Congrats!

My friend did exactly the same. They went off for a holiday in the Caribbean knowing they were going to get married. On the day of their departure they posted out invites to a reception on their return. Perfect!

I don't have any advice on the arrangements, just wanted to wish you all the best.

Thank you!!

Thats exactly what we have planned. We are going to book the venue for the reception about 8 weeks before we go and post them either on our return or just as we leave.

I am so excited because it is my perfect perfect dream day. I can't wait to become my partner's wife. It seems all the more special somehow that it is private and secret to us. We are not ones for big, flash events and we wanted something that summed up our own individual sense of adventure. It also seems a lot less stressful than friends who I have seen planning weddings here. All I have to really sort other than the ceremony is my dress. As it is so warm I am planning something really simple from the monsoon or bhs wedding range and no shoes. The day to me will be the start of our wedded life together and the marriage is important to me - not neccessarily a big flash expensive wedding (although I am not condemning anyone for their choices - that is just not right for us).

It would be my ideal as well. Weddings sometimes in the run up at least can often be about everybody else bar the bride and groom - seems like it's a whole big 'keeping everyone happy' exercise. But, ending in normally a perfect day.

My friend married in a white sundress, carrying a bunch of daisies.

Congratulations. What a wonderful thing to do and prepare for.

I wish that I could have been brave and done the same when I got married. I dont think I would have been able to keep that sort of secret though.

Good luck with all the preparations and best wishes for the future. Hope you have a very special day.

Sarah

hi, we did the very same thing and ran off to cuba to get married, I booked the reception before we left and posted the invites from the airport.
We did all the arrangements in 3 months, first thing I did was phone the cuban embassy in london for advice, as I wanted to get married in Havana and not on the beach.
Maria, the advisor was brilliant, first thing was down to our local register office to have the bans read, then got the paperwork from them, sent them off to the cuban embassy to be translated into spanish and legalised, then off to the british embassy to be stamped ( forgive me if I get things the wrong way round, it was 8 years ago ).
We got all the paperwork back 2 weeks before we flew, got to havana on the wednesday, asked a taxi driver to take us to the local register office, hired a lawyer who went through all the paperwork, only to discover a missing official stamp !
so we hotfooted it to the british embassy to find an official to stamp our paperwork, got that done, sped back to the lawyers office to arrange the wedding and friday afternoon we were married in a beautiful, old colonial house in downtown havana with a cuban doctor and a lawyer as our witnesses, the ceremony lasted eight minutes and all we had to say was 'si !', had a few havana clubs , and had a tour round havana in an old american chevvy with pedro , our driver, went back to the hotel and partied with all nationalities of complete strangers !
It truly was the best time of our lives !
Got home and had a carribean themed party where everyone dressed up !
Brill !
9 months later our daughter was born, perfect !
So go for it girl, you won't regret it and I wish you every luck x
juby

Thank you everyone for your lovely words.

Juby 5 that sounds like the most amazing day and so exciting. It made me feel all emotional reading it, because it sounds so perfect and so individual to you and your partner.

I just can't wait, am so excited already!! Although I am off to weight watchers next week as I would like to lose a stone before we go!!

Good on you Girlingreen
My husband and I didnt want all the big fuss of a wedding in the UK. We booked our flights, accommodation and wedding on line about 6 weeks before we got married. It was all done through Expedia. we told my mum and his parents a week before we went, neither were delighted that we were going abroad to get married .
We flew to LA and had a couple of nights there, then we drove to Las Vegas checked in at the Stratosphere and had a couple of days settling in. On the day of our wedding we spent the morning sunbathing and laying round the pool then we went back to the room to shower and get ready. My husband put my hair up for me....then I had a panic, I couldnt walk through the casino with my dress and tiara on. was so self concious. Husband was very calming and held my hand all the way. Got to the doors where the limo was picking us up and turned to my husband "they didnt even bleedin look at me" I said. As I walked through not one person lifted their head from a slot machine Which was great.
The car took us to get our license, that was like something out of a film, a queue with a real mxed bunch, people in weding outfits, a young couple with a dress held together at the back with pins who looked about 8 months pregnant. a couple both dressed as Elvis and a whole assortment of various outfits.
Then onto the candlelit chapel, it was amazing our chauffeur was our witness and it was just the 2 of us. The wedding was just what we wanted, the two of us making a commitment to each other. Part of our package was to have photos taken but our chauffeur took loads with our camera.
We were taken for a drive in our limo along the strip then we had dinner in the restaurant at the top of the stratosphere (name escapes me at the mo). we were one of about 6 wedding parties, The meal was amazing as was the service.
We left vegas a few days later and went to south lake Tahoe then onto Monterey and down highway 1 back to LA to fly home.
We were away for about 16 days in total and the wedding and holiday were so memorable and amazing.
When we got home we had a blessing and small reception for family and friends, which my mother in law organised, she was very happy to be doing this as she is a brilliant organiser. The main thing was we got to have the wedding we wanted.

sorry to have rambled on
best of luck to you, have a brilliant time

hugs la x

Since its been a while since I last posted on this thread just thought I would quickly let you know how I am getting on!

We are so so excited about the wedding in 18 weeks time! We have told our parents about our plans as it was really hard to keep quiet - my mum asked me outright whether we were going to get married when we went on holiday and I found it really hard to lie - so we sat both sets down and came clean!! It hasn't been too bad at all - in fact it has worked nicely as they are going to organise our reception evening for when we come back to the UK - so we get to have our day getting married on our own and then when we come back they will have done all the organising!!

Thank goodness for the internet!! I have now organised our marriage ceremony on the beach, the florist, photographer and hairdresser abroad. I have also managed to sort our reception venue in UK, cake, disco and buffet for our party! My soon to be mother in law is buying us our wedding rings as a gift and my parents are buying my dresses (one for the beach, one for the reception). So we are nearly sorted. I just have to go out in September and buy the dresses - have been waiting on it as I did join WW and have lost over 2 stone, so didn't want to buy anything yet!!

girlingreen, hope you have a fab time. I am also getting married abroad next may, as we don't like a fuss, a few family members are coming over. I work with another two girls who are getting married at the same time as me but here in england and I must say it's all very stressful for them booking stuff. My wedding planner is doing all that. I've ordered my dress as it will take 6months to make up, everything else is sorted except for a venue for a reception over there. We aren't having a do over here as I really do hate all eye on me type of thing and do not want a fuss. We will be taking parents and a few others out for a slap up meal when we get back and have also booked a photographer to take some photo's of us at home.

girlingreen, so glad you have given us an update ! glad everything is going well, you really won't regret doing it this way, your wedding should be the happiest day of your life, apart from the birth of your kids !!!!!, so, go girl !!!!!!!!

WAW!!!!! Sounds fabulous. I didn't get married abroad, and haven't been to a wedding abroad either, so can't give you any advice sorry. I just wanted to say, hubby and I honeymooned in New Zealand, and It was the best time ever. We were there for 21 days, you'll have the most fantastic time, and won't want to come home! Hubby's still on about emigrating over there!! Have a wonderful wedding, best of luck.x

I would just like to say, hope your big day is everything you dream of, and the reception when you get home will be fab.... good luck for a long and happy life together!

clare x

Well getting really really excited now!! Just over 8 weeks to the wedding!!

We now have the wedding rings, have seen the solicitor and had our forms notorised and our celebrant in Australia has received them, so all paperwork is in order. I have my dress for the evening reception when we get back, but not for the actual beach ceremony yet - i have seen a couple that I am interested in, but am not panicking just yet!!

The reception is booked - and my mum is planning table decorations etc. She has also booked hotel rooms for all the guests that will have to travel (as they don't know about the wedding yet!!) and all the invitations are now written and ready to be posted by our parents on the day before our wedding.

Am just so excited - our friends in Australia have booked a really nice restaurant for after the ceremony and booked us into a posh hotel for our wedding night as a present - so we are pretty much all set except my dress! But I am sure something will come up soon!

Oh it sounds sooo exciting!!! You seem to have everything well planned!!! Good luck and congratulations!!!
Denny

Hi Girlingreen,
your plans sound so exciting , and you have the best of both worlds , with a special day in Australia followed by a reception with relatives and friends when you get back home, and im sure you will be able to enjoy both days even more.

I got married 13 years ago in Barbados , we had a 3 week holiday and got married halfway through, we had a fantastic photographer who within 2 days had produced an album of 48 big pictures with all the negatives for £110 and we had a 20 minute fully edited video with effects and soundtrack for £200 , as we walked along the beach you can see everyone sitting up on their sunbeds clapping , it was like a mini film with extras in the background!
when we got home we had a lovely reception in a local hotel and we were made to wear our wedding clothes again and show our wedding video, which was fun and relaxing even the hotel staff were watching and we were all so laid back and having a good drink and stress-free time , we enjoyed every minute of the experience and it was also reasonably affordable, as my wife has no parents and we wanted to pay for it ourselves.

Have a great day and really enjoy yourselves, all the best , Andy.

Well I'm back!!! And I am now MRS Girlingreen!!! Was best best best best day of my life without shadow of a doubt. Everything went perfectly, the weather was amazing, i had the time of my life and couldnt imagine doing it any other way. Just wish I could go back and relive it all again!!

Congratulations Mrs Girlingreen! It sounds like it was perfect!

Many many congratulations to you. Be sure to tell us all about it at a later date.

Denny

great stuff, mrs girlingreen !! so glad everything worked out for you ! love a happy ending !!! full report when you have time please !
juby