| Weddings In Europe and Castle Weddings |
| Weddings in Europe Who hasn't dreamed of getting married in a castle or in a romantic European setting? Who can forget Cinderella marrying her Prince Charming in the castle? Your dream can become a reality with some advance planning. Weddings in Europe can be highly complicated so we highly recommend you work with a wedding planner. The residency requirements vary per country and can be tricky to maneuver by yourself. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes married in a castle in Italy. Their fairy tale wedding brought a lot of media attention and a lot of interest in marrying in Europe. Their wedding was fit for a queen and you need to be rich as a king to afford to duplicate their wedding. Ditto for the Paris wedding of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker. But you can use some ideas from their wedding and incorporate them into your budget! Italy is the most popular wedding destination in Europe because it has no residency requirements. It is also considered the most romantic county in the world. You can sometimes arrive and marry within two days in a civil ceremony which is legal all over the world. Your wedding planner can arrange all sorts of extras and side trips, including having your marriage blessed by the Pope in Rome. A basic elopement type wedding in Italy which includes basic paperwork, legal assistance will start at 1900 Euros which is about $2500 US dollars. It will vary due to your citizenship and the area of Italy you choose to marry. A more complete wedding package in Italy will include the basics plus flowers, photos and your location will start at about 2995 euros which is about $4000 US dollars. By no stretch of the imagination will this be anything like a celebrity wedding, it will be a simple and romantic wedding, because what is more romantic than Italy? Scotland is also known for having less restrictive requirements. There is no residency requirement, but there is a 15 days time required for the banns to be posted. Scotland is known for its great castles and castle weddings. Other countries who host castle weddings are England, France, Ireland, Italy and Wales. Because the residency requirements vary so much, Italy and Scotland are the favorite destinations. England & Wales have a 21 day residency and you must apply in person. France has a 30 to 45 day residency requirement and you must also apply in person. Greece has no residency requirements. Spain is open to interpretation. One partner must be a resident of Spain for two years, yet they sometimes allow a 30 to 45 day residency and you must apply in person. Portugal and several other countries of Europe have a thirty to forty day residency requirement before you can apply for permission to marry. With all the requirements, its easy to see why Italy and Scotland lead the pack in European weddings. Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Italy Any wedding in Europe must be well planned in ADVANCE. From the basic wedding pricing, you need to add travel, accommodations and food to your budget. |
| Passports are required! |
| The Castle Wedding Eloping to a European castle has such romantic connotations, but there are things you have to know before you plan. Most castles are able to provide only a civil ceremony. If you want a religious ceremony, many times it has to be held at a church with the reception at the castle. Some castles operate like a Bed and Breakfast, some operate like a hotel and some are private residences. Some are only open for tours and for weddings. You may or may not have the exclusive use of the castle during your wedding. Some castles don't look like our perception of castles, they look like big stone homes. Some castles are known more for their elaborate grounds and gardens, some for the interior of the castle. Some castles permit theme weddings. If you've always wanted to marry your knight in shining armour, you can literally make it happen. Some castles will require you to book a certain amount of rooms for overnight guests. Some castles will not have bathrooms in the bedroom, you may have to go down a hallway to use the facilities. Some castles will provide food for an entire weekend for your guests if you book the rooms at the castle. Some castles have guest cottages on the grounds for guests to overnight. Some are modern and have every amenity. Some are medieval and the perfect place to host a theme wedding. There are 4 and 5 star castles! The choices are mind boggling, you a wedding planner in the country of the wedding to help you through the maze of information and options. A great source of information for castle weddings is www.Celticcastles.com. If you can't afford a castle wedding....how about a castle wedding cake? |
