27% increase in UK couples getting married abroad since 2005

Feb. 2, 2011 - PRLog -- Destination wedding website Marryabroad.co.uk is celebrating Tuesday's announcement by consumer research group Mintel that 27% more UK couples chose to get married abroad in 2010 then 2005.

Fresh from celebrating 5 years since launch, site growth has mirrored the Mintel research, with the largest rises in visitors in the past two years.

Charlotte Hand from Marry Abroad says, “we know from our experience that the destination wedding market is very strong in the UK, but it's always nice to have proof from the research experts. We've seen even stronger growth since the economic troubles began, with a 120% increase in visits in 2010 alone.”

The Mintel research states that the average overseas wedding costs £6585, while the average UK wedding costs £20000.

Charlotte continues, “cost is a major factor for most couples, and while a low cost wedding is popular for some, others choose to marry abroad because they can have the same size of wedding on a smaller budget. So it's not always about having less, just getting the best value for money.”

The choice of wedding destination is ever-improving, with some countries, such as Portugal, recently removing some of the legal barriers to marriage for non-residents. However, popular countries like France still make it difficult for non-residents to exchange vows legally. If a couple is flexible then this doesn't matter – they can always have a non legal blessing in the country and have the legal ceremony at home – just don't tell the guests!

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Mintel report - http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/uk-britain-trave...

Marry abroad - www.marryabroad.co.uk

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Marryabroad.co.uk is an information site for couples looking to get married abroad. Couples can find the legalities in each country, information and advice on planning a destination wedding, and have a wide choice of wedding planners to select from.