Planning a wedding in Latvia while abroad?  The first rule is just don't panic. Although planning a wedding thousands of kilometers away can seem like an insurmountable task, it doesn't have to be. Planning a wedding from another country can become a very romantic and special event not only for you, but also for your guests, and if you do everything right, you won't experience unnecessary stress.

First, the main question, why is it necessary? Is it really not possible to celebrate the wedding right there abroad, because most likely you and your fiancé already live there, and you have not come on vacation?

If you are a bride and you have already started to consider this idea, you probably already know the answer, but for those who, frowning, wonder why you should plan a wedding in Latvia when you are abroad,

keywords are home delivery and lower prices.

As Arta Bondare, the creative manager of the mood company Oga Events , who has organized several such weddings, explains, "there have always been people who live abroad or who have found the love of their life - a foreigner and want to celebrate their wedding here. Weddings in Latvia are much more magnificent and full of traditions. They are much more beautiful than, for example, in Scotland and England".

WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED?

1. CREATE A “HERE OR THERE” LIST

Write on the page the things you can do from the country you live in, and what you must do in Latvia. Try to do as much as possible while in person - choose your dress, accessories, invitations, etc. Also, don't forget that rings may also need to be resized several times, so it's also best to buy them where you currently live.

Another important preparatory work that must be taken into account is applying for marriage registration at the registry office.

There is a law in Latvia which stipulates that the application for marriage registration must be made no earlier than 6 months and no later than one month and 1 day before the planned wedding day. In addition, it must be done in person at any of Latvian civil registry offices (it can also be located in the city where you are not planning to get married). This work should be done even if the ceremony is planned in a church. In particular, it should be taken into account that if one of the couple is a citizen of another country, when going to the registry office, this person must take with them a document issued by the relevant country stating that the person has no obstacles to entering into a marriage in the Republic of Latvia. The document must be translated into the national language of Latvia, and its original must be submitted. In order not to spoil the festive feeling with formalities, at

https://www.eriga.lv/ServiceCards/Default.aspx?cardExternalId=RD000150AJ0012 you can find information about the necessary documents and their submission procedure. "I can say from experience that Latvian embassies abroad are not always familiar with the legislation on marriage registration, so it is valuable to be informed yourself," explains Oga Events creative manager Arta Bondare.

2. USE THE INTERNET

Start with the place of ceremony and celebration. Narrow your list of desired locations down to a few and ask other couples for feedback. When you go to a wedding planner, find pictures that match what you have in mind. This is where Pinterest , to search and share what you find, comes in handy.

It is also useful to use Internet applications such as Google Docs , Evernote or OneNote online versions, in which it is possible to save, exchange, jointly view and edit various types of files - both pictures and articles, and everything is in one place.

If the young couple has decided to basically organize the wedding themselves, the most useful is the Internet application Trello , which is a virtual task organizer and note-taking website.

It is very convenient to create and organize lists by areas, and you can add the necessary execution time to them. If an item is nearing completion but has not yet been marked as completed, a reminder is sent to your email - a convenient way to keep track of your to-do list. All the mentioned applications also have convenient mobile versions, which allow you to always keep your planned works and inspiration ideas close at hand.

3. ATRODI SAVU UZTICĪBAS PERSONU

Neither the bride alone nor as a couple with the groom can plan such a wedding while abroad, emphasizes Arta Bondare.

Therefore, it is necessary to find someone to whom you can delegate part, perhaps even most, of the tasks. It can be the wedding planner, mom, ushers or any other person you trust.

"In the past, ushers were traditionally the ones who organized the wedding, but nowadays they too often lack time and knowledge," says Arta from Oga Events .

Delegation of wedding organization to a trusted person could prove to be one of the most difficult tasks for Latvian women. We Latvians often feel that we can do everything the best, and it is difficult to entrust the big day to others. In such cases, it can help if the bride comes to the wedding from abroad with things she has prepared herself, small decorations, table cards or something else that she has created and a few days before the ceremony, she hands them over to the wedding organizers, who put them on the tables and include them in the overall image. "Then the bride has the feeling that she had a hand in creating the big day, but at the same time she doesn't have to worry that the wedding organizers didn't do everything they needed," says Arta.

True, not all brides have 100% involvement as a priority. Being thousands of kilometers away, many understand that they cannot do everything alone - they express some main wishes and let their trusted person do the rest.

4. TRUST

As the Latvian girl Baiba, who lives in Great Britain and is also currently organizing a wedding in Latvia, explains to the portal Ligavam.lv , she herself does not have one specific person of trust, so it is important to trust in general.

"It's trust in cooperation partners - if I discuss something by phone or e-mail, I expect it will happen. I can't go to check it personally",

says Baiba.
For security, you can request that each invoice be forwarded to you and keep a copy of it with you. It will be an additional guarantee that everything planned will be implemented.

5. ORGANIZE

Since currently the wedding organization in Latvia takes place a year or 2 years in advance - most of the couples who live in another country, but decide to hold the wedding here - have visited Latvia at least once before the wedding itself. The young couple goes to see the ceremony and celebration site, and also chooses flowers, fabric, shades and other necessary things in person, which, no matter how good today's technology, still differs in photographs.

Even one weekend in Latvia is enough to "talk about all the most important things and see what must be seen",

explains Arta Bondare.

6. FOCUS

As in any other wedding, it is very important for the couple to know what they want.

If a bride has planned a very lavish celebration and all the extras possible, she can quickly find that there will be things she has to give up. Baiba, who herself currently lives in Great Britain and is planning a wedding in Latvia, explains that she planned everything carefully from the beginning, so she didn't have to give up much. "From the beginning, we thought in categories that are acceptable, understandable and financially feasible. We don't overdo it because we want a warm and cozy holiday for ourselves. And we have already clearly realized what gives us this feeling. These are the real people and things that we miss when living in Great Britain," reveals Baiba.

7. RELEASES GUESTS FROM WORRIES

If the guests are from abroad, they will definitely want to see the biggest cities of Latvia, go to castle ruins or a museum and taste traditional dishes.

Therefore, consider organizing additional entertainment for them so that the only thing they will have seen is not just the airport and the party venue. It is often useful for foreign guests to organize a shared bus, "so that on the wedding day it doesn't suddenly turn out that the guests have suddenly left for Valmiera instead of Cēsis," Arta quips.

Whether the wedding is held in a foreign country or in the native land - the basic rule is one - the most important thing is how the new couple will feel, you and your loved one,

so don't worry about the little things and don't try to do everything alone. In addition, a wedding thousands of kilometers away can also become an advantage. If you've been living in another country for years and haven't contacted all your classmates or distant relatives, you can afford to invite only those people you really want to see this holiday.

We also thank Arta Bondares, the creative manager of the events agency OGA EVENTS