Jeremy Gates finds out why wedding packages are expected to boom in 2013

DESPITE the chilly winds of recession, next year will see thousands of couples forget the gloom and get married in faraway locations.

Andreas Palikira, who set up Ionian Weddings with his wife in 2007, says: “The global downturn has actually been very good for the idea of getting married abroad, because it saves so much money for couples who realise they will probably need the money later.

“The average wedding in the UK costs about £22,000. Abroad, attended by a group of about 20 friends and relations, it costs around £6,500 - and most people love the idea of combining a party with a celebration. Even December in Cyprus works for many romantic folk, because the colours and the settings can look so good on pictures.”

Mathilde Robert, managing director of Planet Weddings, part of Sunvil Holidays, says: “Cyprus is still the place for weddings because it is so easy to get married there; no translator is needed and all it takes is a birth certificate and affidavit confirming you are free to marry.”

Cyprus tour operators with wedding subsidiaries include Olympic, Cyplon and Amathus Holidays.

Though Cyprus and the Greek islands set the pace for weddings abroad, the choice is much wider next year. Planet Weddings offers overseas weddings in Lapland and Italy for the first time, along with Gozo, Portugal and Croatia.

It can also organise same-sex civil ceremonies at a number of locations in The Algarve.

Prices for civil weddings in Italy, Lapland and the Algarve start from £1,200.

“Smaller operators like Planet put the wedding ceremony at the centre of everything and then plan a holiday around it,” says Mathilde.

“With big operators, you often buy a holiday and then somebody in resort fixes your wedding.

The time and date might not actually be decided for you.”

While Abta-bonded Ionian Weddings began in the Peloponnese – Corfu, Paxos, Lefkas, Kefalonia, Ithaca and Zante – it expanded rapidly into the Aegean Islands of Amorgos, Samos, Kos and Skiathos, plus Cyprus, with Malta and Italy on offer next year.

A wedding favourite is the Palm Beach Hotel and Bungalows on the coast near Larnaca, Cyprus, with a backdrop of sea, sand and palm trees, plus acres of tropical gardens to ensure wedding photos and videos are perfect.

Co-ordinators fix every detail, from the ceremony, wedding breakfast, horse-drawn carriages and vintage car rentals to flowers, cake, photographer, hair designers and make-up artists, DJ, unique shows and video/DVD production in packages from £600.

NEARLY 20 per cent of UK couples are going abroad to marry abroad following a surge in numbers since 2005. Over the same period, weddings in the UK are down about 11.5 per cent, mainly due to budget constraints.

Mathilde believes unusual locations are the biggest attractions. At Planet Weddings, options range from an ice chapel in Lapland, a Tuscan castle in Lake Garda, or a spectacular count’s villa in Italy, as well as luxury yachts, cliff tops, historic buildings and lake and beach locations.

The price for an overseas wedding starts at about £700, including venue hire, paperwork and marriage certificates.

The Caribbean is the other big choice for couples.

Joanne Tipping, part of the weddings team at Thomas Cook, says: “While destinations such as Mauritius and Las Vegas are popular as wedding locations, the islands of the Caribbean still see the highest demand. This region accounts for about half of the weddings abroad booked through Signature from Thomas Cook.

“Although the stunning beach locations are important, a big attraction is free wedding packages. When you consider the average spend for a honeymoon is about £5,000, to get married as well within that figure is great value.”

IN Antigua’s Verandah Resort and Spa, Signature from Thomas Cook offers 12 nights’ all-inclusive in a hillside suite from £1,975, including return Virgin flights from Gatwick between April 15 and July 12. At St James’s Club, Antigua, 12 nights’ all-inclusive costs from £2,145. At both resorts, if you stay at least 12 nights, your wedding package is free. Otherwise there’s a £760 supplement.

St James’s Club is among seven resorts in the Elite Island Resort group, where European managing director Paula Whitehead says: “There have been some very attractive prices in the market and when couples see the cost of a big white wedding at home, plus a honeymoon, a wedding abroad looks much better value.”

Fred Harrison, weddings product development manager at Tropical Sky, says: “St Lucia is one of the most popular locations for British couples marrying abroad. Our 2012 bookings for overseas weddings so far indicate that 19 per cent of ceremonies will be held in St Lucia.”

For tech-savvy couples keen on a Caribbean wedding, the Sandals Resorts chain has launched an online wedding tool, the Sandals Destination Wedding Designer. It is intended to help couples who want to customise their wedding by choosing a destination, then choosing three options from a palette of ten primary colours, before selecting wedding items such as cakes, bouquets and table decorations.

Elsewhere, a new partnership between longhaul operator Kuoni and John Lewis Partnership enables family and friends to contribute towards a Gift List holder’s honeymoon.

  • Ionian Weddings, 020-8892-7556 and ionianweddings.co.uk; Planet Weddings, 0871- 871-0405 and planetweddings.co.uk, Signature from Thomas Cook, 0844-692-6860 and thomascooksignature.com