Planning a destination wedding?
Planning your destination wedding can be so exciting and still so stressful at the same time. It requires a lot of planning, coordination and time to make sure everything runs smoothly for you on the day of. Especially that the rules of weddings are so different from state to state and country to country! You want a smooth planning process so that your wedding day can be just as smooth for both you and your guests. I compiled a list of tips for planning your destination wedding in case you are unsure where to begin!
Tip #1: Start your planning well in advance!
If you are starting your wedding planning, it is so important to realize that destination weddings require quite a bit of work and a little extra coordination than your traditional wedding. What are the state laws for weddings? Can all our guests get here smoothly? How much do you expect everyone to need to save to attend your wedding? All this research should be done early on so that you have the time to compare your options and make the best decisions moving forward. You don't want to feel rushed to make decisions for the sake of timing. With enough notice, your guests can plan and save accordingly for your day so that they will be able to attend!
Tip #2: Consider the weather and location in regards to your date.
Don't just assume you are going to have perfect weather on your date. If you enjoy warmer weather and don't want the risk of cooler weather, make sure you pick a destination that has just that! Consider the weather you'd like when picking a destination for your big day. Is there a likeliness of snow? Will we need another option in case of inclement weather? Can we still get married at this location if it rains? Having a backup plan ahead of time in any of these cases is so important. You don't want to run into this dilemma on the day of and have to worry about creating a new plan and then also informing your guests!
Tip #3: Hire a wedding planner/coordinate!
I cannot stress this one enough. Wedding planners truly make dreams come true! They will help you plan and coordinate every part of your big day. They will be there to let you know what you are missing and they can find out local laws or regulations regarding getting married at that location! Your planner/coordinator will find everything you need and they will make it all happen for you on your big day. With their expertise in the wedding biz, you can truly find yourself saving money by investing in a wedding planner who is familiar with your destination!
Tip #4: Take the time to do your research.
Spend time researching the locations you are interested in having your wedding! Look into all the different venues, vendors and destinations so that you are able to find the perfect fit for your special day. There are so many laws, destination regulations and cultural customs to be aware of before moving forward with the planning. In this phase, you are able to identify the potential issues of a specific destination, whether it be a regulation or something as simple as the possibility of inclement weather!
Tip #5: Set up a wedding website.
Once you have your location and venue decided, you should create a wedding website to share with each of your guests! On the site you create, you can share and plan activities for the guests to enjoy while they are there. It's also a great place to inform your guests of things like travel arrangements. It's also the perfect place to share the basic information like wedding date, location and time! It's easy to make updates to your site, so something online is amazing to keep your guests informed of any changes to info.
I hope that these few starter tips help a few of you plan your destination wedding. It's meant to be exciting and starting your planning off on the right foot will help your experience be that much better. The research definitely takes extra work but it is totally worth it. With all these tips in mind, I hope you are able to enjoy planning a little bit more and spend the wedding process a little more stress free!
