How to Plan a Destination Wedding
Photo by Derek Thomson on Unsplash
The idea of a destination wedding, which is a wedding that’s held in a location away from your hometown, is becoming increasingly popular.
Instead of forking out a lot of cash to cover the hefty costs of venue hire, catering, photographers and so on—and that’s before spending a small fortune jetting off on honeymoon—many people opt to simply hop on a plane or boat instead.
Are you getting ready to say the big ‘I do’ in style? Then keep reading for an overview of what you need to do to plan the perfect destination wedding.
How to Plan a Destination Wedding
1.Picture It
The first step to planning a destination is to visualise the big day. Do you imagine taking the plunge on a white sandy beach with a tropical cocktail in hand? Then it sounds like a private island resort could be your dream wedding destination.
Or do your wedding day daydreams typically take place deep within picturesque snow-lined mountains? Perhaps on a rooftop, overlooking the bustling city below?
Once you have a broad idea of what you want your wedding to be like it’s easier to narrow down the finer details. Then think wedding themes, colour schemes and everything in between.
2. Pick Your Destination
Next, it’s time to pick your destination. This is perhaps the most exciting part of planning a destination wedding.
When picking the perfect destination, there are a number of factors that need to be considered. Do the travel costs to your ideal destination fit into your wedding budget? Think of the accessibility of the destination; will the majority of your guests be able to attend?
The world’s most popular wedding destinations include:
Mauritius
Thailand
Mexico
Italy
Turkey
Greece
3. Pick a Date
Upon picking the perfect destination to hold your nuptials, you’ll need to pick your date. The weather conditions need to be factored into your decision first. Imagine hosting a beach wedding and you & your guests are treated to a thunderstorm!
During off-season many destination wedding venues will offer tempting discounts, but always keep the weather forecast at the front of mind. Also reach out to the most important guests such as your parents and your best friends to make sure that they’ll be able to attend on the proposed date.
Bear in mind that you’ll never find one date that suits absolutely everybody’s schedules. So, be prepared for some important guests to decline your invitation.
4. Plan Well in Advance
A lot of planning goes into a destination wedding, not just for the happy couple but for your friends and family too. It’s important to send out your invitations well in advance so that your guests have enough time to save for the trip and make sure they’ll have accumulated some leave.
It’s stressful planning a wedding. Especially when you can’t just pop into the venue every now and then to make sure everything is running according to plan. So, make sure you start planning beforehand to ensure all your ducks are in a row before the big day rolls around.
Top Destination Wedding Planning Tips
Before we wrap up this article, here are some of the best tips to help you plan the perfect destination wedding.
Do your research on the area’s culture and legal requirements: Make sure that your gorgeous destination wedding results in you being legally wed and not just the owner of a stunning album of photographs. If a trip to your local home affairs is in order, try and head down during the week before your ceremony.
Accept that not everyone will be able make it: Not everyone can fit being a guest at a destination wedding into their budget. If you can afford it, consider paying towards the cost of flights or accommodation to help out the guests that need it.
You CAN keep it close to home: Don’t think that you can only host a destination wedding in some tropical far-away location. Consider including beautiful places just off the coast of where you live.
Final Thoughts
From the wedding destination doubling as a honeymoon destination to saving on money—a destination wedding is the ideal option for many would-be newlyweds to tie the knot.
Why do you want to get married in a unique destination? Let us know in the comments section below.
