A perfect wedding ? every bride's dream come true. For many girls, kissing with a backdrop of a beautiful sunset is the best, or a horse-drawn carriage stopping at a castle, or maybe even an exotic ceremony made special by a native tradition. However the wedding may be, some may require that very special venue, albeit overseas.

Weddings held within the community are not easy as it is, but why sell yourself short on this momentous occasion? Why not go for a special destination? The ambiance and the romanticism of the affair will make it a wedding to remember and that should be worth it. Besides, ?destination weddings? could end up costing less by making it more intimate with just the couple, immediate family members and a few close friends.

So what do you do? Where do you start?

Start with yourself. What kind of wedding do you want? Do you want to be married in a castle, at the beach, at a hilltop, in a world-famous cathedral or in a renowned garden? Once you've decided on the kind of venue you want, you can choose the best country where you can find these venues.

The oldest cathedrals in the world are found in Europe. The basic element of cathedral weddings is the strict adherence to traditional Christian precepts ? minimum age requirement, parental guidance, certificates of baptism of the bride and the groom, a white gown for the bride and a ceremony that should include a liturgy. Aside from these, other aspects ? grand choir, lengthy entourage, and flambouyant church decors ? are all optional.

For gardens, beaches, hilltops, castles and other venues, the list of requirements vary depending on the country.

The first thing to do is to get as much information about weddings in the venue. This can be done online. Websites and brochures will normally have a list of what is required. If the place is a national treasure, your local embassy would have this too.

There will also be paperwork to do and you'll need to take care of legal matters. Gather all the papers you will need ? birth certificates, passports, proofs of identity, etc. Make copies of everything.

You have to make sure of the requirements for the validity of the wedding ceremony in the country of your choice. Coordinate with your own consulate in that country for guidelines. Also, determine if the country requires a minimum residency period for people who get married there, and keep that in mind when making the preparations.

As for your list of guests, you will have to be firm about this. Many people will want the chance to travel, so choose well.

Once you've decided what you want, you can begin to shop for a wedding coordinator in that country to do all the work for you. Or you can opt to coordinate yourself and enjoy the thrills of getting into the details. Either way, you are just beginning the exciting journey to being married.

Good luck!