venues that charge by the hour. If the venue has a compulsory open bar you’ll also need to add this for the extra duration of hire time too.
Drinks Packages – as mentioned above, these are compulsory at some venues, for others it’s optional – the price difference can be quite substantial.
If you prefer to have a cash bar, then consider drinks prices, in some 5 star luxury venues the price of a drink can be substantial, make sure your guests will be ok paying these prices, there’s no fun having guests too afraid to purchase drinks at your wedding due to them being scarily expensive.
Restrictions on suppliers you can use – does the venue insist you use their own suppliers. This might be the case with your DJ/Entertainment, especially in areas where there are noise restrictions. If you wish to provide your own band/DJ this may not be possible.
Does the venue allow live music? Does this have to be acoustic or can music be amplified?
Guest Transfers – is the venue remote, do you have to provide transfers or can the venue be easily found/located allowing guests to make their own way.
Menus – does the venue tailor menus? Do they cater for special diets/children. More importantly do they offer the style of food/dining you want.
Accommodation – Is accommodation at the venue necessary to get married there? This is not something that comes up often in our packages as we don’t work with many hotels, but if you’re marrying at a hotel find out if you have to stay there to get married there and if a percentage of your guests do too.

Wedding Packages Abroad and how we tailor them

When we start our first stage planning we really get stuck into the details of each wedding, to decide what each couples priorities are and where they wish to spend more of their budget, or less.

The package is used as a foundation on which to build their wedding day, we take each element of the wedding package such as the flowers and ask the couple to send us their ideas, this could be the bouquet, buttonholes, bridesmaids and bridal party flowers, to the decoration they want for the gazebo, the table flower centrepieces they imagine, flowers at the entrance, maybe on the guest book table, or to decorate a sweet table.

More recently we’ve even been asked to hang flowers from trees, to decorate welcome signs and table plans and even create a flower wall that couples can use to take photos against.

The sky is the limit, as long as your budget matches it!

Flowers can be expensive and their not to everyones taste, we once had a groom with a flower allergy which was challenging when it came to finding ways to decorate the venues. In the end we used lots of candles and greenery.

With each couple we take ideas, we request quotes and we find what works within budget and for anything a over budget we’ll look at alternatives. This is the fun part of the planning, and due to the way our packages work, you can allocate a flower budget from the outset for any extras your considering.

It’s all completely optional and every wedding is unique, and that’s what we love.

This process is repeated for every part of the day, with the photographer we look at the style of images you’d like, the duration of your time with them, a 2^nd location photo shoot, even pre/post photo shoots. Or with entertainment, when and where the couple want it, the style of entertainment etc there are a hundred different things to plan and consider and we walk our couples through each.

Food and Drink is often a key element of each wedding, some really prioritise this part of the day, others have a very casual approach to food, it’s interesting for us as planners to see how each wedding is moulded and shaped to suit our unique couples.

It’s one of my favourite parts

Once we’ve made all the adjustments, agreed any extras it’s them time to put the whole day together, at this point the couple will have a good idea of exactly how their day will be. This is when things really start becoming real!

Deciding between using wedding packages abroad or going fully tailor made

Some couples prefer to stay away from wedding packages feeling they are too restrictive and they want to feel that their wedding is completely tailored to them. I hope the above assures these couples that even though we use wedding packages no two weddings we plan are the same.

The power in using a wedding package is that you know where you’re starting from, so you can plan with confidence. The result is having an amazing wedding you can afford and a stress free planning experience.

However if after saying all this you’re still tempted to go down the fully tailored option, here’s a few questions you should ask.

Make sure you add VAT and local taxes where applicable.
Ensure all your suppliers provide you with a contract with full details of your order and pricing.
Ask if any annual increases will apply if your wedding is booked more than a year ahead.
Ask for dates to finalised orders and make deposits and final payments.
Speak to your venue about any restrictions that apply to sourcing and hiring your own suppliers or services and ensure you communicate any restrictions to your suppliers.
Make a budget with your best ‘gestimates’ and update it frequently. Make sure you have at least a 10% contingency in the case of price increases, unexpected costs and exchange rate fluctuations.

One of our wedding packages abroad explained in detail.

Here’s an example of a wedding package for one of our most popular venues in Greece. The notes in red are what you should consider when looking at a venue in detail or comparing to another venue.

T H E N E C E S S A R I E S

UK based wedding planner to arrange all the details of your wedding before you arrive in Rhodes for your wedding.
Help with all wedding paperwork to ensure your wedding is legal.
Unlimited emails, SKYPE and phone calls.
Wedding information pack to help with your wedding planning
All fees and local taxes associated with the ceremony

All fees for obtaining Greek wedding certificate

Presenting the documents to the Greek authorities

Wedding consultation upon arrival in Rhodes

Acting as witness if required

Wedding coordinator present at your ceremony up until seated for dinner

Escort to Town Hall for picking up wedding certificate

Visit with your wedding planner to the ceremony venue.

Translation of 4 papers necessary for your wedding plus marriage certificate

Marriage certificate apostille stamp

Administration fees

C E R E M O N Y & R E C E P T I O N S E T U P / D E C O R A T I O N

Beautiful gazebo dressed with drapes

Rustic Wooden Chairs for your guests.

1 bottle of champagne to the couple.

Sound system to play your own entrance or background music at the ceremony

Rustic Wooden Chairs and rectangle tables with white table linen for your reception

Fairy lights as shown in the photographs to light the dinner area

F L O W E R S

Bride’s bouquet (local flowers)
Matching single buttonhole for groom

P H O T O G R A P H S

Professional photographer for up to 4 hours

Starting as guests arrive at the ceremony

Small personal photo shoot of couple

Cake cutting (if before dinner)

Photographs in digital format – 100 photos in high resolution

T R A N S P O R T

Private car transfer for bride from hotel to venue (up to 5km)

C A K E

Wedding Cake – naked, semi naked or buttercream

W E D D I N G D I N N E R

Wedding Dinner Menu (BBQ)

Starters and Salads

Pitas (with oil and oregano), bread

Greek salad

Variety of dips (Tzatziki, Spicy cheese, Hummus)

Meatballs, Cheeseballs, Potatoes (French fries)

Main Course

Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Grilled Village Sausage

** The menu is served between 4 persons

D R I N K S

Starting at dinner until midnight

House Wine – Red and White
Draft Beer
Water

E N T E R T A I N M E N T

Violin and Accordion to play Greek music during ceremony

DJ for 3 hours

P R I C E F O R 2 0 P E O P L E | 7410euros

P R I C E F O R 3 0 P E O P L E | 8648euros

P R I C E F O R 40 P E O P L E | 9619euros

T A K E N O T E

Prices are for 2024 and may increase for subsequent years

There is a surcharge for weddings- 180euros for Saturdays and 120euros for Sundays

If brides hotel is further than 5km away from venue, additional charges will apply for taxi transfer

Flowers for brides bouquet are local flowers, such as roses, gerberas, gypsofilia

Transfer for guests to ceremony isn’t included in package – cost will depend on location of pick up

Suggested starting times are 4.30pm, 5.30pm, or 6.30pm depending on the time of year and the heat.

Open bar ends at midnight – the bar will revert to a cash bar at this time.

End time for music 1am however you can stay longer without music – and with the cash bar

Photographs included in our brochures are of a variety of weddings and are for inspiration purposes and are not necessarily representative of what is included in this sample costing, please see package details for what exactly is included, please ask for more details if you need clarification.

And that’s it!

We hope you’ve found this article useful in deciding if using wedding packages abroad would suit you or not, if you’ve got any further questions our team are always on hand to help and advise, just send us a Whatsapp or call on 07460 734428 or email us on [email protected].

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