Pressman PR

Scores of loved-up British couples are turning their backs on the miserable UK summer and heading to sunnier climes to celebrate their weddings.

Many celebrities, such as footballer Wayne Rooney and his wife Colleen, opt to hold their weddings overseas and more of us than ever are choosing to follow suit.

The last three months have seen precious few bright sunny days in the UK with much of the summer being cloudy and showery.

The weather has had an effect on the wedding industry with many couples choosing to head to where the sun is pretty much guaranteed.

Spain is the number one destination for Brits wanting to tie the knot abroad with other Spanish speaking countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic also very popular.

The move has meant a boom in business for Bingham based language company betterlanguages.com.

The company translate official documents, such as wedding certificates, into English – essential for the marriages to be officially recognised back home in the UK.

CEO Mike Hunter said that his company was currently receiving ten requests every week from British couples who had married overseas.

He said: “Last year we were getting about two such inquiries a week but this year it’s around five times that. Some have said they just didn’t want to risk getting married here in Britain because the summer has been so unpredictable this year.

“It made more sense for them to head somewhere they were assured some sunshine. I suppose it is their big day and they just don’t want to take any chances.

“It may seem a bit extreme to some people but many couples go to all kinds of lengths to ensure their weddings are perfect.”

The British couples were following in the footsteps of celebrities such as Wayne Rooney and wife Colleen who got spliced in Portofino, Italy in June. Ironically their big day was marred by heavy rain.

Mr Hunter added: “We do get the odd Italian one but the vast majority are from Spain, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

“We use translators from each country to ensure an absolutely accurate translation. Even though all of these countries are Spanish speaking nations each has its own dialects which can subtly effect meaning.”

He added that the couples often didn’t realise they would need their certificates translating until after their weddings and many found his company through the internet when they returned from their honeymoons.

He said: “It is important to have properly translated certificates particularly if the wife wants to change her name on documents such as her passport and driving licence and on bank and mortgage accounts.”

ENDS