5 Tips for Planning a Destination Wedding
Planning a destination wedding is such a fun experience! There are so many incredible destinations to choose from, but with so many options available to you, it can be easy to feel a little overwhelmed. If you’re wondering where to start or how to plan your destination wedding, I’ve got you covered. Today I’m sharing my 5 top tips to help you plan the destination wedding of your dreams!
Planning a Destination Wedding in 5 Simple Steps
Step 1: Choose a Location
Of course, the first step in planning a destination wedding is choosing the right location! At this phase of the planning process, the world truly is your oyster! There are so many incredible locations to choose from and while this can feel overwhelming, my first piece of advice is to sit down with your partner and talk about what you want your destination wedding to look like. Where do you envision it taking place? What does the surrounding scenery look like (ocean, mountains, countryside, etc.)? Do you prefer warm or cold weather? Will you need to find accommodations for your guests? These are all helpful questions to consider when deciding where in the world you want to say “I Do”.
Something else that can easily get missed when planning a destination wedding is considering the culture of the country you choose. While the destination itself is very important, it’s important to remember that different countries have different cultures which can also have an effect on your wedding day or on your guests who may have differing religions, gender, or sexual preferences. In this case, it’s best to inform your guests ahead of time so they can be informed of all the details surrounding your day.
Once you’ve narrowed down your general location, you may want to do a bit of additional research to see if there are any holidays or special events being celebrated around the time of your wedding. These celebrations can have an impact on how busy or expensive a location can be at any given point in the year. If possible, consider getting married during your location’s shoulder season when areas aren’t quite as crowded.
Step 2: Set Your Budget
Before you start booking vendors and making travel arrangements, it’s important to set a budget for your destination wedding. According to Brides the average destination wedding costs around $35,000. While this is just an estimate, the true cost of your wedding will largely depend on the location you choose, how many guests you invite, and how many days you plan to spend at your destination.
No matter how much you decide to spend on your destination wedding, it’s important to be mindful of your budget to ensure that you don't overspend or run into financial difficulties down the line. Spend some time in the beginning to decide how much you want to spend and determine what aspects are most important to you. This will help you prioritize the items and help you determine what’s worth splurging on and what isn’t.
Step 3: Hire a Destination Wedding Planner
For couples who are planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend hiring a destination wedding planner! Wedding planners can be helpful no matter what type of wedding you decide to have, but when it comes to destination weddings I’ve found that it’s especially helpful to trust the pros!
A good destination wedding planner can help alleviate so much stress by helping you figure out logistics and maybe even think of things you may have never even thought of. They’ll be able to help you coordinate details, recommend other local vendors for your day, assist with any language barriers you may experience, as well as be your boots-on-the-ground person at your destination.
Step 4: Check Your Destination’s Local Marriage Requirements
This is one of the most important steps that will help ensure your marriage is legally recognized after your wedding day! Every country has different marriage requirements, so it’s very important to research the legal steps needed for getting married in your chosen location. Again, this is where hiring an experienced wedding planner can help.
If getting legally married abroad sounds too stressful, not to worry. Lots of couples choose to sign the paperwork their home state/country which allows their marriage to be legally recognized. They then will hold their actual wedding ceremony on their preferred date at their preferred location, considering this their true “wedding day”. There is no right or wrong way to go; it all depends on you and your partner and what you decide together.
Step 5: Notify your guests
Now that you’ve got a good portion of your destination wedding details planned out it’s time to notify your guests. You want to be sure to give them plenty of time to plan so it’s recommended to send out your save the dates around 9-12 months before your wedding. This way your guests have enough time to update legal documents (ID, passport, etc) if necessary as well as plan to take time off work, book travel accommodations and more.
Around 3-4 months before your destination wedding, you can send out your invitations which state all the finalized details your guests may need.
Planning a destination wedding should be a fun process! Hopefully, with these 5 simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to planning your dream destination wedding!
Want to see some of my favorite destination wedding locations? Check out the blog below for my top picks in the U.S.
Ready to book your own destination wedding? Click on the link below to say hey and send me an inquiry!