Georgina Clatworthy

Dreaming of a destination wedding? Then leave the town chapel behind you and check out these top destination wedding locations and take your wedding day celebrations global!

1. Follow the Sun to South Africa: South Africa offers outstanding natural beauty along with great weather, excellent service and fantastic value for money. There are no residency requirements and your officiant can handle all the legal bits for on the wedding day. Choose a wedding date between October and May when it is summer time in the southern hemisphere to be guaranteed lovely, warm weather perfect for an outdoor wedding.
2. Make it Big in the Big Apple: New York makes it every year into the top destination wedding locations with its amazing food, nightlife, culture and views. New York also makes it possible to plan a destination wedding that is so unique to you – just about anything goes here. Obtain your marriage license from the City Clerk’s Office and you are free to marry 24 hours to 60 days after it is issued. Spring and Fall are considered the most beautiful seasons but if you aspire to a winter wonderland then think about December when snow is likely.
3. Cool Celebrations in the Caribbean: The Caribbean offers a relaxing atmosphere and one of the easiest places to incorporate friends and family into your destination wedding celebrations. Depending on your choice of island you may need to adhere to a one or three day residency requirement. Travel between January and May to avoid hurricane season, whilst December is also a fantastic time for a wedding.
4. Vive l’amour, French Style: Choose a destination in one of the glamorous resorts on the French Riviera which stretches from Monaco to Saint-Tropez. Here you can choose from sea, countryside or mountains for exceptional views as the backdrop to your photographs. There is a 40 day residency requirement in France and the paperwork is complicated so it maybe easier to have a formal ceremony at home and a marriage blessing in France instead. The months between May and September can provide sunshine all day long, however July and August can be very hot so consider you start time carefully.
5. California Dreamin’: If good wine and dining are top of your list of priorities then choose the Napa and Sonoma Valley which is just a 90 minute drive from San Francisco International Airport. Obtain your marriage license at City Hall and you can marry between anytime within the next 3 months. The best time to marry is between June and October when the weather is predictably warm and sunny.