A Destination Wedding That Makes History
While destination weddings are probably the most wonderful services to happen. You may not realize where, to begin with, regards to really arranging one.
Notwithstanding, marriage at an exotic location isnt unthinkable and with a bit of early arranging. You can ensure that your fantasy wedding occurs, in actuality. Follow our simple aide beneath for how to design a marriage at an exotic location. And tips to add to your wedding agenda.
How To Plan a Destination Wedding?
Arranging a destination wedding begins with permitting yourself enough lead time to coordinate the subtleties. Regardless of the fact that youre confused to pick an exotic location or on the beach. Ensure you figure an agenda. And figure out how to design a destination marriage at an exotic location prior to booking a flight.
Plan A Wedding In Shimla Yourself
Well, some wedding venues in Shimla also provide for low-budget destination weddings in India. So you can definitely plan your wedding yourself in your fixed budget or if you want a large-scale and grand wedding celebration you can hire a wedding planner and ease off your stress.
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Image Source: Sona Sachdeva Photography
Consider Those Who Cant Make The Big Trip
Local receptions are more appreciated than you might think. It takes the guilt off those who cant make it either due to financial reasons, timing, etc. A local reception doesnt have to be elaborate, and in fact, can be quite simply a family members house or reserving a small room at a local spot for cocktails one evening.
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How To Plan A Destination Wedding In 12 Steps
The lure of a destination wedding is hard to resist a trip to somewhere out of the norm, with the love of your life, to make that significant and symbolic jump to starting your lives together as a married couple. Destination weddings are popular for several reasons, including that they make it possible for couples to have an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience away from home. Just like all other weddings, you can customize your destination wedding to suit your preferences, inviting as many, or as few guests as youd like. Whether youre dreaming about a beach wedding, a traditional church affair, a garden wedding, an elopement wedding, or something more unconventional, a destination wedding will give you plenty of room to bring your wedding aspirations to life.
In this article on the Sandals Blog:
Picture: Beachfront wedding at Beaches Turks & Caicos.
A destination wedding is a wedding that takes place at a location that is far enough for a majority of the guests to make travel arrangements and book nearby accommodation. Destination weddings can be hosted in the country the majority of the guests live in, but these kinds of events are normally hosted abroad. Destination weddings often take place in an unusual setting, breaking free from the norm. Since these ceremonies are typically smaller in size, compared to traditional weddings, destination weddings tend to result in lower costs.
Choose Your Ceremony Type And Venue
There are two types of ceremonies for destination weddings: symbolic and civil. Civil ceremonies are legally binding in the country in which its performed and requires more logistics in our guide to planning a destination wedding. You can learn more about the differences and how to plan your destination wedding in this comparison resource. The ceremony venue is the next thing you should consider while planning.
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Choose A Theme & Color Scheme
If youve got an artistic touch, or you know what you want, selecting a theme and color scheme will come easily to you, otherwise it might be best to leave this up to your wedding planner, giving them hints of what you want the final result to be. If you want guests to dress according to a particular theme, or wear a certain color, include this in your save-the-date cards, or official wedding invites.
Welcome sign
A welcome sign is one of those details that you can personalize to suit you, which helps guests feel welcome once they arrive. This is a great touch for a destination wedding as it helps to bring people together and feel more comfortable.
Place settings
Place cards are fun because they can be customized to suit your theme. They dont even necessarily need to be written on paper some people use leaves, napkins, and other elements to make this super fun.
Flowers
Flowers are often a big part of weddings but are not a must. However, if you do decide to incorporate flowers, consider whether youre planning on having an indoor or outdoor wedding. With beach weddings for example, youll need to choose flowers than can withstand the heat and potentially some wind.
The cake
More Planning May Be Required
Planning a wedding in a country youve never been toor may have only visited oncecan add a few wrinkles. For instance, you may need to consider things such as the exchange rates for currency, potential language barriers, and marriage license requirements. Youll also need to consider travel restrictions, specifically those related to current limitations, to determine whether youll even be able to visit the destination of your choice.
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Use Trusted Courier Services To Fly In ‘extra Luggage’
Now, this is not a foreseen situation but you must be aware of it. Flights charge you a bomb prize for extra luggage, so it is better to transport extra stuff like mehndi favours to the venue via courier. This can be a riskier choice, but if you have a trusted courier facility near you since ages make use of it.
How Long Does It Take To Plan A Destination Wedding
When it comes time to plan a destination wedding, questions are aboundand many of them center around one important thing: timing. Getting married in Tahiti, after all, puts you on an entirely different timeline than tying the knot in your backyard. From choosing your location and venue to sending off those all-important invitations, weve rounded up some major time-markers in destination wedding planning today. Read on for our top tips for staying on track and on time as you hammer out the details of your far-away affair.
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Pick The Perfect Spot
Your wedding location determines not only the mood , but also the travel, time and budget required to pull it off. Your wedding elementsnot just location, but also activities and overall vibeshould say something about your shared style and passions so that your guests head home from your wedding weekend saying, “That was so them!” Did the proposal happen on vacation in Paris? Then why not host an intimate wedding in the City of Lights? Are you foodies? Think about gathering your crew in a place like Tuscany or California wine country. Was your first vacation somewhere tropical? Invite friends and family to a resort in Mexico, the Caribbean or Hawaii.
Budget For Conversion Rates And International Taxes
It seems obvious that there might be a conversion rate in your destination country but what you may not consider is that its continually in flux and how that might affect your payments. When planning your destination wedding, think about timing. For instance, if youre planning a summer wedding in Europe, you may want to put more money down with your vendors in the winter months, when the Euro is typically weaker rather than paying everything off in the summer when the Euro is strongest due to tourism.
Also, keep in mind each country has its own tax rate and some may be higher than you expect. Spain, for instance, had a VAT tax of 21% so when budgeting, be sure to include the VAT in your overall budget as it likely wont be included in the estimates your vendors send.
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Help Your Friends And Family
Yeah, its your wedding, but your friends are throwing down a pretty penny to watch you tie the knot, so treat them well. Use your wedding website to offer them recommendations for what they should pack , share the expected weather conditions, arrange gathering spots and leave a welcome bag in their room for them to enjoy upon arrival. Basically, give them a good vacation.
Do I Need A Registry For A Destination Wedding
Given the increased costs of guests attending the wedding, you may want to consider scrapping gifts. Utilize the invitations or wedding website to let everyone know that their presence is the best gift. If you prefer to have a registry, be sure to have gifts shipped to your home rather than brought to the venue or opt for virtual gifts like gift cards or donations to a honeymoon fund. Some resorts even have their own honeymoon registries for on-site experiences.
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When Should I Hire A Wedding Planner
“From logistics to language barriers to time differences, there’s really no way to get around hiring a professional wedding planner for your destination wedding.”
Take some time to relax, enjoy each others company, and celebrate. Then, once youve allowed yourself to marinate in that pure awesomeness for a week or so, your very next step should be to hire a professional wedding planner to help you plan your destination wedding. You should have a professional planner hired at least 10-12 months prior to your destination wedding.
Give Everyone A Heads
Tell your bridal party you’re planning a destination wedding before you ask them to stand by your side, so they can gracefully decline if finances are tight. Besides those VIPs, it’s also a good idea to give the rest of your guest list plenty of notice so they can get the best deals on flights and accommodations before prices skyrocket. Send out save-the-dates at least eight months in advance, but don’t be upset if some of your closest friends or relatives don’t attend. While you are, in a sense, footing some of the food bills, their fees for travel, hotel and car rental can really add up. Although your wedding is a mini-vacation for you, it may not be the one they want to take!
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Factor In The Cost Of A Destination Wedding
Plenty of city dwellersespecially those who reside in high-cost areas like New York City or Los Angelesbelieve that a destination wedding will cost less. Sure, booking a venue on a tiny island will probably be less expensive than booking one in a big city. But destination weddings are not always less expensive. Tien says in most cases it might even cost more to throw a destination wedding.
The other reason couples think it might cost less? Many believe not everyone on the invite list will show up. This couldn’t be farther from the truth or what I recommend, says Freeman. When planning any eventyou need to plan on everyone saying yes. It’s an important day and you’re likely to receive far less no’s than you could ever imagine. Be ready to entertain everyone.
Warn Your Wedding Party In Plenty Of Time
Its important to stay aware of the financial responsibilities you are placing on guests by getting married abroad. Unless you plan to pay for all your guests flights and accommodation, give your guests as much notice as you can so they can prepare accordingly. This is especially true for your wedding party and guests who you are really close with as you want to ensure that they are able to attend.
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Set Up A Gift/card Box
This is the perfect place for guests to leave sweet notes, gift cards, and other little trinkets. Put this box in a safe place, which is also easy to spot when guests walk in. Leave someone from your wedding party in charge of this area, so everyone who comes in knows what goes where. This person can also put the box away somewhere safe once all deposits are made.
When Should I Choose A Location
You might know the country or the part of the state you want to get married in, but nailing down a specific location should be the first thing you do after hiring a wedding planner. Your planner will know which locales will work for your wedding-day dreams. Maybe you always envisioned getting married in that tiny town you love along the Italian countryside, but come to find out its noise restrictions wont work with the late-night party you have planned, or maybe the two-hour bus-ride up into the secluded hillside is just too much for your guests to endure. Oftentimes, logistics will help determine the exact location of your wedding, soeven if youre 1-2 years out from saying I dochoose your wedding location right away after hiring your planner.
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Expect Some People To Be Upset That You Chose To Have A Destination Wedding
Erica Jabali married her husband in a destination wedding in Maui, and said about 35 guests made the trip. She said to expect some people to be unhappy with your choice.
“Unless you are paying for guests’ travel and lodging, you have to be OK with people not attending, including very close relatives,” she said. “Of course, you have to also prepare yourself for people who will find it offensive that you had the audacity to have a destination wedding. Many people still see weddings as an event planned for the guests, rather than the couple getting married.”
Jabali said she just told herself that people are always going to be mad at something, so they might as well be 100% sure it was the right decision for her and her partner than compromise and still have people be unhappy.
Secure Passports And Other Documents
A valid passport is a given for international travel, and you’ll at the very least need a driver’s license for domestic destinations. Double-check all expiration dates as soon as you choose your wedding date and location, then check again! Depending on the country, additional information, such as a list of previously visited countries, health records, or vaccinations, may be required.
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Destination Wedding Packing List
The location is picked. The wedding is planned. Everyone is ready to go! Here is a destination wedding travel checklist to help get the essentials where they need to be.
- Keep your wedding bands and other important items like sentimental jewelry, the wedding dress and tux in your carry-on bags. You never know if your checked luggage will be delayed or lost in transit! Avoid a wedding day disaster by keeping meaningful items in your possession while en route. It would be a shame to spend so much time planning the perfect destination wedding and then have an airline misplace your wedding dress.
- International travel often requires a set of healthcare precautions. Pack all medications and prescriptions you may need. Speak to your healthcare provider about the vaccinations that you may need before taking your trip.
- Prior to leaving, contact your cell phone provider to understand international phone plans. Will your phones work at your chosen destination? If you find that you are limited, download a texting app and establish meeting times and locations for all guests. Loop hotel reception into this information so they can assist your guests if needed.
And there you have it! We hope our 10-step guide and destination wedding packing checklist helps you understand how to plan a destination wedding for the ages.
