A wedding trip or an overseas wedding ceremony? When it comes to getting married, not only love but money is also a prerequisite.

Let’s get back to the subject. Okinawa, Bali, Guam, the Maldives, etc. are all common wedding trip destinations. Many wedding planners or travel agencies offer packages with different price ranges depending on the destination, facilities, etc. Wedding trip packages usually include hotel accommodation for 2, a wedding venue with basic decoration, a wedding host and photography, while air tickets depend on package terms. The complimentary shuttle bus service, champagne toast etc. are usually for the prospective couples only, with extra charges levied on relatives and friends.

Note: The above information is for reference only.

Overseas wedding trips usually involve arrangements for air tickets and hotel accommodation. Wedding planner with travel license can provide one-stop service for air ticket and hotel booking, so the prospective couple do not need to approach travel agency separately.

Overseas marriage registration can be either symbolic or legally valid. The former is of course not legally binding, which means the couples have to make registration after returning to Hong Kong. In general, if the marriage registration is in accordance with local laws, it would be legally recognized in Hong Kong. However, the couples should also update their marriage status with the Immigration Department after returning to Hong Kong. Some countries or territories will handle legal registration for eligible couples only. For instance, in the Maldives, only nationals can be legally registered for marriage. Thus, wedding ceremonies of Hong Kong people in the Maldives are symbolic only.

Many countries/regions require submission of lots of documents for legal registration. Other than the general identification documents, “certificates of absence of marriage record” as a proof of single and a translated copy or endorsement from the High Court or the consulate are also needed. This will take lots of time and effort and if you get help from wedding planner, there would be an extra charge of HK$3,000 or more. In countries/regions where procedures are comparatively simpler, as in Guam, prospective couples only have to bring along English/ bilingual copies of their passports and birth certificates to local notaries for verification and submit application forms to relevant departments. Then, they can look for marriage witness recognized by the government, such as eligible pastor, to witness the ceremony and sign the marriage certificate. Finally handing over the certificate to the government for filing, then an official and legal registration is complete. But if the procedures are too complicated, why not do the registration in Hong Kong before going for a wedding trip? In this way, you can have both a legal marriage and a romantic wedding of your dream!

You may not want to delay your wedding due to insufficient fund, or your original plan of “wedding trip” may turn into an “overseas wedding ceremony” which make you over budget. Well, HSBC’s Personal Instalment Loan offers a repayment period of up to 60 months. All you need to do is choosing a loan amount that can provide the required funds for your wedding and suit your repayment ability. The approval time can be as fast as one minute if you have payroll accounts or income proof at HSBC*.

* The actual loan application approval date starts when the Bank has successfully input all the required information into the application evaluation system. Processing time may vary for some individual applications.

To find out more about personal loans, feel free to call us on (852) 2748 8080, or apply online now.

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