Many brides and grooms dream of having their wedding in an exotic location. Destination weddings are quite popular because they offer the brides and grooms a mini vacation and a different environment. It makes the entire wedding feel a lot more romantic. In fact, many couples even go on a honeymoon right afterward.
Popular destination wedding locations include Hawaii, France, and the Caribbeans. Maui is a particularly popular location thanks to its serene landscape and its beautiful weather. Most couples will usually forego hotels, and book vacation homes and condos. For example, couples who host their wedding there will usually book rental homes in Maui for their big day, so they can spend their time feeling at home.
If you’re interested in having a destination wedding, here are 5 tips you’ll want to keep in mind.
Tip #1: Choose a Meaningful Destination Capable of Accommodating All Guests
With so many places to choose from, many brides and grooms have a difficult time agreeing to the destination. Since the wedding day should be special to both parties, it’s a good idea to choose a destination that is meaningful for everyone. For example, it may be the country where you and your soon-to-be spouse first said your ‘I love you’ or it might be the place where you both first vacationed to together.
Make a list of several possible destinations. Go through each one to determine whether they have the capacity to accommodate all guests. For example, if you’re hosting a fairly large wedding, it’s not a good idea to go to a destination with only a small bed and breakfast nearby, as it’ll be difficult for your guests to find appropriate accommodations.
Tip #2: Make Good Use of Local Bloom and Foods
Destination weddings can be quite expensive. Most of the costs are from plane tickets and home rentals. Brides and grooms who are tightening their budget should really make good use of local blooms and foods. Check to see which flowers will be blooming during the wedding, and use those instead. They’ll look exotic to you and your guests, and will usually be the least expensive option.
When looking for catering, it’s also a good idea to find caterers that serve local foods. It’ll make your wedding feel much more unique.
Tip #3: Check the Weather Forecast
When choosing a wedding date for a destination wedding, you’ll need to do a lot more research than if you were to host a local wedding. One of the most important things you need to do is determine what the weather will be like. It’s best if you choose a destination that will be going through spring or summer.
Take a look at the weather forecast to see whether there’s a good chance you’ll be met with beautiful weather. If the month you’ve chosen has rained more often than not in past years, it’s best to choose another time or season.
Tip #4: Confirm Local Marriage Requirements
If you plan on tying the knot legally in a different country, you’ll need to figure out what the local marriage requirements may be. Some countries actually have a “residency requirement”. For example, England requires couples to have resided in the country for at least 7 days before they are legally able to give notice for the wedding ceremony. On the other hand, France requires 40 days.
Check and confirm the marriage requirements. You and your spouse might need to head on over to the destination ahead of time in order to meet the legal requirements. You can take this time to vacation the country and spend some quality time together before the big day. This is also a good time to make last minute arrangements or to check up on vendors to confirm that they’ll be able to deliver the promised products or services.
Tip #5: Do a Thorough Research on All Vendors
One of the worst things about a destination wedding is that you don’t get to meet the vendors face-to-face unless you fly to your destination ahead of time. If you don’t have the extra dough or time to spare, the next best thing is to do a thorough research on all vendors before putting down a deposit for their services.
Check online to see what past customers have said about the quality of their work and their services. Speak with each vendor and ask for references. Don’t forget to follow up with the references just to make sure that you’re working with a reliable party. To get to know your vendors, ask if they’ll be available for a video chat. This will give you a better idea of each vendor’s demeanor, personality, and character, and will help you determine whether or not you feel comfortable working with them.
Conclusion
Destination weddings can be a lot of fun, but they’re a lot of work. It’s easy for many brides and grooms to feel overwhelmed by the sudden influx of work that they have to do. If you’re interested in hosting a destination wedding, but would like to make the process as stress-free as possible, speak with a wedding planner from that country. Not only will the wedding planner already have a network for support, but they’ll be able to take care of everything down to the details. You’ll get your dream wedding without needing to stress or fuss over every little detail.
