By Em

I still remember the feeling — standing barefoot on sun-warmed stones in the courtyard of an ancient villa, with the scent of wild rosemary in the air and the hush of a hundred local traditions woven around us like silk. Getting married abroad isn’t just about a beautiful backdrop. It’s about stepping into a living, breathing story that began long before we ever arrived — and, if we’re lucky, honouring it in a way that adds to its beauty.

When we chose a destination wedding, I knew one thing above all: we couldn’t just arrive, throw a party, and leave footprints across someone else’s heritage. Love is universal — but respect must speak every language.

Here’s what I learned about honouring local cultures when getting married abroad — lessons I hold close and share with every couple I work with.

1. Listen Before You Plan

The first thing we did wasn’t to pick out table linens or menus — it was to listen. To the community. To the history. To the traditions that make a place what it is.

Sometimes it’s easy to forget, in the excitement of wedding planning, that destinations are not props. They’re homes. They’re sacred spaces. They’re living worlds with rituals and rhythms of their own.

Before we made a single decision, we asked questions. We spoke with local planners, community leaders, even the family who ran the vineyard where we would say our vows. We listened — really listened — to how we could celebrate with them, not just around them.

2. Seek Permission, Not Forgiveness

Too often, destination weddings fall into the trap of “it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission.” But when it comes to someone else’s culture, nothing could be further from the truth.

If you’re considering a ceremony in a sacred space — like a temple, a chapel, a beach with spiritual significance — get permission. Respect the protocols. Understand the symbolism.

On our day, we included a small blessing led by a local elder. It wasn’t just a beautiful moment; it was a reminder that our marriage wasn’t just a personal event. It was a thread being added to a tapestry far bigger than ourselves.

3. Honour Local Traditions

One of the most meaningful choices we made was to weave local traditions into our ceremony. Not for show. Not for Instagram. But because we meant it.

Maybe it’s carrying a traditional flower. Maybe it’s the way you arrive at your ceremony, or a blessing you receive, or the songs played at your reception. Each small act is a way of saying, “We see you. We honour you. We’re grateful to be here.”

For us, it was lighting a candle in honour of those who had come before — a custom from the region we married in. It anchored us, reminded us that love isn’t just a spark between two people. It’s a legacy.

4. Support the Local Community

Weddings have power — economic power, cultural power, environmental power. Where you spend your money matters.

Hire local vendors. Choose caterers who use regional ingredients. Work with artisans instead of mass-market suppliers. Every choice you make can strengthen a community rather than drain it.

I can still taste the fresh, hand-rolled pasta we served at dinner, made by a grandmother who had cooked for five generations of weddings. That’s the magic you can never replicate in a catalogue or a Pinterest board. That’s the soul of your day.

5. Leave Only Gratitude Behind

We treated every space we touched with the reverence it deserved. From waste management plans to eco-friendly decor, we made sure we weren’t leaving scars behind.

After our wedding, we donated to a local cultural preservation fund — a small way of giving back to the place that had given us so much. Your love story can leave a legacy that’s remembered not with resentment, but with joy.

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Getting married abroad is a privilege, not a right. It’s an invitation into a world that’s not yours to own, but to cherish.

When you approach your destination wedding with humility, gratitude, and a deep desire to honour the culture you’re stepping into, you don’t just say “I do” to each other. You say “I do” to the beauty of connection across borders, across languages, across time.

Love, after all, is the greatest universal language there is. But respect — that’s how love speaks fluently in every corner of the world.

And when you do it right, trust me — it shows. In every smile, every blessing, every memory that you carry with you forever.

With love and gratitude,
Em