Are you hoping to plan a destination wedding, but aren’t quite sure where to begin?
Destination weddings can be a lot of fun. Not only does everyone get the opportunity to celebrate you and your partner’s love, but they also get to take a vacation!
But it’s important to remember that in general, planning a wedding takes a lot of work. In fact, the average couple spends 528 hours planning their wedding! Since your wedding is going to be taking place away from home, you can bet that you’ll need to put in a little extra time.
How do you get started?
Check Out These Top Tips for Planning a Destination Wedding
- Hire a Local Planner
One of the best things you can do to make the planning process a little easier is to hire a local planner.
Hiring a local planner means you’re hiring someone who is familiar with the location, and who will likely be able to help you out when it comes to booking local vendors, accommodations, and choosing the best activities and venues.
They’ll also be able to provide you with insider information that you can use to make your wedding event more personalized.
- Consider a Cruise
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of finding the perfect venue, finding accommodation options for everyone, and creating a schedule of daytime activities, then why not have your wedding on a cruise?
The great thing about a cruise wedding is that everything is taken care of for you, from the venue to the daytime activities to the food and even the decor in some cases.
You can check out this guide to learn how to create a celebration of love to remember with our luxurious cruise weddings.
Photo by Matthew Barra
- Notify Guests Well in Advance
If you want people to come to your wedding, then you need to make sure you notify everyone well in advance.
Typically, it’s normal to send out a save the date for traditional weddings 6 months to one year in advance. For a destination wedding, we recommend sending out save the dates at least a year in advance, if not sooner.
This way, people will be able to request time off and save up money for the trip.
- Visit the Destination in Advance
We realize that due to budget constraints, this isn’t possible for everyone.
But, if you have the time and money, we definitely recommend visiting your chosen destination in advance. During your visit, you can take the time to book vendors in person so everything is set when you arrive for the actual wedding.
If visiting ahead to book vendors isn’t possible, then we recommend arriving to the destination a few days early so you can iron out any final details.
- Choose the Location Wisely
When choosing a destination, you also need to keep practical matters in mind.
As meaningful as it may be to have your wedding in the quaint beach town where you spent your summers as a child, doing so may not be possible if the town only has one hotel that can’t accommodate all of your guests.
Make sure the destination you choose has plenty of options when it comes to vendors and accommodation. Also, if you’re hoping for a good turnout, make sure you choose somewhere that’s easy and affordable for your guests to get to.
Are You Ready to Plan a Destination Wedding?
With these tips in mind, you should be ready to plan a destination wedding. Before you know it, you’ll be celebrating the wedding of your dreams.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more wedding planning tips and tricks.
Feature Photo by Asad Photo Maldives
