Far-flung Destinations for Brits on the Big Day

Say goodbye to traditional wedding ceremonies. British couples brought with them some lessons and interesting practices from their trips and decided to apply them to their own weddings. These couples encourage you to marry in far-flung romantic destinations.

As Ms. Nobody wants a rainy wedding day, as Morisette reminded us in her song. And lets face it, the Brits are no great shakes on the family stakes. Unlike other European countries, the extended family no longer plays much of a role in Britain when it comes to planning important life events. Weddings are a case in point. Tying the knot in an English country churchyard under a leaden sky is no longer the height of romantic ideals,or so it seems. More and more Brits are opting for marrying abroad, with almost a quarter of weddings taking place in a foreign country.According to surveys, the main motive is to avoid the family.

South Africa, with 6% of the votes, is high on the list of wedding destinations, closely followed by Sta Lucia at 5%. Tying for third place are a variety of locations including Mauritius, las Vegas, Antigua and Jamaica. Within Europe, the Greek islands and Mallorca remain popular - and interestingly, the Republic of Ireland, technically a foreign country but with ten times the charm, although little guarantee of avoiding that ironic rain.

Surprisingly, the expenses are about the same as a blow-out wedding at home, despite of the travel tickets for the guests, knowing that only close friends are invited. One third of couples who chose for balmier climes just wanted a rain-free day on their big day. More than a quarter admitted they were avoiding being driven round the bend by relatives. 20% of couples wanted to roll wedding and honeymoon into one great holiday.

The origin of that term itself is disputed. It is believed that newlyweds used to drink fermented honey to boost fertility although it is unconvincing to think they were supposed to do it for their entire lunar cycle.A less romantic but more plausible theory is that it was simply a great metaphor that stuck, the first phase of a marriage being sweetness itself, after which the dross of routine sets in.

The days which follow should perhaps be referred to as bitter or chunky-cut marmalade. But it seems that traditional weddings are like Christmas - try as you might to resist, come the big day, you are likely to feel the tug of tradition. Recent research shows that traditional church weddings are making a comeback in Britain even though religion naturally plays little or no part in the peoples preferences. No, couples are going back to the church because it is a cute setting - something they may have learned from their trips to Mediterranean countries, where couples take out something like a mortgage and book their church with a view up to a year in advance.

In a survey study commissioned by the Church, 1,800 people who decided to hold a church wedding was asked by the Henley Centre. Just over half, 55 per cent, did it because of their religion or their partner's. But 75 per cent said that they had their wedding ceremony in church because they wanted a "proper wedding" and 69 per cent chose a church because of its location. After years of decline, church weddings increased from 57,000 in 2004 to 57,200 in 2005. If you are one of those people who feel that the whole reception thing is a bit of a rip-off, you will enjoy the BBC3 video available on YouTube, "Wedding cake" from man stroke woman.

About the Author: Those of you who are in doubt about where to hold your wedding, Jerry Carpos, a family portrait artist, gives you this article as your wedding planning guide.