Getting Hitched: 3 Pro Tips for Destination Wedding Planning

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destination wedding planning

Who doesn’t have a fantasy of getting married the most serene setting imaginable? You might picture yourself at the altar with the backdrop of mountains behind you and swoon at the image. Many young people value travel above all else and would love to include an element of travel into their big day.

However, destination wedding planning is a significant challenge to take on. Planning a normal wedding can be hard enough, but planning one at a location far away home can provide a whole new wealth of potential obstacles.

If you’re going to succeed, you’ll need to put your best foot forward. The best way to do that is by taking into consideration a few important tips. Read on and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know.

1. Timing Is Everything

You’re going to find yourself in a bit of a bind when it comes to picking the perfect time of year to have your wedding: the intersection of weather and tourism. It goes without saying that the ideal weather conditions in your ideal destination will likely overlap with the busiest time for tourists.

More tourists mean crowds, higher prices, fewer hotel availabilities, and many more problems could abound. How can you get around this problem? You can try to book your trip on the very edge of the good weather season, though there’s always a chance you might get caught with a less-than-pretty day for your wedding.

You can save money and try to book your trip totally in the off-season, though in addition to the weather you might find that many shops and eateries have closed down entirely.

More ideal might just be planning far, far ahead. If you’re planning on booking your destination wedding during peak season, you’ll want to get everything on the books as far ahead as you humanly can. Consider doing so a year or even two years out ahead of your actual dates.

This is the only way to ensure you’ll get everything you want, though there still might be a hefty price.

2. Visit Your Destination

A wedding in Cario might sound romantic and ideal, but how will you know if you’ve never stepped foot there before? When you’re planning a destination wedding you really should actually plan two trips: one planning trip and then another for the actual event (though even more trips in between can’t hurt if you can swing it financially).

Your planning trip or trips can be used to get everything locked down. You can scout out venues and feel confident you’ve found a great one but actually standing in the center of it. Rehearsal and reception spaces, hotel rooms, places to drink, and spend the extra time— you can see it all with your own eyes.

You’ll also be able to better explore and make relationships with local suppliers: florists photographers, caterers, among others. You can set up early appointments with these people and look through their selections, ensuring that everything you get on the big day will be what you need.

You may be hesitant to spend so much money traveling back and forth to your destination, but it’s really something you shouldn’t go without. There’s nothing like the confidence and security these trips can bring.

The last thing you should want is the stress of dealing with the unknown on your wedding day. A planning trip or two won’t resolve everything, but it’ll give you a good foundation to build the rest of your experience off of.

disney wedding

3. Consider All Extra Expenses

Is your destination wedding going to cost more than it would if you did it within your own country’s borders? Most likely, though there’s always a chance that some savings could make it more or less equal, depending on where you live.

However, it’s very important that you consider all the extra expenses that will come from having your wedding far away from home. For example, it’s likely you’ll be paying quite a bit to ship and import any decor or items you want from back home.

There are the aforementioned travel costs and planning trips that we mentioned, as well as the cost of airfare for all your family and friends. There’s also the transportation on the ground to figure out as well.

Unlike a wedding at home, you’ll need to provide a way to get around for everyone who attends the wedding. You’ll have to decide what form that will take, whether it be a limo service or fleet of rental cars.

If you’re keeping everyone at one location the whole trip, you might be able to get away with just a quick shuttle to and from the airport. However, this will only work if everyone plans to arrive and leave at the same time.

Additional costs will vary based on the size and scope of your wedding as well as the location that you’ve selected. You may want to talk to locals during your trip and see if they can advise you on additional costs that you yourself may not have considered.

What is important is that you really wrack your brains early on and determine everything that could possibly contribute to your bottom line. With a real budget in hand, you’ll be better equipped to move forward with your plans.

Destination Wedding Planning Essentials

Your wedding day should be absolutely perfect, and sometimes that means traveling far from home to make it so. However, you’ll need to prepare yourself for the challenges that destination wedding planning can create. The above tips can help.

Need more advice for traveling the world? Keep scrolling our blog for more information.

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