Destination wedding planning can be overwhelming. Well, if I am being honest, planning any kind of wedding can be overwhelming, haha! We have had brides take months off of work to prepare. It is a full-time job trying to plan the most amazing party with all your loved ones!! We absolutely love getting to travel for weddings, and I thought I would put together a few tips for planning your dream destination wedding!
1.Hire a planner
I know you might think you can do it yourself, and there are a lot of places you can cut back to save your budget, but this is not one of them when planning a destination wedding. Don’t just assume the day-of coordinator that comes with the venue will do the trick. Find a full-service planner who is familiar with the area you love who can communicate with vendors while you aren’t there, and can make sure everything runs smoothly.
2. Choose your own photographer
A lot of places that market themselves as destination wedding resorts will have a cheaper package if you use their photographer… but typically this is someone contracted who isn’t professionally trained and shoots for them at a cheaper rate. Find a photographer that you LOVE– love their photography style and their personality and bring them with you!! Trust me, we love being brought to new beautiful places for destination weddings. Make sure if you are traveling to a different country they have the proper work visas and everything they will need.
3. Be picky with your guest list
Typically if you are having a destination wedding, especially one that is overseas, it is going to be expensive for guests to attend. Understand that by choosing a destination location, you might have to sacrifice having every single friend you met in middle school attend isn’t feasible. If having the biggest guest list and having everyone attend, maybe consider doing a destination ceremony with just a few family members and then having a local reception for a big party when you get back. Or, having a local wedding and then planning to have your honeymoon in your dream location and hire a photographer to come take epic portraits there in your wedding attire after!
4. Think about the weather
If you are getting married somewhere that has completely different seasons than you do, make sure you pay attention to the weather! Just because you can get cheaper flights one month doesn’t mean it is practical– that could be hurricane season!!
5. Plan ahead
When planning a destination wedding, you have to give your guests way more notice to book flights and make travel plans! You are expecting them to travel and take time off work, so giving them time to plan is very important. Make sure you look at accommodations near your venue as well, and make sure there are affordable options.
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