Foreign Climes

Getting married in an exotic location is getting more and more popular - and these days, it means you can mostly forget the endless hassles of organising flowers, cars, invitations, distant relatives and complicated seating plans; leaving you free to relax and wind down in preparation for the big day.

There are bespoke wedding travel companies who can provide you with a wedding organiser to deal with everything from caterers to flowers and photographers.

Or, if you do wish to get involved on a more personal level, the wedding will be on a far smaller scale and, therefore, easier and quicker for you to co-ordinate than it would back home.

Around 11 per cent of marriages now take place abroad and, in the last few years alone, there has been a massive 46 per cent increase in the number of couples who opt to say "I do" in far-flung foreign climes, according to the figures from Mintel.

A grand total of 35,000 couples now tie the knot overseas, compared to 22,500 in 1998.

When to say I don't

No matter how romantic the idea, there are certain pitfalls to watch out if you do decide to jet off into the sunset to exchange vows, warns Liz Savage, editor of Brides Magazine.

"Obviously, if you are choosing to get married in the Caribbean, not everybody is going to be able to make it unless you win the lottery and so you are naturally going to be more selective about who you invite," she cautions.

"This means you might not be able to have all of your friends and close family around you, which can also cause some pretty serious disagreements about who to invite - some grudges can last for much longer than the wedding ceremony.

"Another disadvantage is that it really is quite a lot to ask from your guests as they have to organise arranging time off work and finding the money for a holiday which they might not have chosen to go on themselves."

Other potential drawbacks of an exotic wedding also include the possibility of getting sick before your wedding day due to differences in water or food and finding a high-quality local photographer if you are organising the wedding on your own.

The last thing you want is to get home to find that your precious wedding snaps are nothing more than hazy, unfocused prints.

And last but not least, check with your other half; one in five men have "conservative" views about getting married abroad compared to one in seven women, according to Mintel.

When to say I do

Liz Savage says there are many benefits of choosing to get married abroad, not least the fact it is invariably cheaper than getting married in the UK, where the average cost of a wedding is now a whopping £15,980.

"It is far less expensive - I think the maximum that you can spend on a wedding abroad is around £10,000, which is a pretty reasonable price tag," she says.

Liz also points out that exotic weddings are also ideal for couples who want to shun the spotlight or for those who would simply much prefer a low-key, hassle-free day rather than a traditional big - and relatively stressful - church wedding.

"As you can imagine, it is proving to be a very popular alternative to the traditional church wedding for couples who are marrying for a second time and don't want the whole white dress affair," she points out.

"Just make sure you do your homework with regards to paperwork.

"It's probably a safer option to stick with a wedding organiser and let them take the strain for you."

For better or worse: abroad and at home

In the wake of Jerry Hall's marriage to Mick Jagger in Bali, which was deemed to be unlawful in the UK, the Law Society has advised that anyone getting married in a foreign country should contact the local British embassy for up-to-the-minute advice.

Marriages in foreign countries are recognised in the UK if they do not contravene the laws of eligibility in the UK.

If there is any doubt about the legal standing of a marriage, advice should be sought from the Home Office before any travel arrangements are made.

Do not rely on travel agents or any third party to ensure the ceremony is valid.

Check it for yourself and be sure of what you are doing.

When you arrive back home you won't need to register your marriage with the Register Office - you can use your foreign marriage certificate to change your name on your driving licence and with your bank in the same way as you would if you had been married in the UK.

Essential documentation

You will need to supply copies of the following documents before you travel.

Make sure that you take the originals with you to be produced before your ceremony:

* Birth certificates.

* Valid 10-year passport.

* Affidavit /statutory declaration confirming single status.

* Decree Absolute (if you are divorced) .

* Previous spouse's death certificate (if widowed).

* Parental consent if you are under 18 (21 in some countries).