The gift ideas on this page are mentioned with the destination wedding in mind. They are also the type of gifts that the bride and groom give to each other, as opposed to gifts that they receive from other wedding guests.

Transporting the gifts
As you’ll be aware, transporting things to your destination wedding can be somewhat of a pain (unless you’re lucky enough to be able to pack up a car and drive there), so if you have your heart set on giving your groom personalised golf clubs then you might need to rethink this. Alternatively of course, you could leave the gift at home and bring along some sort of photo of the gift, or you could get creative and bring along some clues as to what the gift back at home is.

Jewellery
Jewellery makes a wonderfully romantic wedding day gift between the bride and groom. You could opt to get your groom a new watch, cufflinks or a chain if he wears jewellery. For a bride, whilst you may have the rings covered, you can’t go far wrong with a necklace, earrings (if she has her ears pierced) or a bracelet. Bear in mind though that the bride may well already have her wedding day jewellery sorted, so please don’t be disappointed if she arrives down the aisle not wearing her newest addition to her collection. She’ll just be waiting until your honeymoon to dazzle you with it.

Leather
Again, this transports well to a destination wedding. For the groom, you could get him a new, personalised leather wallet
and perhaps include a passport photo of you/the two of you and a romantic note.
For the bride, most girls love designer handbags. Check out a great range of over 800 bags, suiting many different types of budgets at John Lewis.

Local gift
As you’ve made the decision to get married overseas, a local gift would make a wonderful and meaningful memento for your bride or groom. You could choose to get a framed photo or painting of the area, or perhaps an expensive bottle of local wine or champers that you could save for your 1st year anniversary.

Tickets and gift experience vouchers
Tickets and gift vouchers are an extremely lightweight and convenient gift to give to your bride or groom. They’re also great for having something to look forward to once the fun of the wedding and honeymoon is all done and dusted. Check out Red Letter Days , who have an extremely exciting number of gift packages available.

FYEO
This is really more of a gift for a bride to a groom (although feel free to write in and tell us if there are any guys out there who have done this for their missus)…. FYEO means For Your Eyes Only and refers to having some saucy photos taken of you in some sexy lingerie, which are edited in a flattering manner. The results are absolutely gorgeous and are thoroughly recommended. If you send these to your groom on the morning of the wedding, he’ll be skipping all the way down the aisle.

If you’re still in need of inspiration for your bride or groom’s wedding present, then check out Getting Personal who have a great selection of personalised gifts that cater for many different types of budget.

Traditionally there are 8 seats on the top table and rather than sitting facing each other, the top table guests sit facing out at the rest of the reception room.

The order in which the top table is seated is as follows:

Chief Bridesmaid, Groom’s Father, Bride’s Mother, Groom, Bride, Bride’s Father, Groom’s Mother, Best Man.

Of course, with many other wedding-related decisions, you may run into problems when you’re designing your top table.

Here are some of the issues that you may encounter:

• You may already have children and would like them to be seated with you
• Either the bride or groom may have sadly lost a parent
• Either set of parents may be divorced and not be on good enough terms to be sat at the same table
• You may have stepparents who you’re close to and would like to sit on the top table
• You may have stepparents who you’re not close to, but it would pose a problem to your parent if he or she is not sat with their partner
• You don’t have a chief bridesmaid, but have several bridesmaids
• You have more than one best man
• You think that the traditional top table seating plan is anti-social and looks like you’re waiting for a bus

Luckily, if you’re willing to step outside of the boundaries of tradition then there are some great options for you.

Table Shapes
No-one is forcing you to have a top table where you sit staring out at the rest of your guests and they stare at you like you’re eating in a goldfish bowl. If you’d prefer to have a more sociable table style, then consider either having round tables or long table with guests seated on both sides.

Hosting Roles
If you’ve decided that you’d rather sit with friends rather than family during your wedding meal, or if you have stepparents that you’re trying to appease, it can be a great idea to give these guests a ‘hosting role’. This means that you take them off the top table and give them a table of their own to host. This tends to make them feel important and involved.

Roaming bride and groom
If there are too many family members to please and you feel like you’re torn between friends and family, then consider leaving an extra chair at various tables, so that the two of you can roam freely around the room during the wedding reception. You can either choose to do this between courses or if you’re really committed to this idea, then you opt to have a different course of your meal served at various tables.

Sweetheart table
Finally, if the stress of trying to please everyone (including yourselves) is becoming too much, then there is a great option available for you. You can have an intimate ‘table for two’ or a ‘sweetheart table’. Yes, that’s right. The bride and groom sit on their own ‘love table’ and are able to chat between themselves for the duration of their meal. This idea was made famous by Posh and Becks. Guests will love the romance of watching the two of you have your first meal together as husband and wife, whilst the two of you can sit there gossiping about how great your matchmaking skills because your single friends are hitting it off so well over a few glasses of bubbly!

As with all the advice we give on Wonderful Weddings , remember that it’s your wedding day and even though absolutely everyone will have an opinion (good and bad) about how you’ve planned your special day, you should do what’s right for you and don’t be too swayed by the thoughts of assertive family members!

Following on from the recent launch of our Weddings at Sea guide, we thought we’d put together some great reasons as to why you should consider getting married on a cruise ship.

Over the last 5 years, there has been a huge increase in couples choosing to tie the knot at sea and here are a few of the reasons why these couples might have arrived at their decision!

Celebrate for more than one day

Like most destination weddings, the beauty of getting married away from home, is the fact that your wedding day celebrations can be extended past the typical wedding day. If you are for instance onboard a cruise holiday, then the chances are that you’ll be holidaying with your guests for at least a week (depending on the duration and destination of your chosen cruise), which is a great excuse for multiple parties and celebrations of your marriage. You may for instance choose to have a rehearsal dinner the night before your wedding. Alternatively, you might meet up with all your guests the day after your wedding to take part in a fun excursion or simply to sit down over lunch and discuss the fun of the night before!

Forget about suppliers

Another fantastic reason to have a wedding onboard a cruise ship, is that you don’t have to worry about endless lists of suppliers and trying to co-ordinate them all to fit around each other. Instead, your onboard wedding co-ordinator will deal with all the suppliers (of flowers, food, wine, room hire, cake etc) who are part of the ship’s staff. This removes a great burden from your shoulders and allows you to sit back and relax!

Talking of relaxation ….

…. if you’re onboard your cruise ship for a few days before your wedding at sea, then although you might still be suffering some last minute nerves, you’ll probably find those last few days to be a lot less stressful than they would if you weren’t already on holiday. Cruise ships are hugely relaxing and you can take advantage of the onboard spa facilities to really chill out. Enjoy a massage or have a facial so that you can look and feel your best on your big day.

Money, money, money….

Cruise ship weddings tend to cost an average of £5,000 per couple, although we should stress that they can cost a lot less or a lot more, depending on your requirements. However, the average cost is a heck of a lot less than the average price of a wedding in the UK. The best part is that couples who get married onboard, can also take advantage of having an in-built honeymoon all in one, meaning that the whole experience becomes a perfect but budget holiday. If you don’t like the idea of having your wedding guests being present on your honeymoon, remember that these ships are BIG. There are plenty of different restaurants, bars and even decks to have lots of private moments away from the rest of your wedding crowd. But if you really want your guests to get lost after your nuptials, then you can just time your wedding cruise, so that you embark on a land adventure for two at the end of your cruise route.

Photos

We couldn’t let this article go, without mentioning the fabulous photo opportunities available to you when you get married on a cruise ship. The ships themselves are beautiful, but imagine getting married looking out over the ocean. Even though your wedding ceremony will be taking place in a designated ceremony venue room inside the boat, there’s nothing to stop you taking advantage of the wonderful photo opportunities aboard the ship after you’re officially married. Have photos on the deck and even consider putting your glad rags back on so that you can have a beautiful photo to remember on a beach, next to a glacier or in front of a spectacular mountain range.

If you are interested in tying the knot at sea, there are plenty of options available to you with a cruise line such as P&O who have cruise destinations all around the world.

Does the idea of having a free wedding in a tropical paradise sound too good to be true?

Well thanks to Kuoni this isn’t just a pipe dream….

They have a wonderful selection of free weddings that can be held at a number of luxury resorts throughout the Caribbean. The details of these hotels and the restrictions that need to be met in order to qualify for a free wedding are detailed below.

Simply browse through these beautiful locations until you find a venue that you’ve fallen in love with, check that you meet the requirements to receive a free wedding, then book your holiday and wedding online!

Free Weddings in St Lucia
Rendezvous – free weddings for couples staying 7 nights or more in a Verandah suite or above.

Almond Morgan Bay – Free ‘Weddings for You’ package for couples staying more than 7 nights in a deluxe garden view room or higher. Free ‘Unforgettable Weddings for You’ package for couples staying more than 10 nights in a deluxe garden view room or higher.

Free Weddings in Antigua
Jolly Beach – free weddings for couples who bring wedding guests booking out a minimum of 5 rooms for 7 nights.

Hawksbill by Rex Resorts – free weddings for couples staying 14 nights or more.

Blue Waters – free weddings for couples staying 10 nights or more.

Galley Bay – free weddings for couples staying 12 nights or more in a deluxe room or higher.

Verandah Resort & Spa – free weddings for couples staying 13 nights or more in an Oceanfront Suite or higher.

Free weddings in Barbados
Mango Bay – free weddings for couples staying 14 nights or more between 1st-31st July 2011 and 1st-31st October 2011.

Almond Beach Club & Spa – free ‘Wedding for You’ package for couples staying in a deluxe pool/gardenview room or higher for 7 nights. Free ‘Unforgettable Wedding For You’ package for couples staying in a deluxe pool/gardenview room or higher for 10 nights.

Almond Beach Village -free ‘Wedding for You’ package for couples staying in a deluxe pool/gardenview room or higher for 7 nights. Free ‘Unforgettable Wedding For You’ package for couples staying in a deluxe pool/gardenview room or higher for 10 nights.

Almond Casuarina Beach – free ‘Wedding for You’ package for couples staying in a deluxe pool/gardenview room or higher for 7 nights. Free ‘Unforgettable Wedding For You’ package for couples staying in a deluxe pool/gardenview room or higher for 10 nights.

Free Weddings in Grenada and the Grenadines
Palm Island Resort – free weddings for couples staying 13 nights or more in a beachfront room!

Coyaba Beach Resort – free weddings for couples staying 10 nights or more.

La Source – free weddings for couples staying 7 nights or more.

Free Weddings in Tobago
Blue Haven – free weddings for couples staying longer than 7 nights in a deluxe oceanview room or above. The happy couple will also receive a candlelit dinner.

Free Weddings in St Kitts
Ottley’s Plantation Inn – free weddings for couples who are staying a minimum of 14 nights on either half board or all-inclusive.

Perfect Wedding Magazine is the ideal choice for couples who want inspiration and advice when planning their wedding, whether you’re getting married abroad or in the UK.

It comes in a small format, so is extremely convenient and you can fit it into your handbag and read on the train, in the doctor’s waiting room or on your lunch hour.

This indispensable magazine contains beautiful photographs, inspiration for wedding dresses, bridal looks and reception venues and even ideas for your wedding ‘details’, such as cake toppers, favours, decorations and invitations.

You’ll also find a 30 page section packed full of advice from wedding experts, complete with a directory full of useful contacts.

Last but not least, enjoy reading through the features on real-life weddings, which are truly beautiful!

If you buy Perfect Wedding Magazine online, you’ll save 30% of what you would pay in the shops. Buy it now and you’ll receive 13 issues for £27.21 which includes UK FREE home delivery.

As discussed on our Overseas Wedding Insurance page, it is imperative that you take out some specialist insurance for Weddings Abroad so that you’re covered against events that you haven’t planned for such as needing to cancel your wedding due to redundancy or a tragic event, or one of your suppliers going bankrupt and taking your deposit and payment with them!

We particularly like the 6 levels of coverage offered by WeddingPlan Insurance, who are a respected and affordable company within the insurance industry.

Starting from £15.49 for their basic package, all the 6 policies can be personalised by adding optional components such as ceremonial swords cover or marquee cover.

Here they are:

Essentials Wedding Cover
Silver Wedding Cover
Gold Wedding Cover
Platinum Wedding Cover
Diamond Wedding Cover
Premier Wedding Cover

Essentials Wedding Cover – Priced from £15.49

• Up to £2500 – Cancellation of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £1500 – Rearrangement of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £5000 – Personal Accident
• Up to £5000 – Legal Expenses
• Up to £1,000,000 – Personal Liability *
• Up to £1000 – Wedding Gifts
• Up to £1000 – Wedding Attire
• Up to £750 – Failure of Suppliers
• Up to £750 – Photographs and Video
• Up to £750 – Wedding cars and transport
• Up to £750 – Wedding rings etc.
• Up to £125 – Essential Document Indemnity for overseas weddings

Silver Wedding Cover – Priced from £19.99

• Up to £5000 – Cancellation of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £2750 – Rearrangement of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £10,000 – Personal Accident
• Up to £5000 – Legal Expenses
• Up to £2,000,000 – Personal Liability *
• Up to £2000 – Wedding Attire
• Up to £2000 – Wedding Gifts
• Up to £1250 – Failure of suppliers
• Up to £1500 Wedding rings etc
• Up to £1250 – Wedding cars and transport
• Up to £1250 – Photographs and video
• Up to £200 – Essential Document Indemnity for overseas weddings

Gold Wedding Cover – Priced from £34.99

• Up to £10,000 – Cancellation of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £5000 – Rearrangement of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £20,000 – Personal Accident
• Up to £5000 – Legal Expenses
• Up to £2,000,000 – Personal Liability *
• Up to £3000 – Wedding Attire
• Up to £3000 – Wedding Gifts
• Up to £2000 – Wedding Rings etc
• Up to £1500 – Failure of Suppliers
• Up to £1500 – Wedding cars and transport
• Up to £1500 – Photographs and video
• Up to £250 – Essential Document Indemnity for overseas weddings

Platinum Wedding Cover – Priced from £59.99

• Up to £20,000 – Cancellation of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £10,000 – Rearrangement of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £40,000 – Personal accident
• Up to £10,000 – Legal expenses
• Up to £2,000,000 – Personal Liability *
• Up to £6000 – Wedding Attire
• Up to £6000 – Wedding Gifts
• Up to £4000 Wedding rings etc
• Up to £3000 – Wedding cars and transport
• Up to £3000 – Photographs and video
• Up to £3000 Failure of suppliers
• Up to £500 Essential Document Indemnity for overseas weddings

Diamond Wedding Cover – Priced from £79.99

• Up to £30,000 – Cancellation of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £15,000 – Rearrangement of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £40,000 – Personal Accident
• Up to £20,000 – Legal expenses
• Up to £2,000,000 – Personal liability *
• Up to £10,000 – Wedding Attire
• Up to £10,000 – Wedding Gifts
• Up to £10,000 – Wedding Rings etc
• Up to £5,000 – Wedding cars and transport
• Up to £5,000 – Photographs and video
• Up to £5,000 – Failure of suppliers
• Up to £1,000 – Essential Document Indemnity for overseas weddings

Premier Wedding Cover – Priced from £169.99

• Up to £50,000 – Cancellation of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £25,000 – Rearrangement of wedding and/or reception
• Up to £40,000 – Personal Accident
• Up to £20,000 – Legal expenses
• Up to £2,000,000 – Personal liability *
• Up to £15,000 – Wedding Attire
• Up to £15,000 – Wedding Gifts
• Up to £15,000 – Wedding rings etc
• Up to £10,000 – Failure of suppliers
• Up to £10,000 – Wedding cars and transport
• Up to £7,500 – Photographs and video
• Up to £2,000 – Essential Document Indemnity for overseas weddings

Simply click on one of the wedding packages above based on the estimated cost of your wedding (it’s usually a good idea to budget a little more, rather than less), then click through to fill in an online wedding quote.

*Personal liability isn’t recognised on weddings that are taking place in the USA or Canada, but you would be covered if you’re having your reception in the UK when you return home.

All policies require at least one of you (bride, groom or civil partner) to be a UK resident.

2. With overseas weddings often comes warm weather. But no-one (least of you all the two of you) want to see each other’s beautiful wedding attire ruined by unsightly wet armpits or a whiff of B.O, so you’ll be pleased to hear about a product called Odaban, which works to stop you sweating for up to 24 hours. The spray is effective on all areas of the body, so it can be perfect for the combination of a hot destination wedding country and wedding day nerves!

3. One of the most difficult things to budget for when planning a destination wedding, is the fluctuating exchange rate. If you got married in the US or Europe between 2007 and 2008, you’ll have most likely noticed a massive increase in your wedding costs than you’d first budgeted for, due to the demise of the Pound against both the Euro and the Dollar. Although there is nothing that can you do to change the world’s financial markets, you can at least keep on top of situation by regularly checking the exchange rate of the pound against the local currency of your destination wedding venue. Use a site such as XE.com and consider changing your pounds into local currency whenever you consider the rate to be in your favour in the months leading up to your nuptials. It’s all a bit of a gamble, so seek advice from your bank if you’re unsure what is a good/bad rate in the current market.

4. When you’re travelling overseas to your destination wedding, there’s a good chance that either you or your guests may develop a ‘weak stomach’ due to either differing diets or perhaps a slight bug that you’re not usually exposed to at home. No-one wants to feel ill on their wedding day, so make sure you stock up with Immodium Plus and plug up the day before your wedding day if you’re worried, particularly if you require assistance for toilet trips!

5. Noisy building work going on during your wedding celebrations! When you choose your destination wedding venue through a travel company such as Kuoni (who is our preferred travel and wedding package company), then you’ll no doubt have seen the most beautiful pictures of your hotel, wedding venue and the surrounding area. But you should always make you ask the travel company of any suspected building works that will be going on throughout your stay, because the last thing you’ll want is the sound of a drill blasting through ‘Canon in D’.

6. Beware of the sun! This may sound boring to some and we realise there’s a good chance that you may well have chosen your overseas wedding venue based on the probability of excellent weather, but that doesn’t mean that you should abuse the sunshine! You will be so disappointed if you’ve managed to burn yourself in the days leading up to your wedding, so that your makeup artists and photographer are left being asked to create a miracle out of red, blistering, peeling skin! Always wear strong sunscreen and take some time to sit in the shade too.

8. Ignorant wedding guests. Depending on where you’ve chosen to get married in the world, there may be some local or national customs that should be adhered to by you and your guests. For instance if you’re getting married in a strict Muslim country, then you should make sure that all the ladies respect the dress code and cover up where appropriate. It might be a good idea to point your guests in the direction of an appropriate Lonely Planet book so that they can read up on the culture before they go. If you there are really important pieces of information that you need to spell out to your guests, then you could consider including it either in with your invitations or on your wedding website!

Whether you’re getting married overseas or in the UK, the chances are that you’ll purchase your wedding dress before you leave for your wedding – it would be a very last minute decision otherwise.

If you’re going to do the traditional wedding dress shopping, then we have a few tips for you to make the most of your experience.

1. Take someone with you – whether it be your mum, your bridesmaid, your sister or a friend – you’ll really appreciate having someone there to offer their opinion and perhaps remember details about some of the wedding dresses that you start to forget after trying on 96 dresses!

2. Don’t take too many people with you. When you first announce your intention to go dress shopping, the chances are that everyone you know will want to come along and help you choose the dress you’ll be wearing on your big day. But be careful how many people you allow to accompany you to your appointment. You might feel extremely overwhelmed and confused by the opinions of half your wedding guests. Instead, if you feel like you need to please people such as your mother-in-law etc, then split up the people who want to see you in a dress in to groups and take them to different shops on different days. There will be plenty of chances for many people to be part of this experience so don’t try and include them all at once.

3. Before you go dress shopping, try and look on the Internet and through magazines such as Perfect Wedding ….



…..so that you have an idea of what styles you’re interested in. You can then start to make a list of bridal stores near you and perhaps phone them in advance to book an appointment and discuss which designers they have in stock. If you choose not to book, then you should normally try and visit the bridal shops from Monday to Friday during working hours, when it’s more likely that they’ll be able to see you. Make an appointment to be on the safe side!

4. Once you have your bridal appointment, you should normally allow an hour or two at each shop, so if you’re booking several appointments for the same day, then ensure that you leave yourself enough time inbetween each session.

5. On the day, do your makeup and hair nicely in advance, so that you’re in a good mood with your image when you see yourself in the large mirrors.

6. If you’re going to a quality shop, then they may offer you refreshments including champagne if you’re lucky. But to be on the safe side, take plenty of water with you, as the combination of getting into heavy beaded and corseted dresses underneath strong lights can really make for thirsty work.

7. Similarly to the above, make sure you take deodorant with you. No-one likes a bride with B.O.

8. Make sure you wear the right underwear for your trying-on session. Normally this would mean a strapless bra and if you’re planning to wear white (or similar), then you’d do best to be wearing a white strapless bra, although it’s not a massively big problem if you opt for black instead.

9. For those of you who don’t know, it’s normal for the use of cameras and camera phones to be strictly forbidden. The reason for this, is that the designers don’t want you trying on their dresses for free, taking a lovely photo and then going to a dressmaker and getting a copy of their work done for a fraction of the price. Many people still do manage to get a very sneaky shot, but beware the wrath of the bridal assistants if you get caught. You have been warned! This policy is normally relaxed once you’ve committed to purchasing a dress.

10. Last but not least, if you’re choosing to get married abroad, then make sure you discuss this with the shop as they’ll need to be aware of your travelling date rather than your wedding date. They should also be able to assist and advise about the packaging and transporting of your wedding dress from the UK to your destination wedding venue.

If you and your partner are trying to decide which country to get married in but would like to base your decision on there being good chances of weather in the region, then you’ll need to know a bit about local climates in popular destination wedding venues.

To help you decide, we’ve come up with this destination wedding calendar, which obviously works well for honeymoon decisions as well.

January
Beach wedding: Any Caribbean island such as Antigua.

City wedding: Try Sydney for an Australian summer.

February
Beach wedding: The blissful Maldives are beautiful at this time of year.

City wedding: Queenstown on the South Island of New Zealand.

March
Beach Wedding: Stay in super-deluxe hotels in Dubai.

City wedding: It’s pleasant, but not yet crazy hot in Vegas.

April
Beach wedding: Astounding beauty in Thailand.

City wedding: Paris in the Spring!

May
Beach wedding: Paradise on earth can be found in the Seychelles.

City wedding:
Boston – an East Coast treasure.

June
Beach wedding: – beaches, coral reefs, lagoons and mountains can be found in Mauritius.

City wedding: – One of the most romantic cities in the world – Venice

July
Beach Wedding – You’ve seen it’s beauty on ‘Lost’ – Hawaii

City Wedding – Stay close to home and marry in the enchanting city of Prague.

August
Beach wedding – head to the pristine beaches of Fiji and a enjoy a tropical climate throughout the year.

City wedding – visit the beautiful city of Vancouver on Canada’s west coast.

September
Beach wedding – just off the east coast of Africa lies Zanzibar.

City wedding – an exquisite blend of Eastern and Western cultures can be found in Singapore.

October
Beach wedding – one of the easiest Caribbean islands to get married on – Jamaica - enjoy the all inclusive luxury at some of their top resorts.

City wedding – Enjoy the ‘Fall’ before the weather gets too cold in New York

November
Beach wedding – Cancun in Mexico – swim with dolphins, enjoy cocktails on the beach and enjoy some excellent weather at a dismal time of year in the UK.

City wedding – Enjoy Central Europe as the Christmas markets start to open up in a beautiful and historic city such as Vienna

December
Beach wedding – Head down under and have a beautiful wedding on the Great Barrier Reef.

City wedding – what could be more wonderful than a winter wedding held in the Ice Hotel (Hotel du Glace) located just outside of Canada’s Quebec.

Some couples like to turn their overseas wedding into a honeymoon, others love the idea of having a ‘minimoon’ after the wedding and then going on an official honeymoon several months later, giving them chance to save more money and having something to look forward to after the wedding excitement subsides.

Here are some fantastic honeymoon ideas divided by continent: