Sun, sea and "I do"

With Valentine's Day looming and proposals likely, an increasing number of couples will choose to tie the knot abroad.

More than one in ten British weddings now take place abroad, TMC.net reports, with increasing numbers of Britons choosing to take advantage of the surprisingly low cost option.

The average wedding in the UK now costs around £16,000, with the bride and groom typically forking out for a large reception, ceremony and separate honeymoon, which costs £3,000 alone on average.

However, figures from Mintel show that the average couple marrying abroad can expect to spend just £6,000.

Combining the wedding with the honeymoon immediately cuts costs, while most people will invite fewer guests to an overseas wedding, further cutting expenditure.

Kerry Vear-Smyth, who runs Celebrations in Spain, told TMC.net that foreign companies can often be more generous when it comes to weddings, with many Spanish hotels throwing in the honeymoon suite for free when a couple book their reception.

However, the legal issues surrounding marriage abroad vary considerably and couples are advised to research the area thoroughly.

In Spain, for example, foreigners cannot get married unless they are Roman Catholics, with many couples choosing to head over to Gibraltar for the actual ceremony and return to Spain for the reception.

Cyprus, however, allows foreigners a full civil wedding, provided they arrive three working days before the ceremony. Turkey also requires just three working days' preparation, as well as proof of no impediment.

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