Ultimate & Easy Destination Wedding Planning Tips

Destination weddings are becoming ever more popular with one in four couples now choosing to get married outside of their home country. From beaches to vineyards, or castles to mountains – sometimes to get your dream wedding you need to go abroad!

There are 3 Ways to Organise a Destination Wedding including;

• Opt for a wedding package offered by a Tour Operator – removes lots of planning hassle!
• Choose a local wedding planner who specialises in organising weddings abroad, or one who is based at the actual location.
• Plan it yourself – Plan every detail yourself which can save money and ensure you get exactly what you want.

Before jetting off though, you have some important details to consider!

1. Is it legal?

As marriage laws vary from country to country its important you fully understand the requirements before fully committing to a location. Some countries may require you to be a resident or be in the country for two weeks prior to the wedding.

Don’t worry too much though – you can always do the paperwork in your home country & have the ceremony in your dream location!

2. What time of year?

There’s two things to consider here – weather & peak tourist times.

• Weather – obviously we can’t control it but its probably best to check that you aren’t planning a tropical beach wedding mid monsoon season. Or even worse, a grape vineyard post-harvest!
• National holidays & peak tourist times can drive up hotel prices & will mean many places are busy. Try to plan outside of these peak times so you have more flexibility in your budget.

3. Let your guests know well in advance

And by advance we mean at least 12 months notice! Many families plan their yearly holidays and travel at least a year ahead, so if you are really hoping for them to be there you need to take this into account. Its also worth considering school holidays so parents don’t have to take their children out of school.

With your save the date card or invitations, be sure to include an information pack with flight routes, transfers, any recommended medication or required visas, and general information about the destination. Use an online RSVP to track guests’ responses as you will need to collect a vast number of details on your guests. Here we make some suggestions of questions you might want to ask your guests on the RSVP.

Keep in mind not everyone will be able to afford to make it so ensure you mention that you don’t expect everyone to be there.

4. Plan your Itinerary

Plan, plan, plan. Opting for a destination wedding definitely means some extra planning, especially when you have a large number of guests. Draw up a list of everything that needs to be taken care of. Become super organised!

Destination weddings are often built around itineraries that take guests from the rehearsal dinner to the day after brunch and everything in between. Guests are kept occupied with nature hikes, beach barbecues, ski lessons, stand up paddle board lessons, wine tastings, and whatever the local area has to offer. You can also build in some ‘free and easy’ days for guests to relax, or choose their own entertainment.

Become familiar with the location, ideally by visiting in advance but if not through travel blogs and trip advisor reviews. If using a wedding planner they should be able to make some suggestions for you too!

5. Think about your Luggage

This is your big day, leave nothing to chance. Planning well in advance, packing carefully to minimize any loss of an important wedding day item, and hiring the right people to help keep it all organized are key.

Phone your airline or transport option well in advance to find out how much luggage allowance you have, and what option there are for taking items on board.

Always carry your dress on board the plane, even if it means having to fold it. Just make sure someone at the other end can press and steam it.

Did you have a destination wedding? Where did you go? Do you have any tips for our readers? Comment below!