A destination wedding is among the latest trends in this particular field. When you plan such an event, it’s like planning for a group vacation as well as the ceremony itself. Needless to say, this could get overwhelming.
However, don’t let your confusion put you off a destination wedding altogether! Follow the tips below to make certain of a successful trip and wedding all around:
1. Be Practical When Choosing The Venue
When you start shortlisting the locations for your dream destination wedding, stay in a practical mode. It might be tempting to have your wedding in the hotel where you had the best time of your life as a kid. However, this wouldn’t work out if the hotel in question is a run-down building that can’t fit half your guest list.
Instead, you should choose a resort or any location which you can afford and be comfortable in. This goes not just for the happy couple, but also for both sides of their family and friends.
2. Invite Guests Beforehand
People do send out “Save the Date” invites for your close social circle months before your planned wedding date. Don’t forget to do the same for your destination wedding! You might have to ask your guests several months before the big day.
Your guests don’t just have to take out time to attend your wedding. They also need to calculate their travel costs, ask for leaves, and see whether their passports are in order. Plus, they’ll also need time to choose the wedding gift because it should specifically be something they can easily pack and bring to the destination wedding. However, you can also make the gifting easier by getting someone to help you find a registry on Honeyfund.
3. Go Local
If you’re traveling to an exotic location for your wedding, it’s a bit pointless to try and replicate a wedding you might have at home. Instead, you can go for local blooms, traditional décor, and serve the locality’s special delicacies at the reception.
You can also get bridesmaid dresses for all shapes and sizes according to the weather in case you feel like opting for an outdoor wedding. This is something you should definitely consider because there’s nothing that screams “destination wedding” more than that stunning white beach or gorgeous foliage in the background!
4. Get Professional Help
Don’t take on the whole burden of planning your destination wedding yourself. You can find a wedding planner who specializes in organizing destination weddings. This means that you can pay someone to make all the hotel arrangements, deal with the language barriers, and generally make decisions on everything in your location. This could save you a lot of unnecessary stress and hassle.
If a wedding planner is out of your budget, you might be able to get a discount on an on-site coordinator at your chosen resort. Ask around, and you might be surprised at the bargain you strike!
5. Prefer A Test Visit
If it’s at all possible, you should fly or drive over to see the actual venue before finalizing your booking. If not that, get there around a week before the ceremony to make sure everything is according to your expectations. You should be able to predict whether the climate is suitable for your hair and skin. You can also get a feel of the place and see whether the accommodations are welcoming enough or not.
6. Focus On The Dress
The wedding dress is probably one of the topmost priorities in your mind. However, take special care when choosing your final dress, as you have to consider the climate, the travel, and the packaging. Wedding dresses are simply not made for travel, so you might have to ask for special shipping or get the dress on location.