The Thought of Planning a Destination Wedding can become very Overwhelming, as it is in a Completely Different Country!
For those living in Ireland, there is no guarantee the weather on your wedding day will consist of no rain at all! So, the thought of having a destination wedding abroad could seem like the perfect solution. From sun-soaked beaches to secluded receptions, you are guaranteed to walk away with the wedding of your dreams.
It’s easy to understand why some might think travelling overseas for your wedding is an appealing choice! If you are considering planning a destination wedding but don’t know where to start, make sure to keep reading.
Do’s and Don’ts when planning a Destination Wedding…
Don’t: Leave it too Last Minute for your Guests.
Planning a destination wedding can take up a lot more time than planning a wedding at home. You can’t just pop down the road to the venue and other vendors! Therefore, these things take time. With that being said, you need to make sure that you keep your guests updated as soon as you are aware that you are choosing a wedding venue abroad. Procrastinating and not updating your guests will only end up with fewer guests attending your wedding.
We recommend that you should send out your wedding invitations at least 6 months before your wedding day. Your guests will have to book their flights and accommodation if necessary also. Therefore, the sooner you tell them in these circumstances, the better!
Do: Think about Hiring a Wedding Planner
There are plenty of local wedding planners who would be able to help you with your overall vision. They will also know all the local vendors within the area. Instead of getting stressed by ‘googling’ all day long, you could simply meet with the planner online and sign off your different elements of the wedding planning. This allows you to relax and enjoy the wedding planning process!
Furthermore, the wedding planner may also have a relationship with the suppliers like the decor hire, photographers and makeup artists. Going down this avenue might get you extra deals that you might not have received when contacting them personally.
A wedding planner can also help you with the legal elements of the wedding, and therefore answer any questions you have about this process. It also doesn’t allow for any last minute legal problems to pop up during the whole process.
Don’t: Forget about the Legal Side of Things
You are getting married after all! The legal side of getting married can get a bit more complicated when planning a destination wedding abroad. Different countries have different requirements when getting married and you might not find out all the answers by just a simple google search! Make sure to do your research before jumping all into a destination wedding.
Maybe contact the venues locally and ask, or you could ask a wedding planner that specialises in that area! Whatever you do, make sure to take the time to do your research.
Do: Keep Things within your Budget
Make sure to think about not only your budget, but the budget that your guests will be putting towards the wedding also. You will already be asking guests to pay more than the standard wedding, so you don’t want to overdo it!
Bear this in mind when you are choosing things like your venue and accommodation within the area. Whilst you might want the dream wedding pulling out all the stops, you have to be realistic also. Choose a destination wedding that is easily accessible with flights and relatively budget-friendly.
For destination accommodation, many venues and hotels will have reduced rates for your guests. Make sure to ask about this during your planning and let this be a major factor in choosing your venue beforehand. After this, make sure to ask your guests to keep a look out for cheaper flights in the lead up to the wedding. In this circumstance, your wedding gift will probably be their attendance! It’s as simple as that!
Don’t: Choose a Venue that is not what you Originally Envisioned!
Have an idea in mind about what sort of venues you like. If you go for rustic venues, make sure your destination wedding has that feel to it. Likewise, if you are wanting a wedding with a sunkissed beach, make sure to restrict yourself to venues specifically with that criteria.
Instead, don’t limit yourself to locations in specific countries. You might have an idea in your head that your dream wedding iis based in a country. Keep an open mind to other locations that have similar vibes. This might also be a more cost effective way and make things more budget friendly for you and your guests.
Do: Make a Wedding Website or Wedding Social Media Page
Make sure you are keeping your guests updated at all times when organising your destination wedding. If you create a wedding website, this will allow guests to fully understand what is going on at all times. There is nothing worse than realising you forgot to tell a guest some last minute changes! Especially if this is a destination wedding.
If you feel like a wedding website would be too complicated, you could always create an Instagram or Facebook page to keep people in the loop. You could also create an event page for your wedding on Facebook. With these social media platforms, you can use video and images to update your guests on the latest news with your destination wedding planning! This might be more up your street.
In Conclusion…
Planning a destination wedding can be just as easy as planning a wedding at home! You just have to keep on top of things and make sure to be updating your guests at all times. The end result will be amazing and you will walk away with memories that will last a lifetime!
Keep up to date with our website for more inspo and advice. Also, make sure to check out our online wedding directory, where you will find lots of destination wedding venues to start your wedding planning today!
