Destination Wedding 101: step-by-step guide (with travel insurance recommendations)
Planning a destination wedding? MoneySmart has compiled everything you need to know for planning your dreamy overseas wedding. Check out the budget for your destination wedding and travel insurance recommendations.
Destination Wedding Guide
Click on the follow pop-ups to quickly navigate through the article!
Destination Wedding 101
Step-by-step guide to plan your destination wedding
Destination Wedding 101
Popular overseas wedding locations
Destination Wedding 101
How much do you need for your destination wedding?
Travel insurance recommendations
Do you need your travel insurance for your destination wedding?
Destination Wedding 101
FAQ
Popular Destination Wedding Locations
🏝️Bali, Indonesia
Bali is renowned for its beautiful beach wedding venues and is a dream destination for many couples to have their wedding or honeymoon. Bali is not only scenically stunning but also culturally rich, and it has even been named one of the "Top 10 Best Wedding Locations in the World" by CNN.
Here, couples can exchange vows on white sandy beaches, enjoying the expansive coastline and romantic sunsets.
🇹🇭Koh Samui, Thailand
Koh Samui is a charming destination for an overseas wedding. This small island blends Western romantic ambiance with Southeast Asian culture and enjoys a pleasant climate all year round. It has become a popular wedding venue for couples in recent years.
On Koh Samui, couples can choose to have a Western-style wedding on the beach or experience a traditional Thai wedding.
🏖️Guam
Known as the "Island of Love," Guam is situated in the Western Pacific and surrounded by blue bays and white sandy beaches. This beautiful island has many unique churches, such as the Crystal Chapel and the Greek-style Blue Aster Chapel, making it a popular destination for many couples to have their overseas wedding.
Weddings in Guam can be held amidst stunning natural scenery, marking the beginning of a beautiful marriage.
🐳Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa, often referred to as Japan's Hawaii, is popular for its year-round sunshine. This beautiful island is home to various styles of chapels, including romantic glass chapels, crystal chapels, and Gothic chapels. Couples can have an unforgettable wedding against the backdrop of the blue sky and vast ocean.
🥖Paris, France
Paris, known as the City of Romance, is one of the dream locations for a church wedding. The city has many unique churches, such as the Sacré-Cœur on Montmartre's summit and Notre-Dame Cathedral in the heart of Paris. In these historic and spectacular buildings, couples can realize a fairy-tale wedding.
Destination Wedding Budget
Popular overseas wedding destinations for Hongkongers include Okinawa in Japan, Guam, Bali in Indonesia, and Koh Samui in Thailand. If the couple does not plan to invite friends and family, they can opt for a basic overseas wedding package, enjoying a romantic trip just for two. The basic package starts from around HK$50,000 and mainly includes the following items:
- Round-trip airfare for two and 1-2 nights hotel stay
- Rental of the chapel
- Photography services
- Bridal makeup
- Rental of wedding dress and suit
- Venue decoration
The cost of an overseas wedding can cost over HK$100,000. You can consider applying for a low-interest personal loan from a bank to alleviate your financial burdens. You can also make use of credit cards to reduce the expenses.
Do you need travel insurance for your destination wedding?
Travel insurance can provide additional protection for your overseas wedding, helping to deal with any unexpected situations that may arise.
Medical Coverage
If you get injured or fall ill overseas, travel insurance can cover a portion of your medical expenses, including hospitalization costs, medication, and other medical expenditures.
Lost or Damaged Luggage
Travel insurance can compensate for the loss of lost or damaged luggage, ensuring that your important items are protected.
Trip Cancellation or Curtailment
If your wedding needs to be canceled for a covered reason, travel insurance can reimburse you for part of your losses.
Closed Down of Wedding Service Providers
If the Wedding Service Provider you hired closed down, Avo travel insurance will reimburse for the unused and non-refundable part of the payment made.
Loss of Marriage Certificate
If your marriage certificate from the Wedding is lost, Avo travel insurance will reimburse you for the replacement cost.
Personal Liability of Invited Guests
If any of your insured guests directly results in death or injury or accidental loss of or damage to property, Avo travel insurance will also cover.
Travel insurance recommendations for destination weddings
![Allianz Travel - Silver Plan [for ages 0 to 54]](https://photos-hk.cdn-moneysmart.com/travel_insurance/uploads/products/images/image_url_2022-11-29_Allianz_Travel_HK_NewHeader.png)
Allianz Travel - Silver Plan [for ages 0 to 54]
- Medical Expenses
- HK$1,500,000
- Travel Cancellation
- HK$20,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- HK$15,000
- PremiumPremium
HK$245.340% Off - HK$147.18
【MoneySmart Exclusive Offer】
MoneySmart customers who successfully apply for specific Travel Insurance plan during the promotional period will be entitled to:
- 1st customer who successfully submit the claim form can earn: BERMAS 30inch Spaceship Suitcase OR Trip.com HK$1,000 e-voucher ;
- 2nd to 50th customer who successfully submit the claim form can earn: HK$20 Airsim Credit
Dah Sing Insurance JourneySure Travel Insurance - Gold
- Medical Expenses
- HK$500,000
- Travel Cancellation
- HK$20,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- HK$15,000
- PremiumPremium
HK$22530% Off - HK$157.50
【MoneySmart Exclusive Offer】
MoneySmart customers who successfully apply for specific Travel Insurance plan during the promotional period will be entitled to:
- 1st customer who successfully submit the claim form can earn: BERMAS 30inch Spaceship Suitcase OR Trip.com HK$1,000 e-voucher ;
- 2nd to 50th customer who successfully submit the claim form can earn: HK$20 Airsim Credit
Up to HK$15,000 compensation for personal belongings, with a cap of HK$2,000 per item. It also covers cameras with compensation capped at HK$5,000 per item.
AXA SmartTraveller Plus Privilege Plan
- Medical Expenses
- HK$1,000,000
- Trip Cancellation
- HK$25,000
- Loss/Damage of Baggage
- HK$15,000
- PremiumPremium
HK$51130% Off - HK$357.70
【MoneySmart Exclusive Offer】
MoneySmart customers who successfully apply for specific Travel Insurance plan during the promotional period will be entitled to:
- 1st customer who successfully submit the claim form can earn: BERMAS 30inch Spaceship Suitcase OR Trip.com HK$1,000 e-voucher ;
- 2nd to 50th customer who successfully submit the claim form can earn: HK$20 Airsim Credit
Destination weddings FAQ
Which travel insurance should I get if I am going to plan a destination wedding?
- You may consider getting Avo travel insurance which provides additional cover such as Closed Down of Wedding Service Providers and Personal Liability of Invited Guests. Allianz Travel Insurance Silver Plan is also great for destination wedding as it covers for air miles & loyalty card points in case of cancellation and provide up to HK$15,000 compensation for personal belongings.
How much does it cost to have an overseas wedding?
- For an overseas wedding, if there is no banquet, the basic budget ranges from HK$40,000 to HK$100,000. This includes rental of wedding dresses and suits, church rental, venue decoration fees, bridal makeup, wedding photography fees, and two round-trip air tickets.
How much should be given for attending a destination wedding?
- It is generally HK$1,000-HK$1,500. But most guests usually pay for their own trip to attend the overseas weddings, the newlyweds are often very grateful, so it doesn’t matter how much you pay.
Is a destination wedding recognized in Hong Kong?
- Whether you register your marriage in Japan, Bali, New Zealand, or anywhere else in the world, as long as the marriage registration is recognized by the local government, the Hong Kong government will also recognize it. However, if your wedding is non-legally binding, then the Hong Kong government will not recognize it.