Planning a Destination Wedding

When you first begin trying to plan a destination wedding, the number of different factors that need to be taken into consideration can often seem quite overwhelming. From choosing a location to remembering to check local laws, these tips will help you when it comes to planning your special big day.

Choosing a Location
Choosing a location is one of the best, and most important, parts of planning a destination wedding, as there are so many different options out there, although this does depend on your budget. Keep your guest list in mind, because if this is limited to just close members of family and friends, they may not mind trekking across the world, but if you want a larger crowd at your wedding, you may be better off choosing somewhere that does not require more than a short flight, and is near to a major airport.

Choosing Vendors
Since you will not be able to participate in the planning of your destination wedding in too much of a hands-on way, you need to be able to fully trust each and every one of the vendors that you hope to use. Hiring a trustworthy wedding planner is always a good move, but, if you would prefer to do all of the planning yourself, then a planning trip, where you can meet with each of the vendors, would be extremely useful. If this is not possible, be sure to check the references of any vendors that you choose, and arrange a video chat session so that you can get to know them before signing a contract.

Local Laws
Every country will have their own local laws, and it is important to be aware of these when choosing a destination for your wedding. Certain countries require a couple to “reside” there, usually for just a few days, before they are allowed to wed, such as England and Turks and Caicos, although France requires couples to spend 40 days in the country before tying the knot. If you plan to bring in any vendors from your home country, then you should also check the laws relating to this, as many can have quite tight regulations on vendors that are allowed in.

Extra Notice to Guests
When planning a destination wedding, you need to ensure that you provide your guests with extra notice, as they will need more time to plan for this themselves than a local wedding. The amount of notice that you need to give varies depending on the destination, but aim for at least a year, even if it is just informally by word of mouth, so that your guests can begin to save up their vacation days if necessary.

Planning any sort of wedding can be stressful, and a destination wedding is often even more so. For those that want to simply relax and do away with all of the stress, a local wedding planner at your chosen destination will help you out tremendously, and give you the peace of mind that everything will go as planned on the big day.