How to Plan Your Own Destination Wedding
A Step-By-Step Guide to Planning Your Own Destination Wedding
Congratulations are in order as you’re about to marry the love of your life. While this moment is one of the most memorable events of both of your lives, the next few months or year to come will be filled with wedding planning, and thinking about the future.
If you’re thinking of having your wedding in a far-flung romantic location, then a destination wedding is perfect for you. It’s definitely more intimate, romantic, and you can enjoy both your wedding and honeymoon all in one go.
You might be thinking of hiring a wedding planner to get things rolling but if that’s not on the table, then organizing your own destination wedding is the thing to do.
But can you actually pull off the wedding of your dreams in a far away location, or in another country? What does it take and how do you actually do it?
Luckily for you, we’ve come up with a step by step guide to planning your own destination wedding. It’s not going to be a walk in the park, but if everything goes smoothly, all your hard work and sleepless nights will be all worth it.
So let’s start our list to planning your own destination wedding:
Step 1: Choose Your Location
The number one thing on your list should be to choose where to go. Do you want to have a beach wedding on a tropical island? Or maybe a small chapel on top of a hill? Or how about a traditional wedding in a small village in Asia? The entire world is your oyster and to choose your location, it must have a significant meaning to you.
Did your fiance propose in Paris? Then maybe a wedding in The City of Lights would be a great choice. Or did you meet while you were visiting one of the beautiful islands of Thailand or the Philippines? Then maybe a wedding ceremony on a white-sand beach or garden/cliff with seaview would be perfect.
Think of a location somewhere within the country or any place in the world that has an emotional connection to you and your love story and then choose accordingly.
Other things you need to consider are accessibility, which means a great destination wedding location must be easy to get to. You wouldn’t want to have your guests traveling for 24 hours and going from airplane to boat to bus, would you?
Take these things into consideration and choose the best location for this most special day.
Step 2: Set a Budget
Once you’ve chosen your location, you can then start setting a budget. Things to factor in are travel expenses, accommodation expenses, as well as all the wedding essentials that you need to have to execute your destination wedding.
You can do your own research, such as looking at the location’s cost of living and airfare expense.
Other budget considerations include additional activities for your guests, as well as non-local vendors you’d like to take with you to the location.
Step 3: Pick Your Wedding Date
Choose the date of your wedding and make sure the weather and season cooperate to the vision you have. For example, you want to have a sunrise beach wedding, so you must choose a date that coincides with the hot season of the location you choose. Mostly, the best weather of any destination is usually the peak tourist season where people are also visiting to take advantage of the good weather.
Peak seasons always mean there are more crowds, hotel rates are higher, and you’ll be fighting for venue and hotel availability. Off-season, while rates will be lower, you’ll also be facing with possibility of rain and awful weather such as storms. In such cases, some shops and vendors may be closed. And worse, flights and boat rides might be cancelled due to bad weather.
The months between peak and off-season may be the best time to have a wedding for some couples.
Step 4: Choose a Venue
So you’ve chosen the Maldives for your wedding. It’s about time you look at venues where your ceremony and/or reception will take place. Read online reviews, visit their website, and choose accordingly. If you have the time and money, visiting your potential venue is the best thing to do. But not everyone has that luxury and if you don’t, then Google is your best friend in this scenario.
Resorts or hotels usually have wedding specialists who can carry the burden of doing the logistics for you so it’s great if you choose a wedding venue that also offers their very own wedding packages. These packages usually include everything you’ll need for your wedding, so there will be less on your plate.
Step 5: Send the “Save the Date” Notice to Guests
Once you’ve booked your venue, it’s time you send your “save the dates” to the people in your guest list. Since destination weddings can be costly on your guests’ part, it’s ideal that you send them your notice at least 10 to 12 months ahead of your wedding date. This gives them ample time to apply for their leaves, free up their schedule, and save money on travel and accommodation.
Step 6: Decide on the Wedding Elements You Want
Do you want a ceremony on a white-sand beach with a flower arc facing the horizon? Or do you specifically want Holland tulips on your intimate Paris wedding? Think of all the elements you want for your wedding and choose the best ones that you think are best.
You can create a mood board where you can put your color motif, the general mood, as well as all the other details you want to have in your wedding.
Step 7: Find Suppliers
You can start looking for vendors such as photographers, hair and makeup artists, baker for your cake, florist, DJ, and all the suppliers you’ll need to create your perfect wedding.
The best option you can have is to hire local vendors in the location of your destination wedding because you won’t have to spend extra for their travel and accommodation since they’re based in the area. But if you wish to have vendors from your hometown and bring them with you to your wedding location, keep in mind that their airfare, accommodation, and most travel expenses will be shouldered by you.
If you decide to choose local vendors and you won’t have time to visit your wedding location, a video chat would be best so you get a general feel of whether or not you are a good match.
Step 8: Book Your Suppliers
Once you’ve decided on your suppliers, book them and make sure you get all the details and contracts are in writing. You will also be needing to make a downpayment if needed.
Step 9: Send Invites
Send your official invites at least 4 to 5 months before the actual wedding date. Have your guests send their RSVP’s at least 2 months before your wedding so you know your wedding head count in advance.
Some wedding guests won’t book their flights and hotel accommodation until they receive your official invite so it’s best that you send it as soon as your venue and vendors are booked.
Step 10: Create a Wedding Day Agenda or Itinerary
While you are not obligated to provide activities for your guests, it’s a nice gesture that you do. To show your appreciation of your guests taking the time to come to your wedding, it is your responsibility to keep them entertained during the days leading up to your wedding.
A welcome dinner or party would be a great idea so everyone can meet and spend time together when they arrive. If your location is on a tropical island, excursions would be a great way to enjoy the wedding weekend. The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner usually take place the day before your wedding date so that is a must on your itinerary.
An after wedding brunch the morning after is also standard procedure for destination weddings.
Step 11: Buy or Rent Attire
Think about the climate, weather, and venue of your wedding ceremony and reception and decide on the design and materials of your tux or wedding gown. Most often than not, you will also be hand carrying your wedding gown to your destination so maybe you should think twice about choosing to wear a ballgown.
You must also inform your guests about the dress code you expect to have for your wedding.
Step 12: Buy Wedding Bands
Wedding bands symbolize your commitment to one another and it’s one of the essentials of a wedding ceremony. Make sure you have your wedding bands made months in advance and when you pick them up, please make sure you proofread any engraving.
Step 13: Create a Seating Chart
Once your guests have RSVP’d, make your seating chart and have place cards made in advance.
Step 14: Confirm Schedule and Details with Suppliers
Communicate with your vendors again and make sure everything is on schedule for your wedding day. Review contracts and bring them with you.
Step 15: Get Married
You can travel to your location days before the wedding or even weeks before. You can check out the venues, accommodations, and everything you need to make sure everything is laid out according to plan. You must also arrive at your destination before any guests so you can welcome them when they do.
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While you may not need a wedding organizer after all this planning, an in-house wedding specialist from your hotel or resort will be great to give you a helping hand.
To plan your own destination may be a nightmare to some but if you have the confidence and step by step guide to doing it on your own, then everything will be all worth it when your dream destination wedding will finally come to life.