Top Ten reasons why Brits head down under to wed

1. Location, Location, Location - In Australia and New Zealand there are absolutely no restrictions on your wedding location.  In fact your choices of venues are endless.  Get married on a secluded beach, in your parent's garden, in a theme park, underwater, but in the UK it's illegal to conduct either a religious or civil ceremony outdoors.  This of course also means that marriages cannot take place in your home, parent’s home, or anyone else’s home for that matter.  The building you exchange your vows in must be licensed for weddings.  Fairly restrictive.

2. The weather - The unpredictability of English weather is a main factor all couples consider when planning their big day.  Regardless of whether it’s an indoor or outdoor wedding, no bride wants to have to dash from car to church door clutching a damp skirt hoping her make up wont run and her hair isn’t flat by the time she walks down the aisle.  The weather can also potentially ruin stunning photographic opportunities.  Who wants to have ALL their wedding photos taken inside, especially if your venue is a stately home or by a lake?!

3. Restrictions on officiants - Ever since Joey married Chandler and Monica on ‘Friends’ and Haley married Peyton and Lucas ‘On One Tree Hill’, the idea of having a loved one perform their wedding ceremony appealed to couples the world over. But sadly, this is yet another option Brits do not have.

4. Cost - It is considerably cheaper to marry abroad, especially when the cost of your wedding is in Australian or New Zealand dollars; effectively making it half the cash. Most of your wedding needs are less expensive down under too, for example, stationery and favours are less than half the cost than here in the UK.

5. Package deals - In the UK paying for your wedding is generally done separately.  By that, I mean the venue is a set fee, you pay the catering company a separate fee, the transportation company a set fee etc; whereas in Australia and New Zealand, it is far more common to incorporate most of your wedding costs, especially when it comes to your reception.  Usually you will pay for your venue hire, reception, meals, drinks, décor etc all in one package, which inevitably saves a lot of money.

6. The landscape - Where else in the world can you find hundreds of sparkling beaches, rolling vineyards, sunburnt desert, lush rainforests, snow-capped mountains and cosmopolitan cities all in one?  Australia and New Zealand offer such magnificent landscapes and stunning scenery to suit all tastes and you can be sure your wedding photos will be stunning!

7. Two-in-one wedding & honeymoon - Thousands of Brits ravel to Australia nd New Zealand every year, many of them, in search of sun sand and sea and many for a far and away relaxing honeymoon destination.  So it make sense to want to plan a two-in-one wedding and honeymoon package, saving you time and money, althought it is a long way to expect your guests to travel.

8. The cuisine - Australia and New Zealand have some fabulous chefs popping up at the moment, the Southern Hemisphere really is a culinary wonderland.   Known for laid back dining and world class seafood, it's a good enough reason for any couple to want to spoil their guests with some Aussie game meat and Kiwi tucker!

9. Wine - OK so you can buy it here in the UK but the brilliant wines that Australia and New Zealand produce are obviously far cheaper to consume in their native countries.  As well as that, there are over 50 wine-growing regions in Australia (over 500 wineries in Victoria alone) and 10 in New Zealand so you're spoilt for choice if marrying on a vineyard takes your fancy.

10. See above!! - All this is reason enough to want to start planning your Southern Hemisphere wedding, right?  I think so too!