[loola]

Hi everyone, just after some thoughts!

DF and I have been engaged since February 2011 and a month later found out I was pregnant, so everything has taken a backseat since then. We initially had planned more your standard type of wedding with a few different touches, but marrid by the beach at Port Melbourne and a family style reception and party at a brewery in Richmond.

The more time that has gone on, and more thinking DF has done, he has warmed to the idea of just going overseas and doing it (I had suggested this right after we were engaged and he poo poo'ed it because of his family) I am not working and am home with DS, who is 1 in June, and due to the change in circumstances, we don't want to spend that money when we have him, I'm not working, we want to save for a house, and I have bee craving something a bit different, which he now is.


SO! 2 questions....

WHo here has done the destination smaller wedding, where was it, cost/budget and legalities? We have just tossed up looking at Hawaii, Thailand, Fiji, Greek Islands (but this will probably blow out costs more so more a pipe dream for me!) or Vegas. Any other ideas?


Did you have any regrets? I am worried I will look back as there were certain things I had imagined that will change now, but I guess alot of them are just aesthetics and small things. My three best friends live overseas so would be easier for them to get somewhere else than fly to Australia (I would have been fine with a backyard one but we have nowhere we could have it) but I know I will not have a lot of people at the wedding now due to costs and times and kids etc, which I totally understand and don't expect it at all, but does make me a little sad, as it would have been people from a few states all coming to Melbourne so even with a dinner, only 1/3 of people would be there. On the other hand, being overseas, knowing a few of the people who will be there, still having the dress and get up and getting married to DF, and a real fun atmosphere without a lot of the wedding formailities that I am not into is so appealing.

I also am a bit worried about having a 2 1/2-3 year old as we would continue on to our honeymoon and he'd go back with my parents - I guess right now at this point it time I am still so anxious and nervey this scares me!

HelP!

[PixieVee]

I hear the Ryde region of Sydney is a lovely place for a wedding

In all seriousness though, I think it's a great idea and the more I think about it the more I think it's something I'd like to do.

When I was in Fiji I saw a few wedding and one in particular was just stunning at The Outrigger they have a chapel riiiight on the top of the hill with stun.ning views, my gosh what a dream it would be to get married there!

I think either Fiji or Hawaii (sephora!!!!) would be awesome for you. For some reason I don't see Vegas as "you" but I could be wrong

[loola]

I hear the Ryde region of Sydney is a lovely place for a wedding

In all seriousness though, I think it's a great idea and the more I think about it the more I think it's something I'd like to do.

When I was in Fiji I saw a few wedding and one in particular was just stunning at The Outrigger they have a chapel riiiight on the top of the hill with stun.ning views, my gosh what a dream it would be to get married there!

I think either Fiji or Hawaii (sephora!!!!) would be awesome for you. For some reason I don't see Vegas as "you" but I could be wrong

Ryde and Collaroy were naturally our front runners

Sounds pretty, let me go yahoo that. Yeah, initially I was very VEGAS BABY, then I was like, beachy and fun and warm might suit us better, and can probably do a few more personal touches. Flowers concern me a bit though, I am not huge on tropical flowers. I know, discussing the BIG ISSUES.


mmmmmm Sephora! I can definitely see you doing something like that, I would totes crash!

[PixieVee]

Baha, I think Collaroy's a bit nicer!

Yeah, I'm not frange fan and they seem to be the "thing" at beachy weddings. Blerch. Hmm, that is a toughie. I don't mind hibiscus though (mainly because I adore the smell). Or what about Gardenias?

[threelittlegems]

Hi OP,

I got invited to two destination weddings last year. I live in port melb area and both sets of bride and groom also live in Melbourne.

One was my brothers wedding and he got married in country France. His wife has dual nationality and has a lot of relatives in France. There were sixty guests, fiifty two on her side and eight on my brothers side. We didn't go.

The other was a friends wedding in Fiji which we did go to. By the time we bought passports etc for three kids, and accommodation for five, the wedding cost us $10k for a six night holiday.

I'm glad we went, it was a great experience and I highly recommend it. .

I will always be hurt that my brother cared more about his destination than who could feasibly attend. I wish he could have done a destination wedding in Australia, because there were many places within reason we would have travelled to.

My advice is to think about who you want at your wedding and ensure you organise somewhere they have the time and money to travel to.

[Apageintime]

I had a destination wedding.

I got married in New York, about a year ago. It was sunstantially cheaper than having a wedding here.

The legalities: it was stupidly easy to organise, in NY you just go down to the registry and show your passports, pick up some paperwork and 24 hours later you are good to have your ceremony. Then the celebrant fills out the paperwork, about 6 weeks later you get your marriage certificate in the mail. It cost about $30.
You won't be able to use a foreign marriage certificate to change your name though, keep this in mind if that's important to you.

I have absolutely no regrets at all, we had all the special people in our lives there (and a few 'extras') with a total wedding group of 13 including us. Everytime I talk to my friends about weddings it makes me more glad I went with the destination option! so much less drama!

We did make it easier and pay for our parents flights though, and all our friends have the travel bug so it wasn't so much an issue though.

we then had our Honeymoon in Jamaica and saw so many people getting married there too - that would be a fabulous destination if you're looking for something beachy.

This post has been edited by A.page: 23/04/2012, 02:01 PM