| For some, the idea of planning a traditional | | | | Some couples might want to ship their whole |
| western wedding can send shivers down their | | | | collection of friends and family out with them to |
| spine. From venue hire to spiralling costs and | | | | enjoy their special day, but that can be expensive |
| guest lists, it can sometimes overwhelm even the | | | | unless everyone is willing to tie the wedding in |
| most organised and level-headed of people. To | | | | with a holiday. Thailand weddings are best enjoyed |
| help combat the stresses and strains of such a | | | | as small and intimate affairs or for second |
| momentous occasion, many couples are choosing | | | | marriages where the relaxed personal experience |
| to get married abroad, with Thailand being a | | | | and the gathering of a few close friends and |
| particularly popular and exciting location to | | | | family members is much more attractive than a |
| exchange your vows. | | | | costly reception with many guests you hardly |
| The advantages of having your wedding abroad | | | | even know. |
| could be quite surprising to some. Firstly, the cost | | | | Most tour operators will brief you on everything |
| of the whole event is usually a lot less than a | | | | you need to arrange before your trip to the Far |
| traditional wedding at home. The average cost of | | | | East. It is worth noting that a registered marriage |
| a UK wedding broke the £20,000 mark in 2008, | | | | for UK and Irish citizens is legally binding in the UK. |
| but the average wedding in Thailand is only a small | | | | You should try to book as far in advance as |
| fraction of this, with many hotels and resorts | | | | possible as dates can get snapped up quickly and |
| offering free wedding packages if you agree to | | | | some resorts will need up to 12 weeks notice. |
| stay for a certain number of nights. Obviously | | | | You also want to make sure there is enough |
| prices vary depending on where you stay and | | | | availability for any friends and family who are |
| how many friends and family you pay for, but | | | | coming with you. Documents can also take some |
| the whole wedding and honeymoon package could | | | | time to be processed so it is wise not to leave |
| be as low as a few thousand pounds. | | | | anything to the last minute. |
| One of the deciding factors for many is the | | | | It is not hard to see why many people choose to |
| weather abroad, which is usually a bit more | | | | take themselves to Thailand to enjoy their special |
| predictable than the UK and quite a bit warmer. | | | | day and honeymoon. The country is so diverse |
| Thailand has an equatorial climate in the extreme | | | | and has so much to offer with stunning |
| south and a tropical monsoon climate in the | | | | landscapes, mountainous areas, rugged jungles, |
| centre and north of the country. This means it | | | | exotic beaches and bustling cities. Some of the |
| can be quite important to get your dates right. | | | | most popular locations for Thailand holidays, |
| Most of the rainfall will be between May to | | | | honeymoons and weddings are the islands of Koh |
| October each year. This can get quite heavy, but | | | | Samui, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket where you can |
| there is still an average of five hours of sunshine | | | | choose from a number of luxury resorts and |
| during this period. The driest months are | | | | spas with stunning white sandy beaches and |
| November to April and the hottest in April and | | | | spectacular views from beachside |
| May. The wet season is probably best avoided, it | | | | accommodation. What better way could you |
| will be cheaper but the mix of heat and humidity | | | | spend your wedding day than on a paradise island |
| can be quite oppressive. | | | | with your closet friends and family? |