Destination Weddings: Romance… or Financial Hostage Situation? (Ep 11)

Episode 11: Destination Weddings — Romance… or Financial Hostage Situation?

Be honest — when that invite lands for a wedding in Greece or Italy… are you picturing sunsets and Aperol, or quietly checking your bank balance?

This week, we’re getting into destination weddings — the dream, the chaos, and the stuff no one says out loud.

We break down why couples really choose to go abroad (hint: it’s not just about “intimacy”), the pros and cons nobody sugar-coats, and the awkward truth from the guest side — pressure, cost, and the silent resentment that can creep in.

From picture-perfect beach ceremonies to delayed flights and missing outfits, we’ve seen both ends of it… and they’re wildly different.

We also tackle your dilemmas:

• How to say no when you genuinely can’t afford it
• Whether low attendance is a red flag
• If guests are expected to attend everything
• And the big one — do people secretly hate destination weddings?

Bottom line?
You’re not just planning a wedding — you’re organising a group holiday with emotional stakes.

If you’re thinking of doing one (or dreading attending one), this episode will save you money, stress… and potentially a friendship.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

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SPEAKER_01 0:28

Welcome to episode 11 of the I Laughed Party. This episode is about destination weddings. Are they romantic or a financial hostage situation? We're going to discuss that. I'm Adam from a Night to Tale Photography. I'm Harry from I Do Flix Wedding Videography.

SPEAKER_03 0:49

I'm Dean John, professional DJ and event manager.

SPEAKER_06 0:51

I'm Amber from Amber Butler Photography.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Welcome. So be honest. If your mate invited you to a wedding in Greece, are you excited or you're immediately checking your bank balance? I am buzzing.

SPEAKER_04 1:06

Buzzing.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Yeah?

SPEAKER_02 1:07

Absolutely buzzing. I'd love a mate to get married, I'm at that old guy.

SPEAKER_01 1:12

I would love it. I would love it as well. I can imagine people on the other end of the spectrum where they might be a little bit like, oh god, that's gonna cost a few quid, isn't it? But no, you make it. We would all love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

If you're gonna have a destination wedding, typically you're going to plan it so far in advance that you give your guests enough time to save up and and you know organise your annual leave and all that sort of stuff. Yeah, if you're gonna do a last-minute destination wedding, then expect 10 people to turn up max.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

People use it as a holiday as well, don't they?

SPEAKER_02 1:43

If someone is getting married abroad, then that's their family holiday or whatever. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Yeah, exactly. It's a good excuse to get away with your friends, isn't it? Um so yeah, we're gonna be talking today. Is a destination wedding the ultimate wedding upgrade or just an expensive like is it expensive peer pressure, you know, on your guests? Um okay, so two scenarios, okay. Number one, this is this is the dream. Sunset ceremony, Aperole is flowing, everyone's crying in a good way. Sounds good than that. Yeah?

SPEAKER_03 2:20

No, because sunset wedding. I'm like, most of the day's done. When are we when are we gonna these Aparols are gonna we're gonna be able to go into bed soon, so alright.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

I was just trying to paint a picture, right? Seriously. Because that's what you made so right. Because that was supposed to be the start against that that was supposed to be um you know a nice something to imagine. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Why don't you go with this? Sorry. You've got like you've got like that reflection, the sparkle from the pool as the sun is then like reflecting on to your face and blinding you, and you get sunburn and okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Well, the first thing I mentioned, that was just supposed to be like a nice image, right? Of a of a foreign wedding. Okay. And then the second one was gonna be delayed flights, missing luggage, you've got no wedding outfit. Half the guests quietly resentful by day two. Um, I mean, nothing tests a friendship like a 300-pound Ryanair flight and a shared villa. Right?

SPEAKER_03 3:22

So why do couples really do it? Well, first of all, I've the weddings that I've done abroad, they the bride has paid an extra seat on the plane so that the dress gets its own seat, right? So that way there's no chance it's going missing. Yeah, the groom will often just carry his on as like you know, in his little suit carry thing, yeah. And that will just come on the plane as well. That's those are the two things that you know, obviously, and the rings. Yeah, as long as you've got those, then the wedding can proceed, right? Um that's a lie, you need witness. Yeah, I know, but you can pick one of those up off the street if you really needed to. And chances are most of your guests aren't gonna get lost at Gatwick, are they? And he thrown, like, oh yeah, you get to Greece, and then say it's like, oh no, we've lost the best man, we better ring he thrown. It's like home alone. Yeah, we didn't put an air tag on the best man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 4:14

I think always carry your important outfits on you on the plane, be fine.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

Yeah, yeah, but I think like the reason couples really do it is is you know, so like you know, it's it's a bit more intimate because obviously there's gonna be less people, but the people there are gonna be you know, presumably more important to you.

SPEAKER_02 4:32

Um image thing as well. Because some of like all your guests, you've got to wear white. So you're all gonna wear white, you're all gonna be on this like stage top villa.

SPEAKER_03 4:40

I've got this thing, right, about destination weddings. You go to a normal wedding in you know your home country, whatever, and your guests are, yeah, they're they're they're bringing their game, they're enjoying it. Jesus. They're turning up, they're ready to have a good day. However, they always have these background notes going on in their head. Did I leave the gas on? How do I get home tonight? We gotta pick the kids up in the morning, all that sort of stuff, right? You go abroad and suddenly you've got all of your guests full attention for sometimes like a week.

SPEAKER_02 5:13

You're fucked, you can have the gas on, didn't you?

SPEAKER_03 5:16

But do you know what I mean? You get like, you know, it's more like there's there's no there's no kind of distraction. Yeah you're there for one reason only, yeah, and that reason like is just pure and then you you throw a little bit of sunshine in there and a swimming pool, and next thing you're in paradise with all of your nearest and dearest.

SPEAKER_06 5:34

I would say people also do it because it's is less stressful, because normally like they just do everything, you just rock up, like and you don't have to think about your photographer or at certain times.

SPEAKER_03 5:47

So that I I call that the pot noodle wedding again, but just destination version, like just add money and everything will kind of but I don't always think that's the best way to go. That's why you need to hire us to come with you, yeah, and not necessarily pay for the package and because otherwise you're gonna end up with photos where you're kind of like stood behind a tree and yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

The thing is, if you're a bit of a control freak as well, it's probably a nightmare to get married abroad, isn't it? Yeah because you can't like pop to the venue and ch you know check everything's alright, you know.

SPEAKER_03 6:15

Or or it's the perfect excuse to keep going on holiday leading up to the wedding.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Yeah, yeah, true. I mean, you know, some reasons that um that people don't want foreign weddings. So sorry, let me rephrase that. More so the reasons, the official reasons people want to get married abroad, so more intimate, more meaningful, they love travel, right? The real reasons and weather is it cuts the guest list without awkward conversations.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

True.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

It's a built-in excuse to avoid distant relatives, it feels more Instagram worthy. Yes, we said it. Um and it's intimacy with a side of selective attendance, you know. So you because you know that if if you if you're gonna get married abroad, you don't have to invite every Tom, Tick, and Harry to your wedding, right? You haven't got to invite your cousin's girlfriend that he's been with a week. You know, you can just be very selective. People will be more understanding if they don't get invited to your wedding or exclusive wedding, which has only got 30 guests. Yeah. So I think that's another reason as well.

SPEAKER_03 7:21

Yeah, you will also get those people, those randoms that are just like looking for an excuse to go away, and it's like, oh yeah, it's all right if I uh bring my best mate, he really wants to come along and like yeah, like I mean, I think there is that natural selection thing that happens like naturally, you almost need to just put the word out, we're getting married abroad, if you want to come, come. But chances are you're probably not because we're not close enough. Yeah, and then that's you know, the rest is kind of taken care of. Yeah, so I think it works.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Yeah, I think the only people I feel bad about are like the like the older relatives, yeah. The ones that are maybe a little bit less mobile, yeah, and the ones that like the ones that struggle to come to weddings in you know in the UK, let alone um to fly. And so that they're the only people I feel bad about. Um, apart from that, I just think, yeah, they're wicked.

SPEAKER_03 8:07

But it's okay because you'll have a videographer there and then they can watch it afterwards. That's true, that's true. Or live stream it.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

Yeah. So looking at pros and cons about destination weddings, then. So the pros, so it's a whole experience, not just a day. So, like you said, it could last you know a week. Um guests actually mingle because they're kind of stuck stuck with each other, yeah. You know, so you're gonna spend more time with them. Um the backdrops are unreal. I mean, as a photographer or a videographer, you know, it's more exciting for us. Yeah. Um, and you get a wedding and a holiday.

SPEAKER_03 8:42

And you can also do your hendo and your stagdo. Yeah. Like a most people will do like a second hendo and stagdo, right? Like honeymoon, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Yeah, exactly. Um, in terms of the cons about um foreign wedding, you know, you're asking people to spend real money, not just show up. Um attendance guilt is brutal. Planning from afar is a stress that you don't budget for. Do you know what I mean? It's arranging a wedding is stressful enough as it is, isn't it? But when you're arranging a wedding in another country, like, and you can't go there regularly, and you can't, you know, go to the venue and check it out, and you know, it's go to a wedding fair there, for example, you know, it's gonna be a lot more.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

I think the biggest like the biggest thing, the downside to it is that you will find a planner online, you will trust the planner because they do hundreds of weddings because you should without you can't talk about a planner. You are literally gonna have the the one photographer, the one DJ, the one sax player, the one caterer, because they use them and they all pay them under the table in Greece, for instance. Yeah, and it's so if you're happy to just go with how the book's gonna look, like every other couple, you're gonna be in the same shot in front of your own supplies because the other thing you've got the language barrier as well.

SPEAKER_03 10:06

Yeah, yeah. So, like, you know, sometimes if you go to you know Greece or well, anywhere basically, except like Australia and America. Like, I'm fluent in ten languages. Are you? Yeah, how many languages do you think? Well, how come you can't speak English? You can't even say a lot of English. You can't even say pet peeves that was the last episode, right? Yeah, I've forgotten that.

SPEAKER_01 10:26

People remember people remember. Um another thing as well is like the weather. I think this is like exacerbated. Can you spell it? Can you?

SPEAKER_03 10:35

You've said it.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

Yeah, of course I can. Oh, I'm not just brought this up. Look. Weather in England, we've established this, can be very up and down. Um, no one hates, you know, everyone hates rain, right? Generally. When you get married abroad, somewhere like Greece, Spain, wherever, if it's going to be crap weather, that's 20 times worse than it. Yeah, 100%. 100%. I mean, let's let's let's face it, you know, you you you go to Greece in July and it's there's a storm, and it's that'd be the most unlucky thing ever.

SPEAKER_03 11:09

I don't think I've actually ever agreed with you this much.

SPEAKER_01 11:11

Ever.

SPEAKER_03 11:12

You're like on point this time.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

I know. But keep it up. But I I did a I've done a few weddings abroad, and my first ever one abroad was in Mallorca in like July, and the weather was insane, like running up to it. On the day, and I I got there a few days before the wedding. On the day of the wedding, I woke up and it was raining. The ceremony was, I think, 5 pm. It rained up until something like three or four. I mean, number one, how unlucky is that? Yeah. Number two, the ceremony was supposed to be outside, but to have it inside. I mean, what a shame when you're in Mallorca to have an indoor ceremony. I mean, the indoor was nice, but not quite the same. Luckily, after the ceremony, it brightened up, so the rest of the day was beautiful. But what a bloody shame.

SPEAKER_03 11:59

Well, I I had one in Cyprus, right? And it started raining about 15 minutes before the ceremony, and it was devast the bride was devastated, right? But I like everyone pitched in, we all managed to move it inside, right? And then, but the thing is, is because it was in a relatively small-ish hotel, so the ceremony is like was where the the breakfast was going to be and where the evening was going to be, and so it actually worked out quite nice to have a different backdrop for the ceremony, so that there was a bit more of a range of kind of areas throughout the day. Otherwise, you are kind of next to the pool just all day, kind of thing. Yeah, and it, you know, that was the way I sold it, and I think it actually worked out really well. Yeah, and as soon as the ceremony was done, you know, the sun came out. Some people see that as unlucky, I see it as at least the sun came out.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Yeah, exactly. So, from a guest perspective, um, do you think it's selfish?

SPEAKER_03 12:58

No.

SPEAKER_01 12:59

No, well, I think it depends how you handle it.

SPEAKER_03 13:02

I I also think that comes from a biased perspective because I love travelling, yeah. So, any excuse I'm there. Whereas some people aren't about that life, and you know, some people are scared of flying, some people just can't afford it.

SPEAKER_06 13:16

It's your day, and again, be selfish. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 13:22

No, it's not about that, it's about everyone, look. You're trying to you're trying to create the whole show, aren't you, for every guest? That's right. Yeah, if they don't if they're not hot, we can afford a country that's even hotter because we've got a cater for 50 people. We're doing this abroad for you guys, yeah. You name a location, we do a poll on Instagram. Fucking Harry's.

SPEAKER_06 13:41

I'm all for just the Malay and just getting married themselves.

SPEAKER_03 13:44

I just think the other thing as well with destination weddings is it's very, very difficult to have a legal ceremony in another country. So you have to do the whole registry office either in secret or a little low-key thing beforehand.

SPEAKER_06 14:01

I think that's changed massively though. There's a lot of places that are legal now.

SPEAKER_03 14:06

Yeah, yeah, I know, but it's harder. It's not as straightforward. You can't just call up a registrar and be like, can you come here?

SPEAKER_06 14:11

Sometimes you've just got to be in the country for like seven days before and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

Yeah. I mean, what about guests who can't afford, like they want to go, but they can't afford to, but they feel like they have to. I mean, that would probably apply more to like, you know, close family or or like bridesmaids or groomsmen. Like, if you haven't got a lot of money and someone says, Oh, yeah, it's gonna cost you 1500 quid to fly there, accommodation, etc. Like, you're just not a good enough friend.

SPEAKER_03 14:36

But yeah. I mean You get a loan, you get a credit card, you do what you need to do.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

Rob Bank, yeah. I know, I know, but it's you know, it's gonna genuinely affect certain people in it. Or you ask the bride and groom to subsidise, yeah, because it's all about the guests, yeah. Do you think do you think couples should contribute to the guests' cost at all?

SPEAKER_03 14:55

No, no, I think quite often lots of these like hotels and stuff will give a discounted rate for hotel rooms if enough people are coming. You know, you're you're already getting your meals paid for. Excuse me. There'll be, you know, alcohol on the day. Yeah. I don't think well on the on the actual wedding day, you're not gonna spend a massive amount of money. Quite often alcohol and food is cheaper in other countries anyway. Yeah. So, you know, yeah, that's that's okay. That's all I've got to say about that.

SPEAKER_05 15:27

Yeah, I don't think you should pay towards it because you're paying for their meal and stuff as you would here. Speak up a bit.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Yeah, am I already quiet? Yeah, always.

SPEAKER_05 15:37

Um either too loud or quiet.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

You're never too loud. Um, I think if you're having a destination wedding, you just have to be genuinely okay with people saying no. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

Just the thing, right? Do you think that people in this day and age, you're spending probably a hundred quid in a couple's card? When you work it out, they're basically paying for their own meal, aren't they? Yeah. So instead of doing cards, and they might as well just chip in towards a wedding. Why not? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:05

And then oh yeah, but that I like it just because quite often, like, even the destination weddings that I've been a guest at, it like the bride and groom would be like, Look, you're coming, we don't want presents. We don't like, don't feel like you've got to give us anything. You're you're coming all this way, you're making the effort, blah blah blah.

SPEAKER_02 16:22

Like, yeah, oh yeah, definitely. Exactly right. So you're saying that people wouldn't spend you, don't think people would give them money or card or anything when they're going abroad.

SPEAKER_06 16:30

No, wow, I said no to any gifts or anything because they were paying to come.

SPEAKER_02 16:35

You fucking could have taken a carrot for yours.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

Yeah. Um, let's do some listening questions. So um got a question from Caroline from Bogner. Um, my best friend is getting married in Italy, but I genuinely can't afford it. In Italy? Italy Italy. Sorry. Can't afford to come to Italy. Maybe she lives in Italy. No, she's getting married in Italy. She lives in Bogner. Let's that let's read that again. My best friend is getting married in Italy, but I can't afford it. How do I say no without ruining the friendship?

SPEAKER_03 17:13

Well, firstly, you can get flights to Italy for really cheap from Gatwick. Right. Right, kill that. Right.

SPEAKER_06 17:21

My best friend at my wedding could not come.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

Um Yeah, but Lapland is an expensive place to be.

SPEAKER_06 17:25

I didn't I didn't care. As in my colleague.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

Are you still like your best friend still? Hopefully, she's not gonna want to get it. If you were best friend still, end of simple. Look at the face, it was jumping to the camera and say you are still my best friend. What's her full name? Um I haven't held it against you.

SPEAKER_06 17:41

No, I didn't care. I mean, like still not your best friend.

SPEAKER_03 17:45

Like there were more important things that's right.

SPEAKER_02 17:48

You fucking resented her.

SPEAKER_06 17:49

You no, no, that's it. I didn't resent her for a moment.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

You were still best friends, yeah?

SPEAKER_06 17:55

We're not best friends.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

I even knew.

SPEAKER_03 17:58

There we go. Like, did was she like, why have you got why have you got to go abroad? No.

SPEAKER_06 18:02

Right, okay, so that's what I It was just like, well, I I can't come, and I was like, Well, I don't expect you to, you know, put yourself in debt over it.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Yeah. We never got an invite either, did we? No.

SPEAKER_02 18:13

What's not the point? I love reindeers.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

I just think if if a friendship can't survive a polite no, I don't think the wedding's the issue. True. Oh, deep.

SPEAKER_06 18:24

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

Yeah, I mean, I've turned down stag dudes that were abroad before because it was just like at the particular time, I was like, I can't really afford to. I'll get a you know, Vegas or whatever. So, yeah. Um, so question two, Jeff from Brighton. We're thinking of a destination wedding, but worry people won't come. Is that a sign we shouldn't do it?

SPEAKER_03 18:45

Well no, find out first, yeah. Find out first, put the fingers out, get get your get your numbers, yeah, and then be like, okay, who if we were hypothetically gonna do this, who'd be up for it? Yeah, and if enough people said yes, then go for it.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

Yeah, I think you either choose the the the location or the guest list, like you can't.

SPEAKER_03 19:02

Yeah, you don't you don't say, right, we are going to Hawaii for our wedding, who's coming? Yeah, but we're only coming if a hundred people come, we're only gonna go. Exactly. So no, you you get the feet you put the feeders out first.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 19:13

No, I think you just book it and say if you want to come.

SPEAKER_03 19:16

Yeah, but how would you book it? So, how do you know what venue to book if you don't know how many guests are coming?

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Yeah, you want to put the feeders out a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 19:23

You want to like what happens what happens if you book this little intimate, because you say it's in Hawaii and you're like, oh, there's no one's gonna show up here because it's on the other side of the world, and then suddenly so you book this little place and it's amazing because you've only got 10 guests, and then you end up with 50 people.

SPEAKER_06 19:37

Yeah, but half of them probably won't go who say they're gonna go.

SPEAKER_03 19:41

Well, this this this is another point, isn't it? Well, that's yeah, what do you do about those guests?

SPEAKER_06 19:46

Because you'd have like 50 people going, yeah, welcome, and then you go to work it and they're like, Oh no, only 10 people's gonna come.

SPEAKER_03 19:51

To be fair, you basically what you could do is you could like if you if you're kind of organising it, you could sometimes travel like travel agents and stuff can do it as like a big package booking, can't you? So you just say, anyone that wants to come, send me this deposit by X date. Yeah, if you've if I've got the money, you'll come, and if not, then I'm then it's not happening. Yeah, and then you've got a deposit, and then that can pay for your wedding.

SPEAKER_02 20:16

How did you do yours, Amber? Did you get everyone to just did you say this is where it's gonna be and the travel agent saw it and everyone just paid and buy it?

SPEAKER_06 20:24

Yeah, so I had like a travel um agent and a wedding planner working together. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 20:29

And your guests could just go straight into them directly.

SPEAKER_06 20:32

Yeah, so that was just like a a portal sort of thing, like between everyone, and then they could just pay whenever they wanted, sort of thing. Um I literally just said whoever wants to come come. I didn't have anything, I didn't have like a big venue there, I had um so I had like the Ice Chapel, so obviously that holds quite a lot of people. Um so it didn't really matter if you had two or 50 guests, and then I just booked a restaurant and paid for obviously everyone's dinner. Yeah, speaking of doing that.

SPEAKER_03 21:03

Don't mention food.

SPEAKER_06 21:04

Um so again, it didn't matter how many guests were there, so yeah, but I so my point was the opposite of that.

SPEAKER_03 21:10

If you book somewhere too small and then you end up with like a yeah, I get your point, yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_06 21:16

Yeah, mine was just a bit like if you want to come, come, and then they would just pay the travel agent the deposit, and yeah, that was that.

SPEAKER_07 21:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 21:25

And it was really easy. Like I had 30 odd guests, and I didn't need to stress about anything. They just saw that.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

Any top tips for destination wedding amber? Get a travel agent that works with plant wedding planners.

SPEAKER_06 21:39

Yeah, Sun Sea Wedding Sunday. Did you book the wedding planner? Snow Sun Weddings.

SPEAKER_03 21:45

Did you did you book the wedding planner that knew the travel agent? Yeah, so they worked together. Yeah, but what did you book for? Did you find the wedding planner and then they sourced their travel agent, or did you find the travel agent that got you the wedding package and then got you into Wedding planner. So you started with a wedding planner. Yeah. Mrs. Claws.co.uk.

SPEAKER_04 22:08

Crazy.

SPEAKER_01 22:08

So question from uh Alicia from LA. If I'm spending loads this is from this is uh a guest, right? If I'm spending loads to attend this destination wedding, is it fair to expect an open bar? I mean you you can expect it, you might be disappointed.

SPEAKER_03 22:29

So yeah, I I think I yeah, I would I would kind of expect there to be something behind the bar, but like I said before, typically in European countries, drinks are so cheap anyway. And it can be true. Yeah, I mean New York and Vegas, yeah. I'm I'm uh I'm expecting a bar town.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

Yeah, I think all the ones I've been to tend to have been open bars from memory.

SPEAKER_06 22:56

But a lot of them are in like all inclusive hotels where you're staying and stuff, so you get that anyway.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

Yeah. Do you get um was it an open bar? Your one with like infinite eggnog.

SPEAKER_04 23:07

No.

SPEAKER_01 23:08

No. No.

SPEAKER_04 23:10

No.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

No, no. Okay. Um alright. So let's do some rapid fire questions. Okay. You know what rapid fire means, yeah? As quick as you can, mate. Okay. Destination weddings. Elite or overrated? Overrated. Elite.

SPEAKER_06 23:31

Elite.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Elite. Right, let's uh why do you think they're overrated?

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Well, because I knew the fucking three of you would say elite for us to start with, just because you got special. I don't know, just for me, I would have loved to have a wedding abroad, but it would have meant that some overrated. It would have meant that I would have like absolutely kibosh my nan, my great nan, and all the real elderly people that couldn't be in my life. And then they died literally pretty much a few years after my wedding. So I was so glad that we made a decision to have it in the UK.

SPEAKER_03 24:06

Well, if it was like on their bucket list, though, that's selfish of you.

SPEAKER_02 24:10

It might have been, but yeah, I just could have been one of the last things they wanted to do, and you've and you're right, people not everyone can afford it, but actually, like your best mate didn't come to your wedding. That's quite a big thing.

SPEAKER_06 24:21

Like, that's and my grandparents' success didn't come, but then yeah, but you come back and you do a little party here.

SPEAKER_02 24:28

You're not doing a party. Yeah, but then your party's just not the same as oh yeah, we was out at Baba here, it's amazing. Yeah, they're all like having a great time, and then you're just having like a party in a social club to just try and justify it. It's just it's not the same vibe.

SPEAKER_01 24:42

Okay. So you think they're overrated, but you would have loved one?

SPEAKER_02 24:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

Cool. Okay. Um, what about a midweek abroad wedding? Makes no difference. Bold or inconsiderate?

SPEAKER_03 24:55

Every day's a holiday, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 24:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:58

I mean, I think bold and considerate are two completely pointless options there.

SPEAKER_01 25:03

I think if it's in the school holidays and you've got kids and they're invited. Cool. It might be a bit annoying if um the kids weren't gonna have to.

SPEAKER_03 25:12

You're going, you're not going for a couple of days, you're gonna go for a week, aren't you? Probably. So it doesn't really matter when it falls on because you're gonna miss at least one of every day of the week, anyway. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:22

Yeah. Yeah, it shouldn't take make too much difference. But then some people would literally fly in the day before and leave the day after. That happens a lot, actually. Yeah, most people can't afford to necessarily say a week. Fucking not very rapid fire, is it? Sorry, come on. Um well, I kind of touched I I touched upon this. Kids at destination weddings, yes, or absolutely not. As long as it's a holiday club, it'd be fine. Yeah, you're gonna run the holiday club.

SPEAKER_02 25:48

Fucking right. Natalie, do you know TV Kids? I'll tell you about her. Yeah, you've you've mentioned if anyone's looking for children's entertainer, she's great, yeah, she's great. She doesn't go out of broad, though. She will, which costs too much.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

If you pay her.

SPEAKER_03 26:00

Um I think I think the clo like if you have your own kids and you're getting married, then they definitely need to be there. Yeah. Close, you know, nephews, nieces, fine, but I don't think ever your your your everyday guests should be bringing, you know, the full clang and the rug rats and stuff. Unless you're like really close, I don't know. Well, absolutely your brother, Harry. I guess your brother's kids. That would be a niece of help you, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_02 26:27

That's alright then. Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_06 26:29

But I think those who come are really close friends. So, yeah, I I'm more for their kids together. I think you should well, you hope. You want your own kids too.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

Sorry, I want you to come, but not your kids, and I want you to spend two grand. Yeah, no problem. Yeah, anything else? I mean that's quite a bit. Do you want me to wear like I'll go out and buy a brand new white suit, and it's quite normal. Not much they want, really, is there? No, that's quite normal though. It is, mate, it's quite nice though.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

There's um the thing is, like we've established, it's hard enough uh for some people to go abroad anyway for a wedding. So if you've got kids and you've got to then pay for someone to look after them at home.

SPEAKER_03 27:04

Yeah, but it's cheaper than bringing them.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

Is it though?

SPEAKER_03 27:08

Well, extra flights, extra bed, you know, you're going from you're going from a double room to a family room. You know, you've got extra food, and then you've got to pay for them to get drunk. True. Yeah, I don't know. And then you've got to entertain them.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:24

Do you know what some parents they'll be grateful for the escape?

SPEAKER_01 27:27

Oh no, but if you give people the choice, yeah. Like, say to them that you your kids are well.

SPEAKER_06 27:32

Why is everyone drinking our drinks?

SPEAKER_01 27:33

Is it yours? I don't know. Why is everyone doing two glasses in this house? Opening glasses.

SPEAKER_03 27:41

Is that your drink? Well, I asked him for a drink, so I thought that was mine. But can I just say it's rapid fire?

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Can you fucking not be the fuck up? Um seriously. So um destination, stag and hen, and wedding combo, do you think that's efficient or exhausting? I think it's casting.

SPEAKER_06 27:59

When I went to Bali last year, it was good to just get it all done there.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

I can't do this efficiently. That's in this answer. Okay. I think because yes, it is efficient, but nine times out of ten they're probably gonna have a UK one as well.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

Yeah, okay. Yeah, but if they made it a week, if if they went out on the Saturday night for the stag stagdo hindu, yeah, and then the wedding was like on the Tuesday or Wednesday, I think that'd be much better.

SPEAKER_03 28:22

Yeah, it is, yeah. But they are gonna have two at that rate, aren't they? Because there are gonna, like we've talked about, there are gonna be guests that don't aren't able to come, so they'll do that, and then they'll probably also end up having a little mini aisle after party when they get back as well. Fair enough. So it's I think it's actually. I'm all for it anyway.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

Yeah, alright. Well, the UK one will be like a little kind of just go to the local sit town for a few drinks. Yeah, it's not gonna be like go to Dublin, unless you live in Dublin. Um, okay, beach weddings, dreamy or just windy chaos.

SPEAKER_03 28:53

I've not done one.

SPEAKER_01 28:55

I fucking hate sand.

SPEAKER_03 28:56

I do as well. I I'd panic about sand, I'd panic about my cameras as well.

SPEAKER_02 29:00

Like just hate sand and wind blasted and all this sort of stuff.

SPEAKER_06 29:04

Dunno.

SPEAKER_01 29:06

Brilliant. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 29:07

As in like when my sister-in-law got married on the beach, it was beautiful, but everyone else on the beach was watching.

SPEAKER_07 29:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 29:16

So when I looked out, there's like a guy in his speedos just staring. Like, do you know what I mean? It just so you you just had this audience of people watching you, and if you get married and you see this guy in his speedos just staring at you, I don't know, it just Why don't you keep talking about men in Speedos?

SPEAKER_02 29:33

And like Did you not have loads of elves at yours? Elves in Speedo's watching.

SPEAKER_06 29:41

But mine wasn't the beach, so yeah, you're just jealous.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

Um so yeah, so uh I think we've you know talked enough about destination weddings. I mean, a destination wedding isn't just isn't just about where you get married, it's it's about who can realistically be there as well. So you've got to take both into consideration. Um and if you do it right, it's unforgettable. If you do it wrong, people are gonna remember that too. So, you know, it's a it's a fine line, but it can work out amazingly. So um I hope you enjoyed that episode. Next episode, we're gonna be talking about when we use it. So um,