More Couples look for Overseas Weddings

More Couples look for Overseas Weddings

The day George Clooney tied the knot to Amal Alamuddin in 2014, thousands of women turned green with envy. However, envy was not just directed towards the lucky lady who managed to tie down Hollywood’s silver fox, but at the lavish wedding celebrations the couple enjoyed in Venice.

According to tour operator Kuoni, interest in overseas weddings has spiked some 20 percent since the event, including in tropical wedding destinations such as Thailand.

According to the tour operator, couples are looking for increasingly adventurous destinations and experiences for their weddings. New favourites now include Thailand, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Mexico and some destinations in the UAE.

‘Weddings and honeymoons account for a large share of our business, so we’re in a strong position to see trends in the market. In a generation we’ve seen a real shift – from relatively straightforward fly and flop holidays to a single destination to more multi-centre trips,’ said Derek Jones, managing director of Kuoni UK. “Couples are looking for the wow factor, more stimulation and greater interaction with their locale in an authentic, non-touristy way. Their expectations for food, décor, spas, activities and excursions are all higher than ever before.”

The Signature Weddings, a professional wedding planning agency based in Thailand, have observed a similar trend and when it comes to providing discerning couples with the right venue to celebrate their wedding, Thailand is streets ahead of many other popular wedding destinations, particularly when it comes to the cuisine on offer.

In particular, couples hosting their wedding in one of the Kingdom’s private villas have an array of choices at their fingertips, whether they are putting on a formal sit-down meal or a traditional Thai buffet. Popular wedding islands like Phuket and Koh Samui also have plenty of foods imported from around the world, so it is easy for couples to treat their guests to Michelin-star French cuisine.

Thailand also boasts the ‘wow’ factor when it comes to excursions, all of which can be arranged through professional wedding planning agencies like The Signature Weddings. For example, an increasing number of couples are planning luxury yacht excursions on exquisite Thai oceans into their wedding ceremonies as a way to get the most out of the destination.

 

 

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