Married all over the World

Married all over the World

American couple Rhiann Woodyard and Cheetah Platt recently arrived in Thailand to say their ‘I do’s’ as many international brides and grooms now choose to do.

However, the Land of Smiles was not the only destination they selected for their wedding abroad. The couple had already held marriage ceremonies in Colombia, Spain, Ireland, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya and India, with weddings in Singapore, Australia, Fiji and the U.S. still to look forward to.

After becoming frustrated with the costs involved in planning a wedding back home in California, the couple planned their very own ‘wedding tour’, which included ceremonies in all the destinations above.

Before setting off, the couple only made plans regarding their transportation and accommodation at the other end. In Thailand, they only decided the day before the ceremony where they wanted it to be. “We’re using nature as the venue,”said Woodyard. “In terms of the ceremony, the only rule is that we say our vows.”

While the couple’s approach towards their nuptials may be difficult to pin down, they are still in constant contact with their loved ones back home. “It does feel like they’re on the adventure with us,” explained Platt.

Due to the spiralling costs and difficulty planning a wedding back home, like Platt and Woodyard, an increasing number of couples are seeking the perfect romantic wedding destination abroad. Thailand is often a top choice, and is one of the leading wedding destinations in Asia.

An increasing number of couples are also choosing to rent out one of the Kingdom’s private villas as a wedding venue, rather than hiring a room in a hotel. This not only gives them more choice over the whole wedding day itinerary, as the villa is completely their own for the duration of their stay, but they can have more of a creative input into menu and decoration choices as well.

For couples seeking the perfect beach wedding, Thailand is also a top choice, and many of the private villas scattered across spectacular islands like Phuket and Koh Samui also feature direct access to the beach.

Couples also have a great degree of choice when it comes to planning exactly what kind of ceremony they want, which is great news for spontaneous couples like Platt and Woodyard.

They can marry in a traditional Western ceremony, or if they prefer to have a traditional Thai wedding ceremony, including blessings by monks at a local temple, that’s also possible. In recent years, some couples have even opted to host their wedding ceremonies underwater which shows how flexible Thai wedding planning agencies are when it comes to putting together a dream wedding.

 

 

by