Are you dying to travel and considering hosting a destination wedding? According to The Knot, 19% of couples hosted destination weddings in 2021. It was way to get away from all the Pandemic madness and finally celebrate something happy. It's not hard to understand why 1 in 5 couples end up having a destination wedding - a destination wedding gives you the opportunity to integrate a vacation with the experience of an intimate setting in a unique locale; however, planning one can be a little bit tricky hence hiring a professional wedding planner experienced in destination weddings could make this adventure a lot easier. Nevertheless, if you decide to go it alone, here are a few tips help the plan a great destination weddings.
Be Aware of the Season and the Weather
When planning your wedding, you will need to keep the weather in mind for the destinations you are considering. The weather in Nashville in October might be significantly different than the weather in Belize. If you are planning to get married on the beach you also want to check with the local authorities on things like sunset times and tide charts.
Work With Experienced Vendors
When you are getting married in an area that you are not familiar with, having a team of experienced vendors is the key to having a successful event. Each destination is going to have unique set of rules and customs and it is key that you work with a team that walk you through each step. Classic Wedding Designs can help with every aspect of the planning process from sending out the save the date announcements to travel planning and marriage requirements and laws.
Keep Accessibility in Mind
Getting a "yes" on your RSVP cards is directly related to how easy it will be for guests to travel to your destination, therefore, you should consider the ease of getting to your destination when making your plans. Think about whether they are going to be willing to do what it takes to get there. If your chosen location is a 10 hour flight and then a 3 hour car ride, you might want to consider this when choosing the location.
Make a Mini Vacation Out of It
Your destination wedding does not have to be just a single day. You may want to consider having multiple events for your guests to enjoy and choose from over a 2 or 3 day weekend. When the fun starts before the ceremony and lasts even after the "I do's" you end up being able to spend more quality time with your guests who have traveled to shower you with love and well wishes. Thus balance is the key because you don't want to overwhelm your guests. Afterall, it is a wedding!
Don't Forget to Savor the Moment
With all the planning, phone calls, emails and texts back and forth it is easy to lose sight of the big picture when planning a destination wedding. The two most important things you should consider are you and your partner. You want to make sure that you work with vendors that have your back and put boundaries in place with your family and friends because after all the most important thing is that you are marrying the love of your life. The reality is that some things may go wrong and that's just fine because the chance of any one else noticing is very small. Just make sure you enjoy every second because this time will just fly by and you want to relish in the time you spend with your family and friends.
If you need help planning your perfect destination wedding, you need a top-tier wedding planner. Get in touch with Classic Wedding Designs to find out what we can do for you.