International couple, where to get married?
All you can do is lay on the table for both sides what you are prepared to do to facilitate their attending your wedding. And if they won’t come to the party then you’ll need to work out what you really want to do, and where you really want to get married. You could get married legally in one country and have a renewal of vows or other non-legal ceremony in the other. If you are going to continue living in Australia you should also think about the simplicity of having your marriage registered there as opposed to another country. While Australia does recognise marriages that have taken place in virtually every other country, if you want to change your surname to that of your husband you would have to go through a legal change of name. If you marry in Australia all you need to show to change your documentation such as driver license is your registered marriage certificate.
Do you have the right papers to be a permanent resident of Australia to start with? Once you are married does not give you permanent residency so check that out too. Get married in Australia if you intend on living there – things will be so much easier for the paper work. As for his family, I wouldn’t pay a cent towards their costs, save your money you will need it starting a life together. Don’t worry about what his family have bought or not bought – it’s really none of your business and has nothing to do with you. Maybe you could get married in Australia and spend the money going to see your family overseas where you can truly celebrate your marriage with people who love and care about the two of you as a couple.
