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How To Plan An International Wedding

How To Plan A Wedding Step By Step

10 Tips for Planning a Destination Wedding

Just got engaged and not sure where to start? Here’s our how to plan a wedding step-by-step guide to make it as simple and straightforward as possible, so you can keep stress at a minimum.

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Your wedding will likely be the biggest party youll ever throwand figuring out how to plan a wedding can feel pretty daunting at first . But whether you want a small, simple wedding or a big, lavish affair, the steps remain the same: Set a budget , find inspiration, start your guest list… well, we break it all down one step at a time below. We recommend focusing on one task at a time so you dont get overwhelmed by the wedding planning process. And if youre in a time crunch, go ahead and delegate some of these responsibilities to family members and friendstheyll likely be glad to help you as you navigate this process.

Factor In The Extra Expenses

If done right, a destination wedding can cost no moreand maybe even lessthan hosting the same party at home . For example, if you live in a US metropolitan city where event facilities are in high demand, like New York City, then holding your wedding in Mexico will likely be less expensive than doing it at home, even when you factor in airfare, hotel expenses and planning trips. Still, there are extra expenses you’ll need to factor in for any destination wedding, including importing key vendors and décor, welcome bags for guests, additional activities for guests, and travel costs for you and your immediate families . Keep in mind you may choose to fly in certain vendors, in which case you’ll have to pay for their travel and accommodations too. So make a budget that’s realistic and factors in all of these extra costs.

Expect To Run Into Your Guests During Your Honeymoon

“When we said goodbye to our guests after the wedding, we meant it,” Davidson said. “What we didn’t expect was for their extended vacation plans to be identical with our honeymoon itinerary.”

For example, Davidson said she and her husband weren’t expecting the guests to join them scuba diving on the third day of their honeymoon. Nor were they expecting to share a breakfast with them at a remote beach restaurant.

“It was amusing and pleasing at first, but every time we ran into a familiar face from home, it kind of felt like less of a destination wedding,” Davidson said.

On a similar note, Nichols said to keep in mind if you want your wedding to be family-friendly or for adults only.

“Will you stay at the same resort for your honeymoon or honeymoon-hop to a different resort or island?” she said.

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Have Them Walk You Through The Venue If You Can’t Get There Yourself

Some clients feel more comfortable traveling to their destination wedding location to tour potential venues and attend menu tastings, but it is not required. If flying out to your destination isn’t within budget or your schedule does not permit, your planner can schedule a video chat with you and your vendors. They can even virtually walk the venue space with you.

“When planning at a venue I have not been to before, I prefer to personally inspect the venue or send one of my trusted team members that have worked with me for years and know what I look for,” says Kimiko. “I have learned over the years that a successful wedding requires being able to understand your venue, its challenges, and how it will function on the day of the wedding.”

Don’t Meet Your Vendors For The First Time At Your Wedding

Party Planning 101 Free Course Sample

So this isn’t a strict one, but it’s highly advised! I was once at a beach resort when a guy in a suit came over and asked me to film his wedding on an iPad. Of course, I obliged, but as his bride walked down the aisle, there was a randomer standing on the sand filming her . The couple were meeting the celebrant for the first time at the altar, they had only met the photographer a few minutes before, and the witnesses were a couple they’d befriended at the bar. They were obviously shy people, I got the impression that’s why they’d decided to elope, but here they were standing in front of a bunch of strangers reciting really sincere and personal vows. Different resorts and planners will do things differently, and maybe you don’t care about such things, but if you want your elopement to feel intimate and romantic, I suggest trying to meet anyone who’ll be in attendance, ahead of time.

Photo by Love Like Crazy via One Fab Day

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Where To Get Married Abroad

Some couples know where they want to get married, it could be a place youve visited before, where you got engaged, a place that means a lot to you, or just somewhere that has always been your dream destination. If you simply envisage walking through a white sandy aisle or on a sun-kissed terrace, theres a whole world of exciting options to discover.

Youll find a breadth of knowledge and only the most incredible places to say I Do abroad here. We certainly know a thing or two when it comes to destination weddings, sourcing the best the world has to offer from sought-after tropical paradises to private rural retreats, glamorous beach fronts and desert wonders. Well have you hoping on a plane before you know it!

Looking for some help or advice when planning your destination wedding? Not sure where to begin or which venue could be perfect for you, simply get in touch with our friendly team Ask The Experts

Months Until Your Destination Wedding

Pop open the bubbly and start brainstorming locations. Recently engaged? Celebrate! Then start plotting where in the world you want to host your special day. Destination weddings take longer to plan, so the sooner you can start this conversation, the better.

Create a budget that includes travel costs. Deciding on a wedding budget early will let you set realistic expectations for your destination wedding. In addition to normal wedding costs such as venue, food, and florals, youll also need to set money aside for travel expenses. Plan to spend at least $1,500 on travel if your wedding will be international. Learn more about how to set a wedding budget.

Consider opening up a travel rewards account. Since youll be booking travel for your destination wedding, its a good idea to open up a credit card account that will get you travel rewards such as bonus points on airfare and hotels. Keep in mind that most large hotel brands allow you to earn points on room rental, food, and beverage costs if you host your wedding at their location. These same hotel brands may also offer wedding planning options and assistance that includes a wedding planner.

Research potential destinations. Now its time for the fun partresearching locations for your destination wedding! Taking your wedding on the road increases travel costs, but it can also decrease overall wedding costs by trimming down your guest list. Here are a few things to consider when choosing your destination wedding location:

Also Check: Can You Plan A Wedding In 6 Months

What Does A Destination Wedding Planner Do

In addition to traditional wedding planning duties, here is a list of common tasks they are responsible for:

  • Provide guidance based on their knowledge and local research on laws, permits needed, marriage license requirements, etc.
  • Offer you select vendors and a venue best suited to your guest count, budget, and vision.
  • Help you produce a realistic budget based on your needs and desires. They can offer suggestions on where you could cut back and what’s worth the splurge.
  • Offer travel guidance and advice to help you and your guests plan the trip with confidence.
  • Create contingency plans for rain and other unforeseen road bumps.
  • Coordinate with vendors and the venue, timeline management, and family management.
  • Manages RSVPs and guestlists.
  • Make recommendations for a florist, audio and lighting equipment rentals, and hair and makeup.
  • Catering negotiation, communication, and management.

Create A Wedding Website

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Setting up a wedding website is the easiest way to do keep your guests in the loop, and one of the most important steps to planning a wedding. Make sure to include all of the important information about your big day on your websitedate, location, travel information, room block details, and more. Nows also the time to create your wedding hashtag to use on social media leading up to your wedding day.

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How Long Do We Need To Put Our Lives On Hold

I get it, life is not on hold right now, and social distancing has actually brought us even closer to ourselves, our better halves, and our wellbeing. With winter holidays behind us and Valentines Day just around the corner, I am sure some new diamonds are shining on some fingers and many of you cannot wait to step down the aisle and say your vows in a spectacular setting. So, here it is the big questions you are most certainly asking right now:

  • How long do I still need to wait until I can plan a wedding abroad and the honeymoon Ive been longing for my entire life?

  • Is it safe to start planning now?

  • Will the world be back to normal by the end of 2021, or shall we wait till 2022 or even 2023?

Oh, how I wish we had the answers to all these questions! But we are all in this together and as you noticed, there is no way to predict how COVID-19 restrictions will change from one week to the other, not to mention from this year to the next. For now, I can tell you this: take a step back and analyze your situation, discuss it with your loved one and reach a conclusion that you both feel most comfortable with! It is definitely a matter of priorities. So, if youre not in a hurry to have kids, and celebrating life and love is something you dont want to skip, here are 3 ideas of how you can deal with the current situation:

Things People Wish They’d Known Before Having A Destination Wedding

  • Destination weddings can seem like a dream, but it’s important to consider the logistics and expenses that go into planning one.
  • If having all of your family and friends show up is important, a destination wedding may not be the best idea.
  • Here are nine things people who had destination weddings wish they had known before their big day.

While many people tie the knot in their hometowns, others decide to go off to another city or country for a destination wedding.

However, sometimes the fantasy sounds more appealing than the reality.

A recent survey of 1,502 Americans found that about 42% of respondents said that they may skip a destination wedding due to the cost of travel.

Read more:I’ve worked at hundreds of weddings here are 16 of the most creative ways I’ve seen couples save money

Destination weddings may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, pairing dreams of traveling the world and experiencing a new culture with family and friends. But they’re not for everyone, said Lauren Grech, cofounder and CEO of LLG Events, an international event management and design firm that specializes in luxury destination weddings.

“Destination weddings are a great choice for couples that are more laid-back with their wedding planning, as they often won’t get to see the venue or destination before their wedding, or meet all of their vendors in person prior to the celebration,” she told Business Insider.

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Check The Weather Will Suit You And Your Guests

There’s nothing quite like a raging monsoon to put a dampener on a tropical big day, likewise a severe heatwave could be an issue, particularly for older and younger guests. Before you even think about booking, check the rainy and dry seasons in your chosen destination. If you want to cut costs, booking in the country’s low season could work out to be extremely affordable.

Applying Project Management Strategies To Wedding Planning

International Wedding Planning

After managing projects all day at work, spend my free time managing our wedding plans wasnt exciting to me. Granted, our wedding budget is much smaller than some of the hundreds of thousands or million-dollar projects at work. But thankfully, if everything falls apart or fails on my wedding day, I wont lose my job over it. Regardless, its still another event that takes a lot of organization and planning to complete.

Im trying to not sound stiff in regards to my wedding day, but part of being an engineer is to have that cut-and-dry outlook at times. I work in a mainly male environment, so if I start speaking in lovey-dovey sprinkles and sparkle terms Id receive some pretty odd looks!

After viewing Jessicas segment on I Dont Want a Fancy Wedding on Huffington Post and watching Ashley Hopkins reveal she had similar feelings, it was a relief to know I wasnt alone. So I decided Id share my experience and best advice on Project Managing Your Wedding I hope you find this helpful.

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Don’t Be Afraid To Ask

Your wedding vendors should be your go-to, most-trusted experts during the planning process. When working with them, you should feel free to really explore what it is you wantmaybe it’s serving a late-night snack instead of a first course or doing a bridal portrait session rather than an engagement session. The bottom line is that you should feel like you can have an honest conversation with them about what it is you want. Their job will be to tell you what you can and can’t make work given your wedding budget.

The Ultimate Destination Wedding Checklist For Couples

This destination wedding checklist is the #1 resource youll need to plan your exotic celebration. Discover how to choose a destination wedding location, what to look for in a wedding venue, how to work with local vendors, and more.

Thinking of throwing a destination wedding? If you and your SO are dreaming of an intimate, exotic affair, a destination wedding may be just for you.

We have to be honest, thoughthis journey to the altar comes with its own unique challenges. Youll be planning the celebration from afar, and if youre taking your ceremony out of the country, youll have a new set of international regulations and laws to abide by.

Luckily, weve got you covered with our destination wedding checklist below, which will make planning your adventurous affair a breeze. Bookmark this page or print it at home so you can keep your checklist nearby throughout the planning process.

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