Destination "I Do!"

Things to Consider When Planning Your Destination Wedding

By Julie Senger

So, your honey recently popped the question, and youre excited to begin planning your future together! You want your wedding to be as unique and meaningful as your relationship is, so you decide to have your special day in a romantically beautiful place that has sentimental value to the both of you but that place happens to be hundreds or even thousands of miles away from where you, your family, and your friends live.

Here are some things to consider as you start to plan one of the happiest days of your life:

The World is Your Oyster

If you are getting married outside the U.S., make sure you understand the legal marriage requirements for your chosen destination. Will you need a blood test? Do you have to spend a certain amount of time in the country before you can get married there? Are there special licenses or other documents you must obtain? Oftentimes, to avoid these concerns, couples will get legally married in the U.S. and then have a formal, symbolic ceremony in their chosen destination.

Once youve done your legal research, explore the internet to select options for your wedding/reception venue(s). Try to schedule an advance trip to your destination specifically to tour the venues, and solidify your choice. If an advance visit isnt in the cards, many places provide a virtual tour on their website. However, in addition to the venues professionally filmed virtual tour, it would be wise to view recent videos that may have been posted by actual visitors to the venue (on sites like TripAdvisor or YouTube), as these clips may be a more current, accurate representation of what you can expect.

After youve chosen a venue, ask if they require you to use specific vendors for things like food, flowers, photography, music, etc. If so, you will need to find out which of these vendors services are included in any price quotes you may receive. If the venue doesnt require you to use certain vendors, ask if they have any recommendations.

If your chosen wedding venue doesnt provide a wedding planner, you may want to hire a local one. Since you live far away, your wedding planner will be your eyes and ears as well as your major point of contact. And if youre not fluent in the language of your chosen destination, your wedding planner may end up doing much of your communicating and negotiating with local professionals who will have a hand in creating your special day.

The Price of Love

Traditionally, the brides parents covered most wedding expenses. However, many couples are now footing the bill themselves. No one wants to start their new life together with a crazy debt load. To avoid this, set a realistic budget by making sure you consider all possible expenses. There are lots of little details that couples forget to think about, and these things can add up quickly. And, of course, there are additional expenses to consider when your wedding is far from home (travel, accommodations, etc.) Destination Wedding Details (DestinationWeddingDetails.com) is a website that provides handy budget spreadsheets with almost any possible wedding expense you can think of.

Be Our Guest!

How much notice should I give my guests? When should I send out invitations? Holly Lefevre, author of The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book, recommends, The distance and accessibility of the destination can affect save-the-date timing; traveling to a far-off locale takes more time to plan than a three-hour road trip to the mountains. To be safe either way, send out the save-the-dates as soon as you confirm the details. The more time the better nine to twelve months is ideal and provides guests ample time to schedule travel plans and time off work. Be sure to include info about the wedding destination, so guests can begin to plan.

Consider building a wedding website that you keep updated, so guests have as much detail as possible. Examples of information you may want to include on your website are links to travel brochures, accommodations, maps, things to do, restaurants, etc.

However, save-the-date invitations are different from the formal invitations youll still need to send 8-12 weeks prior to your wedding. Anna Post, author of  Do I Have to Wear White? explains, With a formal invite, the emphasis should be on the invitation itself, so dont turn it into a travel brochure. And if you created a wedding website, Post suggests, List your wedding URL in the invite.

How Accommodating!

When recommending accommodations for your guests, try to offer at least two options at different price points, so guests can choose where to stay based on their personal budgets. Ask the hotel/resort if they offer a group-rate discount. If the accommodations that you recommend differ from the wedding/reception venue, they should be no more than fifteen minutes away.

Also, make sure the accommodations will have enough space available for everyone on your chosen wedding date. For example, you probably would not want to schedule your wedding during a time when your destination is hosting a major celebration like an annual carnival/festival or popular sporting event.

Finally

If you and your guests will be flying to your destination, make sure no one in the wedding party checks their wedding day attire. Better to have the item re-steamed once you arrive at your destination than to risk it becoming lost luggage.