A clear understanding of why a wedding abroad is needed will help you choose a suitable country.
- I don't want to worry about unstable weather. After all, somewhere there is always summer, sea, sun, beach and breathtaking landscapes.
- Tired of traditional feasts, these endless “bitter” and stupid competitions.
- It happens that in order to remarry, you want a completely different ceremony. Let nothing remind you of negative experiences.
- It’s so romantic to get married secretly and just the two of you, without witnesses.
- I would like to go on a honeymoon to this country, why not have a wedding there at the same time?
- The marriage conveyor belt and queues at Russian registry offices are terrible. There is a lack of feeling of being chosen, of being special.
- I want a light, beautiful and original wedding “not like everyone else’s.”
We have made a selection of countries where it is easy to fulfill these desires. Let's fly!
Cuba
The land of continuous summer. Tropical gardens, pristine beaches with clear lagoons, flamingos and pelicans walking everywhere. The Cuban islands, where you can organize a wedding, will truly be an excellent backdrop for bright and sunny photographs.
Oh yes. Cuba is another reason to get rid of your heavy wedding dress and suit and find something more frivolous and airy.
Flight from Moscow:
~12 hours
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
3-4 months
Ceremony cost:
from 55 t.r. for symbolic and from 130 tr. for the official*
Flights Moscow ✈ Cuba from 74,500 rub.
Pros of getting married abroad
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A plus in favor of registering a marriage in another state will definitely be the romance of travel. This is what everything is done for, isn’t it? Well, the desire to stand out among your friends and acquaintances. By the way, sometimes the cash costs will be at a comparable level. Many are surprised that bringing a small circle of close friends and family to the Dominican Republic will not be much more expensive than organizing a full-fledged banquet in your hometown. Organizing such a celebration is always a very expensive pleasure:
- purchasing a dress for the bride and a suit for the groom (on your trip you don’t need a custom-made three-piece and a dress from Italy, simple light linen suits are enough);
- wedding accessories (believe me, you won’t bring so many things to France);
- ordering a banquet hall (often there are excellent offers from hotels for newlyweds);
And this is not a complete list of essentials! Don't forget about the wedding host, photographer and videographer. But many couples want to listen not to the Kolkhoz FM radio station at their wedding, but to live music, therefore, they need a saxophonist/violinist/pianist or a small musical group with their own instruments. As a result, all this comes out to a very large and not always justified amount. Abroad, such things are often either cheaper or you can do without them.
If you decide to hold your wedding at a hotel , then very often no additional payment is required to rent the hall. You just need to order refreshments and pay for rooms for the newlyweds and guests. In addition, a tempting offer is available to registered Tourist users - a refund of up to 4% of the cost of a hotel booked on the Booking.com service.
Maldives
A very hospitable country with a hot climate. A sea of fruit, cozy bungalows right next to the water, azure beaches, yacht trips, paths of candles on the sand - this is what newlyweds go to the Maldives for.
Wedding season is here all year round; there is no need to wait until spring or summer to get married. For the ceremony, you can choose a very small island (even uninhabited!) to protect yourself from curious vacationers on the beach.
Flight from Moscow:
~9 hours
Ceremony:
only symbolic
Ceremony cost:
from 60 t.r.
Flights Moscow ✈ Male from 30,100 rub.
Orthodox weddings
An Orthodox wedding ceremony is a blessing for the spouses for a happy life together. There are active Orthodox churches in a number of foreign countries - Israel, Italy, France, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic. The principle of choosing a direction here is, by and large, the same as in the case of an official wedding, but with documents everything is much simpler. The marrying couple must be believing baptized Orthodox Christians - for this, of course, documentary evidence is not needed - and provide a marriage certificate.
Sri Lanka
For a wedding ceremony in Sri Lanka, you can rent a villa right on the shores of the Indian Ocean. For the ceremony, you can choose classic European outfits or dress in a sari and sarong and spend the day listening to national chants for a complete immersion in island life.
Here, as elsewhere, you will be offered a romantic dinner after the ceremony and relaxing SPA treatments. You can safely count on the exquisite design of the registration area, no matter where it is located. The highlight of Sri Lanka is its proximity to wildlife: here you can arrange a stunning photo shoot with elephants.
Flight from Moscow:
from 11 o'clock
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
2 months
Ceremony cost:
from 55 t.r.
for symbolic and from 75 tr. for official Flights Moscow ✈ Colombo from 26,200 rub.
Prospects for the development of wedding tourism
Today, wedding tourism has broad development prospects. If earlier this type of tourism was limited only to traveling to a few traditional places, today it is possible to hold a wedding ceremony anywhere in the world without any special problems.
Currently, the prospects for the development of wedding tourism both in Russia and abroad are determined by the organization of weddings in non-standard places, for example, in an ancient castle or on the beach. This approach can make the event not only colorful and memorable, but also give it a special status.
Each wedding tour must be compiled according to an individual program, since this is a specific product. For example, a hotel stay should include a honeymoon room, a romantic dinner, various cruises and excursions, memorable surprises and little touches. For example, flowers and champagne upon arrival at the hotel, a selection of fruits, a limousine for excursions, and other surprises leave an unforgettable impression.
The prospects for the development of this particular type of tourism are due to the fact that wedding ceremonies can be held almost anywhere. Organizing this type of event is possible both on an almost uninhabited island and in Las Vegas. It is necessary to take into account the non-standard requirements of the newlyweds and an individual wedding scenario. Restrictions on this type of tourism are based only on the requests of tourists and their fantasies. For example, wedding ceremonies are held underwater in the Maldives, in deep caves in Slovenia, in hot air balloons in Turkey, in helicopters at the Grand Canyon, during parachute jumps, etc. So, in 2012, a wedding ceremony took place at the North Pole for the first time.
Dominican Republic
This island has snow-white beaches and the whisper of palm trees all year round, like in a Bounty advertisement. Weddings here are most often held at the very edge of the ocean near a flower arch and accompanied by national songs of Dominican musicians.
After the ceremony, you will take a ride on a yacht, dine on fried lobsters with champagne and, if you want something exotic, go for a walk in the real jungle.
Flight from Moscow:
from 18 o'clock
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
1-1.5 months
Ceremony cost:
from 45 t.r.
for symbolic and from 125 tr. for official flights Moscow ✈ Punta Cana from 40,500 rub.
Wedding in Bali
To hell with white dresses, strings of ties and that boring “In the name of the Russian Federation...” Let’s exchange all this for a light pareo, flower garlands, wild beaches and a tan, from one glance of which you can feel the taste of chocolate in your mouth.
The most romantic places on the island are the temple of the goddess Devi and the wild beach on Lake Bratan. If you want to get married, then you will have to choose a different direction, because in Indonesia only marriages between Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Protestants and Buddhists are registered.
Wedding traditions : the newlyweds are put on “golden” crowns, showered with flowers, and the priest writes a Lontar letter on palm leaves, which in the ancient island language confirms the fact of marriage.
Thailand
Not the most exotic place for a wedding, but it is reliable and proven by hundreds of newlyweds. Thailand is chosen for its diversity: here you will find ancient Buddhist temples, underwater weddings, windsurfing, Thai massage, and amazing islands, the most famous of which are Phuket and Samui. A country of constant summer, where even tropical rains do not occur immediately throughout the entire territory.
Flight from Moscow:
~8-9 hours
Ceremony:
only symbolic
Ceremony cost:
from 70 t.r.
Flights Moscow ✈ Bangkok from 24,900 rub.
Greece
Greece is an island state, and perhaps that is why it is so popular among those who want a wedding abroad. Stunning views, sunsets, mountains and sea, sea, sea all around. Separately, we note the island of Santorini (Thira), the architecture of which seems to have been created as a backdrop for a wedding celebration.
Flight from Moscow:
~3 hours
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
about a month
Ceremony cost:
from 50 t.r.
for symbolic and from 115 tr. for official flights Moscow ✈ Athens from 16,400 rub.
Features of marriage legislation in some countries
Even at the stage of choosing a country for a wedding, familiarize yourself with the laws of marriage registration for foreigners. For example, Thai law requires permission for permanent residence in this country. To register in Bali, you must have a certificate stating that both spouses belong to the same religion. You will need to live in Seychelles for a minimum of 11 days before you can get married. In France this period is 10 days.
Organizing a great wedding abroad is quite easy. Do not be alarmed by the difficulties that may arise with finding a hotel or obtaining a visa, if you need one at all. The most important thing is that the memories of this trip will stay with you for life!
Cyprus
From early spring to late autumn it is summer in Cyprus. This means that for 9 whole months the gentle Mediterranean climate favors those who want to register a marriage in another country, and at the same time spend a honeymoon here. And it doesn’t matter whether the wedding takes place on Cape Greco, on the slopes of Paphos or on the white cliffs of Aphrodite, the impressions of this indescribable beauty will remain in your hearts for many years.
Flight from Moscow:
~4 hours
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
2-3 days
Ceremony cost:
from 50 t.r.
for symbolic and from 70 tr. for official flights Moscow ✈ Larnaca from 13,600 rub.
Where and how to hold an official wedding?
Countries
If everything is clear with a symbolic celebration and it can be done anywhere, then with an official one it is more difficult. So, the list of states where a couple can sign abroad:
- Europe: in Slovenia, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Czech Republic, France and Spain. Breathtaking landscapes, aristocratic castles and villas, near a lake or forest. The air is literally saturated with romance, interesting streets, all of these, of course, are European cities that often captivate the hearts of lovers;
- islands: in Cuba, the Grenadines, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Seychelles, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mauritius, Bahamas, Barbados, Cyprus and Crete. These options are for lovers of exotic beauty, blue clear seas and hot weather. A wedding held in such a place will definitely be remembered for a long time;
- Near Abroad – Ukraine, Latvia, Bulgaria, Belarus also formalize relations between Russians on their territories;
- other states: Türkiye, United States of America, Australia, Mexico and New Zealand. They will also officially register the marriage, which will be valid in the Russian Federation.
But, for example, Thailand, Egypt, China and the United Arab Emirates, which are so popular among Russian residents, do not allow you to legally start a family, that is, sign, but they can carry out excellent on-site registration.
What documents are needed
You also need to know that the official organization of a marriage abroad has a number of important points, this concerns the necessary papers and the legalization of a marriage in Russia. So, you will need:
- passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, 2 pcs.;
- birth certificate of the bride and groom;
- certificates from a notary certifying marital status;
- certificates of termination of marriage or death of the previous spouse, if they were previously married;
- a document taken from the civil registry office stating that there are no legal obstacles to the marriage;
- certificate of change of surname, if it was different before.
This package of papers must be notarized while still in Russia, and also translated into the language of the country in which you want to sign.
Don't forget about copies of these papers.
On certificates of divorce, birth and death of one of the spouses, an apostille is placed - a special badge, which is an international standardized form for filling out information about the legality of documents for presenting them in other states.
Who organizes
Many people on such troubles themselves But for this you will need a lot of free time, as well as extreme attentiveness and composure.
If you still want to trust the professionals, then it could be:
- tour operator - just contact a company that organizes weddings in other countries;
- wedding agencies - the organizer can either be from Russia and you take him with you abroad where the holiday is planned, or you find a person already on the spot.
Most likely, a specialist working abroad will speak English, keep this in mind.
Price
So, let's look at the approximate cost in some countries. We will give prices in rubles and only for newlyweds, without a banquet hall, cars and guests. All this is calculated separately, based on your desires and capabilities.
- In Cyprus, organizing a ceremony, including flights and accommodation, will cost you 150 thousand.
- In Greece, for 130,000, they will select and decorate the ceremony site for you, and also provide you with a Russian-speaking host.
- In Prague, 120 thousand rubles will be enough to completely arrange the location, documents, and there will also be money left over for rings.
- In Jamaica, 300,000 will be enough to decorate the area, the registrar, and even for flights with accommodation.
- In the Dominican Republic, for 280 thousand you will live in a hotel on an all-inclusive basis, this amount will include wedding registration, a package of necessary documents, flights, and even a photographer.
- On the island of Mauritius they will ask for about 330,000 – this is for all organization services.
- In the Seychelles, such a holiday will cost you 350,000.
- State of Barbados - for flights, accommodation and painting they will ask for 400,000 rubles.
- The most expensive option is French Polynesia , where you will have to pay about 700,000.
The prices presented may vary according to the course and also depending on the desired package of services.
Italy
Alpine lakes Como, Garda or Maggiore, trips to waterfalls in the heart of the country, walks through olive groves and vineyards, medieval cities of Tuscany or the water canals of Venice - Italy can satisfy any whims of lovers.
From May to October there is a high wedding season in Italy, and most often the newlyweds spend their honeymoon traveling around the towns of the Amalfi Coast or, on the contrary, going to tourist centers: Venice, Rome, Milan.
Flight from Moscow:
~4 hours
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
3 weeks
Ceremony cost:
from 80 t.r.
for symbolic and from 100 tr. for official flights Moscow ✈ Rome from 14,300 rub.
Wedding in France
For traditionalists who are not accustomed to radical changes in the measured flow of life, Europe can offer a lot of pleasures in terms of wedding ceremonies. And if we are talking about marriage for love, then the first place is occupied by the capital of all lovers - Paris.
To hold the ceremony, you can choose one of the historical places that will preserve your love story. For example, you can swear eternal love within the walls of Notre Dame Cathedral, where Napoleon and Josephine were once married.
Wedding traditions : the newlyweds drink from a cup with two handles, called “a coupe de marriage”, and instead of rice, which is sprinkled on the newlyweds, in France it is customary to release exotic butterflies.
Czech
Feeling like Cinderella marrying a handsome prince - that’s what a wedding in the Czech Republic is all about. Stunning architecture, legendary palaces and castles, domes, arches, pilasters, columns and balustrades, and even a real carriage instead of a tired limousine.
Flight from Moscow:
~2.5 hours
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
2-3 weeks
Ceremony cost:
from 85 TR
for both symbolic and official tickets Moscow ✈ Prague from 12,000 rub.
Disadvantages or pitfalls
Here's what you need to prepare for.
- It is unlikely that you will be able to take many relatives and friends
- Coordinating the actions of wedding planners from another country, and perhaps from another continent, is quite difficult. Especially if you want to know everything in advance and down to the smallest detail.
Are these disadvantages though? If you think about it, you can organize a holiday for relatives and friends upon arrival home, organize viewing of videos and slide shows. And the last point can easily turn into a plus, because it’s so nice to receive surprises.
Portugal
Portugal is suitable for those who do not want resorts and routes traveled far and wide. The country is famous for its old castles, wine estates, cute streets and picturesque cliffs on the ocean. And the southern beaches of the Algarve, with their sea caves and impressive cliffs, are regularly included in the TOP of the best beaches in Europe.
Flight from Moscow:
from 6 hours
Ceremony:
both official and symbolic
Waiting for the official certificate:
2-3 months
Ceremony cost:
from 80 tr. for symbolic, and from 150 tr.
for official flights Moscow ✈ Lisbon from 21,300 rub.
Choosing a direction
There are usually three groups of countries for wedding tourism:
- Europe - here they get married in palaces, ancient castles, in beautiful municipalities;
- beach destinations - ceremonies under the open smiling sky and sky-high thermometers;
- Las Vegas, which stands apart - ceremonies are held by Elvis Presley in specialized chapels and churches.
For those who also want to get married abroad, it is worth taking a closer look at France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Greece or Israel.
And now we will turn our eyes and set our compasses on those countries that are especially popular with people who have decided to replace the Mendelssohn march with something more exotic.
