Destination Wedding Planning from the UK: A Complete Guide

Destination weddings are one of the fastest growing categories in luxury event planning. UK couples increasingly want their wedding to feel like an experience rather than a single day — a long weekend abroad where their nearest and dearest can truly switch off and celebrate together. Done well, it is unforgettable. Done poorly, it is a logistical nightmare. Here is how we approach it.

Choose your destination first, then your aesthetic. The most beautiful destination weddings feel inseparable from their location. The Amalfi Coast lends itself to long lunches under lemon trees; the Scottish Highlands to candlelit castle dinners; Provence to elegant garden ceremonies. Pick a place that speaks to you, then let the design follow.

Understand the legalities early. Getting legally married abroad is more complex than most couples realise. In France, you need to be a resident for 30+ days. In Italy, the paperwork takes several months and must be translated and apostilled. The simplest solution: have a small legal ceremony at home and treat the destination event as a symbolic ceremony and celebration. Most of our destination clients choose this route.

Build a UK-based, locally-connected team. The single biggest risk in destination planning is working with suppliers you cannot properly vet from a distance. We always pair our UK planning team with a trusted on-the-ground partner in each region — someone who knows the local florists, photographers, caterers and producers personally. That dual structure is what makes a destination wedding feel as polished as a UK one.

Plan around the guest experience. Your guests are travelling — often spending £1,000+ to be there. Make it worth their while. Welcome drinks the night before, a curated activity on the morning after, a thoughtful welcome bag in their hotel room. These are the details that turn a wedding into a weekend your guests will talk about for years.

Allow more time than a UK wedding. Most of our destination weddings take 14–18 months to plan, versus 9–12 for a UK event. The extra time absorbs site visits, supplier sourcing, legal paperwork, and the inevitable communication gaps that come with planning across time zones and languages.

Budget realistically. A destination wedding for 60 guests in Italy or France typically costs £80,000–£200,000 once you include venue hire, accommodation contribution, transport, supplier flights, and the multi-day programme that destination weddings naturally evolve into. It is not necessarily more expensive than a UK wedding of the same scale — but the cost distribution is very different.

If you are considering a destination wedding, the best first step is a conversation about location, guest list, and the experience you want to create. Everything else flows from there. Get in touch to start that conversation, or browse some of our favourite destination weddings for inspiration.