With social media replacing physical photo albums in the last couple of decades, couples know that many people, even strangers, will now be able to see their wedding photos. There is a subtle pressure to make them as good and as different from other couples as possible. This is one factor among many that helps explain why getting married abroad is more popular than ever.
You can’t argue with the results. What looks more romantic than a wedding in front of the waves on a pristine white-sand beach? But getting married overseas takes some serious planning to get right, and there are a lot of important considerations that must not be overlooked.
Things to know before getting married abroad
Whether you’ve got your heart set on Phuket wedding venues in Thailand or you’re planning a matrimonial fiesta in Mexico, getting married abroad is not without its challenges and there are a few things you need to think about first. This short guide will walk you through them.
Legal requirements: While you might be focused right now on finding the perfect wedding venue, it is important to remember that marriage is more than one big day. You are vowing to be committed to one person for the rest of your life wherever you happen to be in the world. It is important, then, to make sure that your marriage is recognized wherever you choose to make your home.
Religious ceremonies in many countries are not legally recognized marriages. They only count as a symbolic ceremony or a blessing. In some countries, this may be all that is on offer if you are not a permanent resident. Make sure to confirm that your ceremony definitely qualifies as a legal marriage and that it will be recognized as such in your home country too. A good way to do this is to contact the embassy of the country you plan to marry in.
Papers: Different countries may want to see different papers before they allow you to get legally married there. Many will need to see documents to prove your identity, such as your birth certificate, and something to prove that you are not already married.
The latter may include things such as divorce papers or a Certificate of No Impediment, and you might also need to visit your home country’s embassy to sign an affidavit.
Matrimonial regime: Some countries have a statutory matrimonial regime which, like a prenuptial agreement, decides how assets will be divided up in the event that the marriage dissolves. But the important difference is that you did not decide the terms.
You are typically given a choice of whether to opt into these, but that can be something as simple as ticking a box on a form that may well be in another language. Make sure you don’t accidentally enter into these agreements as they can be recognized internationally.
As part of your search for the best wedding destination, you should find out about these three things. For almost every country there is a lot of information about the marriage process online. Reading about the experiences of others can be very helpful too.
