For many couples, having a destination wedding is their dream. Imagine a wedding ceremony on a sun-drenched beach with the clear blue waters and scenic landscapes in the background or at a quaint vineyard in the countryside. From a dreamy tropical escape, to a classic European city, or a charming mountain lodge, celebrating your love with an idyllic destination wedding is the ideal way to tie the knot in style.
That said, of course planning a destination wedding out state brings its own challenges too. You are planning for a wedding but additionally organising travel, accommodation, and other logistics in an area you may be much less familiar with. To help you achieve the perfect day without the fuss we have created this guide to destination wedding planning tips.
Start Early, Plan Ahead
Choosing a place to tie the knot away from home comes with its own set of variables, but one is most important above all for timing. Plan as early as possible — ideally at least 12–18 months prior to the big day. This will give surely enough time to explore venues, vendors and travel options, along with your guests where they can stay. Great locations have fast sellouts, particularly throughout the busy months for wedding event preparation, so do not delay!
When you get a head start, you also have the chance to keep your budget in check and to ease the pressure of rushing the planning process.
Set a Realistic Budget
A destination wedding can be budget-friendly but also a hefty matter at times, again depending on how you plan it. Setting a proper budget right off the bat will help shape your decisions on everything from your venue to vendors down to accommodations and travel.
Keeping in mind the below listed expenses;
Travel Expenses: For you as well as for your guests.
Accommodation: The amount you have to pay for your guests to stay.
Ceremony and reception spot rental fees.
Vendors: Whatever you book for your wedding — the photographer, catering, flowers, officiants…
Legal Costs: In some locations, you might have to shell out for marriage licences or officiant fees.
You need to calculate every possible expense because you do not want any surprises.
Choose the Right Destination
Choosing your marriage destination is definitely one of the most critical decisions you need to make. Consider the atmosphere you desire for your celebration—the climate—and how easy it is for your guests to reach their destination.
Account for the Season: Look up when it’s ideal to get married in your preferred destination. Promotion: Certain locations have a rainy season or high tourist traffic that can impact availability, or prices.
Weather: Make sure the weather is conducive to an outdoor ceremony if one is your dream. They can be breathtakingly beautiful, but there is a chance that your wedding plans will be thwarted by inclement weather such as hurricanes or extreme heat.
Accessibility: Consider how simple or complicated it will be for visitors to get to your location. Take into consideration the flight schedules, connection hours and expenses to go there.
Marriage Laws: Each country and state have their rules when it comes to marriage licences, residency, paperwork. Be sure to research these extensively in order to prevent any legal snags in the future!
Limit Your Guest List
A destination wedding is an amazing different high-quality to be advanced into foundation and it truly limits perk guest listing. Although, for some couples, this may be an ideal arrangement because it saves money and keeps the guest list exclusive, larger families or friends groups can end up finding themselves with a dilemma.
To make the decision easier:
Intimates With Close Friends and Family: Destination weddings are a great chance to only bring you and your partner close with anyone who really matters.
Lay It Out In The Invitation: Due to the fact that not everyone will be able to go, be clear in your invites about how big or small of an affair it is.
An intimate guest list means a more intimate wedding experience all around, after all your budget can only stretch so far, but it might just mean that you can treat your nearest and dearest to the most fabulous of experiences.
Hire a Local Wedding Planner
When planning your destination wedding, a local wedding planner is worth their weight in gold. They know the lay of the land, the neighbourhood vendors, and best locations. This will ease your planning process. How a wedding planner can assist you:
Arranging out travel and lodging
- Finding and working with local vendors (photographer, florist, DJ, etc.)
- Knowing about area wedding traditions or laws
- Making Sure Everything Goes to Plan on the Day
- A talented wedding planner will also save time and clear all the stresses revolving around event management along with regional familiarity to your celebration.
Check It Out in Person (If You Are Able)
Although planning things out from far-away locations can work well, nothing compares to actually experiencing the destination or town in person. If you are able, plan a wedding trip to the place where your wedding will be held, before your big day:
- Check out venues and meet with vendors in-person.
- Assess the standard of lodging and local services available.
- Consider providing transportation for guests.
- Complete the paperwork or legal documents face-to-face.
Schedule a video meeting with your vendors and planners even if the trip is impossible, at least things are walking in the right direction.
How about Travelling and Lodging your Guest
Your wedding is most probably going to be an event where your guests would be travelling from one or the other place. It becomes necessary here, that you make it easy for them:
Group Rates: Book group rates for guests when it comes to hotels and flights. This lowers their costs and makes it easier to manage logistics.
Travel details: Write travel info such as flights, transportation to the venue or popular local site suggestions.
Lodging: Make sure you have enough hotels in the area for your guests from high end to low end.
As a more relaxed option (and particularly in that destination wedding scenario), some couples will also hold welcome events such as a cocktail hour or low-key dinner to allow guests to get acclimated and enjoy the locale before the day of the event.
Be Prepared For The Unexpected
Unlike a home wedding, where all the inclement elements are under your control to an extent, you cannot predict an element of surprise at a destination. Here’s how to stay ahead:
Have an Insurance Plan: If you are having an outdoor wedding, a backup plan for inclement weather is essential. A lot of venues also have indoor spaces in case of rain.
Travel Insurance: Get travel insurance to protect you and your guests in case of trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and unexpected delays.
Communicate: Stay in touch with your vendors, guests and wedding planner before the event. Good communication helps make sure that everyone is aligned.
Get your picture taken by a professional photographer
With so many scenic backdrops at a destination wedding, splurge for the pro. An area photographer will certainly understand how to fire both the feel of your location along with the feeling of your event.
Pre discuss with your photographer about the specific shots, key moments and photography style you prefer.
Get Everything You Can Out Of This
And Lastly, Remember a destination wedding is an experience just as much as it is an actual ceremony. Take some time to savour the destination, experience local culture and celebrate with your family and friends.
- Make your wedding a multi-day event (i.e. activities around the two days), such as:
- Something like welcome dinner or cocktail party
- Participating in a group tour or excursion to a local attraction
- A brunch or day at the beach after their wedding
- Doing so helps ensure you and your guests can spend more time relaxing in the destination, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Conclusion
This post may contain an affiliate link, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we will receive a commission. A destination wedding is one amazing way to share your love in a special setting somewhere picturesque. Though planning an overseas wedding will understandably require a little more coordination than that at home, with the right preparation and specialist support it can be an experience your guests will never forget. We hope these destination wedding-planning tips will help you avoid any major disasters so that all you have to do is prepare for the magic of saying “I do” in a dream location!
Happy planning and cheers to your dream destination wedding!
For More Articles Click
