Ten-year passport, Visa, Birth certificate, Your decree absolute if you are divorced, A former partner’s death certificate if you are widowed, A declaration, witnessed by a solicitor that you are free to marry, Parental consent if you are under 18 or under 21 in some countries

Where you do need documents, make sure you take the originals as copies are not usually acceptable unless they have been legally certified .

If you want to organise the whole event yourselves, rather than using a travel company, contact the British Embassy or Consulate in the country you are travelling to about the legal requirements for marrying in that country.

If you choose a travel agent’s wedding package, be aware that these are normally quite basic and often only include a simple ceremony, all the paperwork and legal fees. Flowers, cake, photographer and video may all be extras. If you want all the extras, choose a travel company which includes them.

Do remember that popular resorts often host several weddings every day, so if you’re looking for privacy, choose a quieter destination. Ideally you should book at least six months ahead of your trip, but the absolute minimum amount of time for all the necessary paperwork to be processed is three months. Couples who marry abroad often arrange an evening reception when they return to the UK for friends and family who couldn’t make the trip to the wedding

TOP TIP:

Get several copies of your marriage certificate in case you lose the original – it can be extremely difficult to get copies later.