Legal Considerations

The first question we had in planning our destination wedding was whether the marriage would be legally recognized in the United States.

The U.S. State Department website is a good resource for U.S. citizens interested in getting married in a foreign country. Basically, the short answer is yes, it is legally binding in the United States.

In order for your marriage to be legal, you must follow the local laws and procedures of the country where you will be married. Most countries have residency requirements (the length of time before the wedding you need to be in the country). In the Bahamas, the residency requirement was one day. However, Tahiti has a residency requirement of 30 days, essentially eliminating it as a potential location for destination weddings.

In nearly all cases, you will need to produce legal documentation (usually your passports), but could also include birth certificates, death certificates (widow/widower) and/or divorce decrees. We got married in the Bahamas, which also required that we had to go through a brief interview with a local official (about 10 minutes). We did not need to do a blood test, which can be a major issue for some people getting married in some countries (including Mexico).

Couples can encounter difficulty when returning to the United States if their marriage license is not in English. To be valid in the U.S., you must have an English translation of your marriage certificate. If you get married in a former British colony (Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, etc.), that won’t be a problem. However, if you get married in a country where the official language is other than English, be sure to investigate what it will take to get an official translation.

Also, before leaving the wedding site, you should consider getting multiple official notarized copies of your marriage certificate. When you get home, you’ll need extra copies of your license to change your name.

Shameless Plug: Nominate Us for the Best Destination Wedding Blog

This is a shameless plug to our readers. Have you enjoyed reading our Ultimate Destination Weddings blog over the last four years? Have you found it beneficial in planning your destination wedding?

If so, why don’t you nominate us in for the WeddingChannel.com Best Destination Wedding Blog? We’d be very grateful!

Thanks!

Carol+Brad=Beautiful | California Wedding

Destination Wedding Photographers



Gorgeous bride, sexy details, plenty of pink, and that beautiful California light - what more could we ask for?! Well, how about a modern church with awe-inspiring architecture? Yes, please. Some lemon trees with that? Don't mind if we do. And a couple who are seriously, seriously in love? Why yes, thank you!

Yup, love our jobs - here's some of our favs from Carol+Brad's LA wedding.

Carol's gown by UK designer Ian Stuart hangs in the lemon garden outside her parent's home.





Metallic charcoal details. With feathers :)





Getting ready, Carol was a little nervous and a lot beautiful.







Carol & her father before walking down the aisle at The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels





Chris taking the non-traditional view.











My favorite. Classic and full of happiness.











Chris' favorite.









Fuchsia lusciouness at the reception.







First dance.











A few night portraits with Dr. and Mrs Christ.









Congrats, C+B!

Making Green Wedding Plans

Couples want to make a statement about who they are and what they stand for, especially when they're planning a wedding. Whether it's about printing the invitations on recycled paper or opting for an exotic location that stresses nature for an alternative wedding, there are a ton of ways to plan a green wedding. One of the smallest ways, yet one that can make a statement for years to come (even when the wedding is over), is the bridal jewelry chosen for the occasion.

Themed Weddings Offer Best Opportunities

Having a beach wedding? Why not dress the bridesmaids and bride in shell and bead jewelry? Mother-of-pearl shells are translucent, ethereal, and natural. Pearls also make a great accent for beach weddings. Other themed weddings might include a garden setting. In that case, the jewelry can opt for natural motifs, like leaves and floral patterns. Real flowers are always a great way to dress up a wedding, and a bride, and they are renewable resources. If you are going to pick real jewelry for the bridal party as favors, opt for an organization that gives some of its proceeds to charities that help to save the environment. When you are ready to give the jewelry away as a “thank you,” your bridesmaids will be thrilled to know that a part of the cost went to help out a worthwhile cause.

When Choosing The Rings

Green couples prefer conflict-free diamonds and recycled metals for the jewelry they pick. The first is a matter of social responsibility and ethics and the second choice helps to save the world's precious resources. Another great way to reduce the impact of the occasion on the world's resources is to use a heirloom ring that's been passed down within the family. If you have a creative bent, you can even have old jewelry that you both have lying around recycled into new rings or bands.

A Christmas Wedding of Red & Green Vol 2.

I promised more photos from this darling Christmas wedding, and so here they are.  One of the things I most loved about this international destination wedding weekend was that we did not fight the Christmas season, rather we embellished it!  All the places we had events were already decorated for the holidays, so we just added what we needed to make certain that it still felt like a wedding celebration.

The Rehearsal dinner at Kings Crown Dining Room (South Seas Island Resort)

The Wedding Reception at The Sanctuary Golf Club

A wedding embellishment to the bride & grooms chairs

Simple stunning tables with gold chivari chairs. Centerpieces of red roses, Christmas Greens and berries. Place settings were completed with the glass gold beaded chargers and champagne menu cards.

Cocktail hour on the greens behind the club

With such lush landscaping, a large centerpiece isn't necessary

The Sanctuary Clubhouse

Pretty little cocktail centerpiece. A Rose bloom, Christmas greens, and Hypericum berries

Vintage car for the bride & groom. Could you just die over the classicism of this?

I just love this photo of their wedding day car. classical antiquity (I looked that up on google.  Sounded pretty fancy)

The brides White bouquet.  Quite delicate, as the bride requested!

CD favors of all the bride & grooms favorite songs that were played at the wedding.

The menu cards really were beautiful with their champagne paper and charcoal ink.

Thanks again to the awesome talents of Impressions Photography and Floral Artistry!

A Christmas Wedding of Red & Green

It's so hot right now that as I went through all the photos I had a difficult time believing that it was in fact cold during this destination wedding!  This classic and very traditional wedding was traditional only by the fact that there was a ceremony and a reception. What?  Yes, I know, quite confusing.  The bride was from Switzerland, the groom from Ohio and their guests...name the country, we had someone from there.  So the traditions and etiquette we followed while planning were "tradition" as it was known in no less than 5 countries.  We dealt with hats, and high tea and imported cheeses I still can't pronounce, no borders on stationery, when to capitalize a "D" and when not to (depending on your royalty)...I never learned so much in all my years as I did with this one wedding!

Red Rose Rehearsal Dinner Centerpiece with Christmas greens, Hydrangea and  Hypericum berries

Bridesmaids bouquets of White Roses, Christmas Greens and Eucalyptus

Classic Ceremony Programs tied with champagne ribbon

The bride & Groom at Saint Isabels altar

Each lady of the bridal party chose her own dress, to match her hat.  The hats were the most important part of the attire as I now know.

I adore this image of Swiss bride & groom taking a moment to themselves between the ceremony & dinner reception. Sanibel is so incredibly beautiful.

All these photos were taken by Impressions Photography.  Krista and her team worked tirelessly for 4 days straight, and was wonderful enough to share these images with us. Flowers by the always exquisite Floral Artistry (go to their shop if you can- it is stunning!).  More images in tomorrows post!