Thinking About a Destination Wedding? This is What You Need To Know

If you’re thinking about getting married, and not sure where to start with your planning, you’re not alone.  Getting to that point in a relationship takes a lot of work, so first of all – congratulations!  But secondly, perhaps you should think about a destination wedding.  Every bride (and maybe groom) wants a one of a kind ceremony – a wedding that everyone will remember.  That said, a destination wedding can be difficult to plan given the distance and hand it all over to someone else to make sure it’s perfect.  When it comes to planning a destination wedding, you will need to put in some work and figure some things out.

Ask Yourself These Questions

What type of wedding do you want?  Are you dreaming of a tropical destination (like I am), or would you prefer something in the mountains, or in Europe?  Knowing this ahead of time is really going to narrow down what it is that you want to do.  It might also be helpful to pick a honeymoon destination at the same time.  Either where you’re going to be getting married, or someplace close.  When it comes to picking a destination, you might also want to think about a special place that you traveled.  Maybe you want to go back there to make some more wonderful memories.  Have an idea of where you want to go, before starting your planning.

What About Guests?

When it comes to a destination wedding, you should also think about your guests.  How far are your guests willing to travel?  A couple of years ago, I attended a wedding in a different state.  I still live in the state where I grew up, but my friend moved to Colorado where she met her now husband, who was from New Zealand.  They could have gotten married anywhere – including our home state, New Zealand, but they chose Colorado.  Which meant, literally everyone was having to travel.  This in itself isn’t a bad thing, but you have to consider who will attend and how far people will travel.I remember, my friend called me about 6 months earlier and asked if I would be able to make it.  She was wanting to make travel easy for me and to make sure that I could afford the trip.  Because she was one of my oldest friends, I budgeted for it, and it was a great memory.  That said, it’s still your wedding, so if you want to have it in a remote location, that’s wonderful.  Just remember that it might end up being a smaller wedding.  The last point I’ll make about this is if you are bringing guests in, make sure there are things for them to do, and they know where to find that information.  Perhaps an itinerary with your proposed events, and information on where they can go on their own.

Look for Something Inclusive

Not that it has to be a resort, but look for a place that has everything in-house, or on the premises.  Hotels, for example,  are great spots because most will offer catering and its super convenient for your guests to stay at the location of your wedding.

Food and Décor

If you’ve picked a destination wedding, make sure that you take advantage of the food and décor.  Create menus that reflect the season and local food availability.  If you’re getting married in Italy, then have Italian food at your wedding.  Don’t try to make it a Caribbean theme.  It just makes everything so much easier – and fresh!Weddings themselves can be stressful. Both in the planning and executing stage.  You want this experience to be one that you remember and one that is also positive.  To that, all I have to say is – research, research, research.  Know what you’re getting yourself into.  Ask lots of questions.  Don’t be afraid to ask for photos of what other events that the venue has produced so you can get an idea of what your special day will look like.