Destination weddings can be great, but there are a number of factors you need to keep in mind to pull them off successfully.
Alert guests well in advance
Send your invitations a couple months earlier than you would for a regular wedding. This ensure that your guests have enough time to plan ahead. A destination wedding usually requires people to take several days off work, and invest a good deal of money into travel. Informing your guests as early as possible gives them the time to get their schedule sorted out, and their travel plans finalized. One great idea is to send a “Save the Date” card 6-8 months prior to the wedding before sending a formal invitation. This gives your guests plenty of time to adjust their plans.
Check your hotel for group rates
Many resorts or hotels – particularly in popular travel destinations – will often have bulk group rates for rooms or services. If not, many will give you and your guests free upgrades. Make sure to find out well in advance.
Travel somewhere reasonably priced…
…if you want most of your guest list to attend. While a wedding in an Irish Castle might seem like a great idea, keep in mind that it will be cost prohibitive to many of your guests. Consider a destination location that’s not so far that people will a) not be able to afford it and b) not be able to attend due to time restrictions.
Keep in mind that some people will not attend. Don’t be offended.
Remember that no matter where you have your destination wedding, a good chunk of your guest list simply wont be able to make it. You have to go into your wedding planning with this in mind, and not get offended when some of your guests can’t make it – even if they are close friends or family. And make sure they know that its OK if they don’t attend. You may even want to state this in your invitation.
Hire a local wedding planner.
It will be very difficult to deal with all the details and intricacies of your wedding from afar. Make sure to get a local planner to help you out. Local planners know all of the good venues and vendors, and can help you out immensely. And many have a great deal of experience dealing specifically with destination weddings. Working with a good wedding director can take a lot of these hassles out of your hands and make your wedding day run smoothly.
If you are hiring local vendors, make sure to get references.
Depending on where you are getting married, there are likely plenty of wedding vendors. Make sure you get at least a couple references from previous clients and real brides before hiring anyone. This is especially true if you are getting married in another country where seeking legal damages for a lousy vendor can be difficult if not impossible.
Research marriage laws.
Research local laws for marriage, and do so well in advance. This is especially true if you’re getting married outside the country. But some states have different laws as well. Some locations require great deals of paperwork, blood tests, and all sorts of other requirements. Make sure to look into this before planning your ceremony.
Arrive early to make sure everything will run smoothly.
Make sure to show up at least a day or two in advance of the wedding. This will enable you to visit all of your venues and do a dry run of your wedding. It will also put your mind at ease and reduce your stress level significantly.
Thanks to Lem Lynch Photography for the images.
