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Getting Married in Paris or London

My girlfriend and I will be visiting London and Paris for the first time. We're very excited about it because it's in 3 weeks!

I was wondering if it is at all possible to elope while we are there (or in Belgium?) I know it probably seems sudden and that we haven't prepared at all but I would like to know if its an option.

I've read that one spouse-to-be must be living in Paris for 40 days prior to the wedding in order to get married there. I also read something similar for London. Is that true? I know its easy enough to get engaged while we're there but i was thinking of taking it one step further.

Thanks for your email! You are right: both England and France are just about impossible for destination weddings if one of you is not already a resident. If you have time for a train ride up to Scotland (and can begin the process before your trip), it is pretty easy to marry there, however! The town of Gretna Green is known as one of the most popular destination wedding places in Europe and it's located near the border. Here's one of many sites about planning a destination wedding in Gretna Green, Scotland: http://www.gretnaweddings.com/

Unfortunately Belgium is about like France in terms of residency; one of you has to be a resident there. It's the same with the Netherlands as well. Germany does offer weddings to non-residents, though; Italy does a lot of non-resident weddings! (The added difficulty when you pick a non-English-speaking country, though, is that you usually need to get your documents officially translated into the local language.) Italy has many wedding planners who specialize in destination weddings and can help obtain the translations. We've got a special section on Lovetripper with the marriage laws from other countries.

Even in the countries where it's easiest (like Scotland and Italy), plan on a few days to get everything done in terms of license. A wedding planner can help get as much as possible done beforehand. In Scotland, for example, you have to file your papers before your arrival and you have to have proof of single status. (Unfortunately, it's not as easy as an elopement here, such as in Las Vegas.)

Whether an engagement trip or a wedding/honeymoon trip, it sounds like you have a very memorable trip planned! Best wishes!! Paris and John

Labels: destination weddings, France, United Kingdom

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:37 PM 1 comments

Ideas for a Quickie Wedding

I wouldn't say that my Fiance and I are lazy, but we are looking for the easiest way to get married. Can you recommend anywhere- possibly in Europe- where we can simply drop in and get married while on vacation with out dealing with a lot of the pre-planning of legal forms and licenses that usually accompany a typical wedding? Is there a service that might do it for us?

Most of Europe has pretty strict wedding laws that prohibit really simple ceremonies like those you’d find in Vegas. Scotland has some of the easiest wedding laws but even there you’ll need a marriage visa and have some paperwork hoops to jump through!

In the US, Gatlinburg, Tennessee is second to Las Vegas in terms of both the number of weddings and ease of ceremonies; there are many, many wedding chapels in the area that range from touristy to beautiful.

Many islands in the Caribbean have very vacation-friendly marriage laws, a few make it possible to arrive and marry on the same day. You won’t find the many wedding chapels like Vegas on any of the islands but you will find many resorts that offer wedding packages...some free for guests...and wedding coordinators to handle every detail from paperwork to wedding officiant to wedding cake. SuperClubs and Sandals both offer free wedding packages for guests (you’ll pay the marriage license fee); we’ve seen many of these weddings and they’re nice with beach settings, a small wedding cake, etc.

Labels: Caribbean, destination weddings, Las Vegas, Tennessee

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:35 PM 0 comments

Castle Wedding for Two

We are thinking about planning a castle wedding in Scotland, England , or Ireland. It is a second marriage for both of us and there will probably only be the two of us. Is this feasible since there will be no reception or wedding party? We want to have the reception back in the States.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Castle weddings are beautiful (and make great wedding photos!); you'll find several that offer packages just for two:

In Scotland, Ballindalloch Castle allows small weddings and the owners will help with wedding details. Also in Scotland, Barcaldine offers small weddings.

Duns Castle in Scotland allows weddings with just two people, although it's a large, prominent venue. You might remember the castle if she's seen the movie "Mrs. Brown," featuring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria. The castle stood in for Balmoral in the movie.

In Ireland, about an hour from the Shannon Airport, Ballyportry Castle offers wedding packages for parties of 12 or less.

For planning the wedding, check out our book, The Castle Wedding Workbook, for details on other castles plus planning everything from music to decorations.

Best wishes!

Labels: destination weddings, Ireland, Scotland

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:20 PM 0 comments

Vow Renewal in Sicily

I hope you can help me - my parents would like to renew their wedding vows (40 years!) during their stay in Taormina, Sicily this April. However, after being given sound assurance from the travel agent that this wouldn't be a problem, they have just been told that no one can do it. They are really disappointed as you can imagine and I am trying to find out if there is anything that can be done. My parents are staying somewhere called Hotel Caiparhina, not sure if I've spelt that right but I believe it's like the drink! I'll check though if you don't know it. They'd like to renew their vows on the 9th April (their anniversary) although I know this is a Sunday so that might be a problem especially as they are Anglican and not Catholic! Don't think they have a venue in mind, just somewhere nice. I'd really appreciate any tips or advice.

We weren't sure about an answer for this question so we went to the experts: Regency San Marino. We forwarded the above letter to these wedding planners based in Italy and soon had an answer:

This is Sharon Strauss Becchi, one of the senior wedding coordinators from Regency San Marino. I will be happy to answer you so you can tell her what we have to say. I will write below some information and please feel free to take from the answers what you wish to run in your mailbox section.

In fact for us it is very easy to plan a memorable renewal of vows ceremony in Sicily. I am surprised that your reader was told otherwise, but happy that I may be able to help them! Please have them contact me directly at sharon@weddingsitaly.com and also check out our website to see testimonials and other information about our company.

In addition to working with Catholic priests for church weddings we also have the unique ability to have Anglican ceremonies. The ministers speak perfect English and travel all over Italy for us. We are lucky to have an exclusive relationship with these ministers which have permission from the Minister of Interior to perform religious ceremonies outside of the church - so in private locations such as villas and castles and hotels.

I would be happy to contact the hotel where your reader's parents are staying (I think she meant the Caperina?) and see if they will allow us to set up a romantic intimate ceremony on their grounds - if not we have other beautiful possibilities as well.

Sunday April 7th is open for one of our ministers to celebrate the renewal of vows and the couple can also add their own wording and readings as well. Our renewal of vows ceremony packages start at 1300 Euros and include all of our coordination fees as well as the cost of the minister to travel and perform the ceremony in Taormina. It also includes a bouquet and boutonniere for the couple if they wish as well as a violinist for the ceremony. Additional costs would be any cost that the location asks us for to set up the ceremony on their grounds as well as any other services the couple wishes to have - such as a photographer.

I hope this information has been helpful and I hope to be able to work with your reader's parents and make them have an anniversary to remember forever - this is one of the best parts of my job!!

Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Kindest regards,

Sharon Strauss Becchi
Regency San Marino s.rl.

Labels: destination weddings, Italy

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:13 PM 0 comments

September Beach Weddings in Mexico

I am helping my daughter with some wedding plans and she is considering a barefoot beach ceremony in Mexico. Do you have any suggestions for that time of year or is it to hot and risky because of Hurricane season. Thanks for your help! -- Teresa, Oregon

Happy to help! Hurricane season on the Caribbean side of Mexico runs from June 1-Nov 30 although the months of August and September are the worst. The Pacific hurricane season is just about the same time period.

However, even in September there are many years when no storms hit Mexico; it’s all just a matter of luck. The good thing is that forecasting warns of the potential for a storm days in advance.

With that in mind, if your daughter does decide on a September beach ceremony, here are some things to consider:

* in the event of bad weather, what are the ceremony venue alternatives? If she’s looking at a beach ceremony at a resort, they’ll have a bad weather contingency plan, often a restaurant, meeting space, or other indoor venue.

* Does the resort have any kind of hurricane guarantee? Many Caribbean resorts offer a hurricane guarantee which means if your trip is interrupted by a hurricane, you’ll receive compensation. (The amount varies but some, like Sandals resorts in the Caribbean, offer you a new vacation for the length of your original planned vacation, regardless of the number of days you missed due to the storm. Check with resorts in Mexico for similar guarantees.)

It is hot in Mexico in September but the coast is generally nice because of the coastal breezes. If you go further inland, such as to Chitzen Itza, it can be very toasty.

Two other items to consider for a Mexico wedding: most Mexican states require blood tests to be performed in Mexico and wedding ceremonies must be performed in Spanish. Most wedding coordinators can serve as interpreters.

Labels: destination weddings, Mexico

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:02 PM 0 comments

Galapagos Weddings

What tips (legal as it relates to matrimonial issues and adventuresome travel) might you share regarding getting hitched in / on the Galapagos Islands? We’re planning a trip for late June. Sounds like the blue-footed boobies would be among our bridal party. -- Tina, Salt Lake City

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Galapagos would be a really neat place for a small wedding. Check out this interview on our site about Galapagos romantic travel.

The company that gave the interview sets up weddings; there are also some links on that page sites with additional wedding options. Here’s another site with some info on some locations in the Galapagos that offer weddings.

The Galapagos are part of Ecuador so we’d also recommend checking with the Ecuador Embassy for info on their marriage laws so you’ll have all the paperwork you need in plenty of time. This page lists consulate offices for Ecuador in the US:
http://www.ecuador.us/info/consulate.htm

Best wishes!! Paris and John

Labels: destination weddings, Ecuador

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 5:56 PM 0 comments

What Traditions Are Found in Weddings in Trinidad & Tobago?

My godchild is getting married and I am part of the planning group. Can you please tell me what are some of the traditions that people from Trinidad & Tobago incorporate into their wedding ceremonies? -- CB, Kansas City, MO

Thanks for your note; it sounds like you will have a lot of fun planning this wedding. In Trinidad and Tobago, it's traditional for wedding receptions to include curried crab and dumplings.

Also, the wedding cake is usually the traditional black cake, a Caribbean cake that's similar to a very heavy rum-soaked fruitcake (sometimes iced). At the reception, dances such as the reel and jig and the quadrille are traditional.

Heritage Festival hosts an annual Old Time Wedding every July that features some old time wedding traditions (like the cake transported on a guest's head; it is covered in mosquito netting.) We watched the ceremony once; there's more about it on Lovetripper in an article on Heritage Festival.

Good luck with your planning!

Labels: destination weddings, Trinidad and Tobago

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 2:24 PM 0 comments

Sandals Weddings

What do you think about the Sandals Resorts' WeddingMoon? --Helen, Shreveport, LA

We’ve seen several Sandals weddings and they’re nice. They're for some couples and not for other couples, depending on the type of wedding you would like.

At peak times (actually MOST times), you definitely won’t be the only couple getting married on a particular day so it’s not for couples who really want the all-day attention of a wedding coordinator or those who want lots of special details.

On the other hand, for couples who want some choices but not to be overwhelmed with choices (and don't want to turn the wedding planning into a part-time job), the Sandals package is a good option. The free wedding is an incredible deal and you have your selection of several wedding venues at each property. The properties are beautiful and offer a very extensive all-inclusive package.

Sandals also sells a Preston Bailey wedding package (Preston Bailey has done many celebrity weddings) that has some nice touches at a reasonable price.

We’ve stayed at most of the Sandals resorts and been very happy with our stay and the all-inclusive package. Best wishes! Paris and John

Labels: Caribbean, destination weddings

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 2:15 PM 0 comments

Planning a Cozumel Cruise Wedding

My boyfriend and I are Katrina victims from Louisiana getting away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and decided to book a cruise. We are leaving from Galveston on April 17th traveling to Yucatan and Cozumel. We are on a strict budget and have decided to get married while we are away from it all; it will be just the two of us. Can you lead us in the right direction as to HOW to get started...

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!! Cozumel is a beautiful island and will be a memorable spot for a wedding.

Your best starting point is your cruise line; start soon because some limit the number of weddings they can assist with while in port. Most cruise lines have staff members who can help with all the wedding details; their packages are some of the most reasonable. Since you’ll be on island for a short time, you’ll need to have assistance getting all the details worked out to make the most of your time. Also, you’ll need witnesses which the wedding coordinator can help arrange and, if the two of you don’t speak Spanish, they can also help with translating the ceremony. (Weddings in Mexico must be performed in Spanish so usually the wedding planner acts as translator.)

Everything we’ve read indicates that you will need current passports but check with the cruise line (and if they don’t know, check with the Mexican consulate’s office closes to your home. Like the US, each state in Mexico has its own marriage regulations so they vary just a little from location to location. Generally you need a valid passport as well as blood tests; the blood test rules vary from location to location as well and can sometimes be performed in your home state within 15 days or so of your wedding date.)

Best wishes and keep us posted on your progress!

Labels: cruise, destination weddings, Mexico

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:41 PM 0 comments