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Destination weddings growing in popularity

Destination weddings have become more and more popular among young Taiwanese couples in recent years, travel industry representatives said.

Overseas wedding ceremonies made the news recently, when it was reported that former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Lien Chan's (連戰) son, Lien Sheng-wen (連勝文), was planning a Hawaiian wedding.

That plan was dropped, however, under criticism that the trip would be too expensive.

More than half of Taiwanese couples who get married overseas choose Guam, but other exotic locales such as Bali, Hawaii, and even Greece and Italy have been gaining market share, the travel industry said.

something different

Chen Wei-hsiang (陳韋祥) and Wu Jing-wen (吳靜雯) were married in Guam in September.

"We wanted a wedding that's different," the newlyweds said.

Chen said he considered the combined cost of the wedding and the honeymoon -- NT$120,000 -- was well worth it.

Tang Kuei-chen (湯桂禎), vice director of the Pacific Islands Club travel agency, said that destination weddings only gained mainstream acceptance in the past two years. Churches in Bali charge the lowest fees, but the certificates issued are not recognized in Taiwan, Tang said.

where to go

Hawaiian weddings were less popular with Taiwanese couples because they are slightly more expensive and couples have to deal with more red tape before they can obtain a valid wedding certificate, Tang said.

Wedding certificates from Guam are recognized in Taiwan and the island is only a three and a half hour flight away.

These factors, combined with the island's scenic environment and affordable prices, have attracted Taiwanese couples in their twenties and thirties, making it Taiwan's top overseas wedding destination, she said.

The period when a wedding takes place and the destination for travel have a real impact on the cost of a wedding, said Chen Peng-hsiu (陳芃秀), a travel agent who has specialized in destination weddings for the past eight years.

"The price churches charge to couples is the same throughout the year," she said. "But the overall cost of the trip depends on whether the wedding takes place during peak season, a period when everything from plane tickets to accommodation are more expensive."

Chen Peng-hsiu advised couples seeking a wedding abroad to plan well in advance.

"It is necessary to book a church at least three to six months before the wedding," said the agent, who has booked her own wedding package to Guam.
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