Continuing our theme of the costs of weddings with a difference, don’t forget that you can always ask your wedding planner to custom design your wedding for you. If you have a specific idea for your wedding that you’d like then don’t be shy, ask for a quote and have the wedding you really want, not just what’s on offer. You never know, you might start a new wedding trend!

For those who are searching for an unusual wedding theme, you could try a cliff top wedding ceremony. Just  imagine…..a cliff top at sunset, exchanging your vows as you gaze out to sea with the warm breeze wafting around you? This could be you if you plan your wedding well. It may be obvious but make sure you know if the ceremony is legal or not outdoors, and choose a destination with cliffs of course! Ibiza is one country where a cliff top ceremony is possible from approx. $900usd, and Canada and the USA make great alternative locations.  

For those who enjoy being by the sea but feel that a beach wedding is a bit of a cliché you might want to consider getting married underwater. This is becoming more popular in certain countries in the Caribbean and also in the Philippines – a country with a booming wedding industry but not an obvious thought when searching for a destination wedding location. Costs vary depending on your expertise and the operator but bank on spending several hundred dollars. 

Alternatively if scuba diving is a bit much on your wedding day, you could think about having a pool wedding. Many hotels and resorts offer this, especially if they have in-house wedding co-ordinators and/or offer wedding./honeymoon packages. Again, the Caribbean has a bit of a monopoly on this sort of wedding, but resorts in southern Europe are also getting in on the act, especially ones in Cyprus, Turkey and Greece, and

Changing tack completely, there is another growing type of wedding, namely that of the chateau/castle wedding. Certain European countries have a strong history of offering chateau weddings and for those dreaming of the ultimate “fairytale” wedding in a historic castle with a drawbridge, moat and turrets, this is the ultimate wedding experience. As you would imagine, many eastern European countries have a multitude of castles to choose from, but don’t rule out the west too soon as France, Germany and Austria have their fair share as well. Prices can be more for this kind of wedding due to the extra amount of organisation that is required at a venue such as this, so expect to pay upwards of $2000 usd for the ceremony.

One country you might not immediately think about for a “fairytale” wedding is Canada, but with the faux-Gothic Banff Springs Hotel and the incredible Chateau Lake Louise in Alberta, along with the many genuinely historical buildings in Montreal, Canada is a true contender for an incredible chateau wedding with a modern twist.

Summer may be the “traditional” wedding season, but with cheaper flights and more flexibility in work patterns, winter is becoming equally popular for overseas weddings. Whether you’re looking for a romantic wedding in the snow or want to escape to the other side of the world for a bit of sun and sea, there’s plenty of choice.

How about a chateau wedding with a snowy mountain backdrop in Canada; a city wedding in sunny Sydney in the shadow of the Opera House; or a “bush” wedding in a luxury safari lodge in South Africa with the local wildlife nearby?

As far as weddings with a difference go, your imagination (and budget) is the only limit!