Tips & Advice
So you just got engaged and you have always dreamed of a destination wedding, but you are not sure where to start. Getting started planning a destination wedding is not always an easy task. There are so many things that you have decide on and figure out before you can even schedule your wedding date. Destination wedding planning does not have to be difficult, though, if you just know how to start.
The first thing that you have to keep in mind when destination wedding planning is to start early. If you get engaged in January, don't assume that you will be able to get married in May of the same year. Start researching any locations that you like for your wedding as soon as possible. Keep in mind that you have to be able to book enough rooms for wedding guest, book the location of the wedding and plan accordingly to your both your and your fiancé's schedule. Also some countries require the proper paperwork to be filled out well in advance before they will marry you. This means that for everything to work out properly, it may take longer than you expected for your destination wedding to happen. The sooner you start researching wedding locations, the sooner you can get married.
The next thing on your destination wedding planning agenda is to actually choose your location. Have you always dreamed of a Hawaii wedding or do you favor Caribbean weddings? Make sure that you are getting input from your fiancé as well and not just choosing the location that you want. Also consider who your guest may be. With destination weddings you have to realize that not everybody will be able to make it to your wedding, but you want to make your wedding as accessible to others as possible. Once you have picked your destination, such as Mexico or Hawaii, research the facilities to see where you can married and when. Just because you like beach weddings doesn't mean that you will find a beach in Mexico that will allow you to get married on it. Plenty of research has to be done to find the best location, be it outside or inside, for your destination wedding. This is where a location wedding planner can be most valuable. So find one that works in your destination, and contact him/her to get ideas on ideal locations for your wedding.
Once you have booked your dream wedding, make sure to get all your agreements in writing. This may be harder than if you were getting married right down the road, but is necessary. Never just go by a verbal agreement for anything that has to do with your wedding planning. If you have the agreements in writing then this will make it easier if you have some scheduling conflict or a provider who backs out of their service for the wedding.
Lastly, once you have chosen the location for the destination wedding and you know for sure the dates, let your guest know all the information so that can plan accordingly. You can send out detailed save-the-date cards or you if you have a really small guest list call them on the telephone to let them know all the details. They have to plan their schedule for the wedding also and you want to give them as much advance notice as possible so they can hopefully attend your special day. |
