Your wedding day should be a day you absolutely love – and for a lot of couples, that might mean traveling somewhere amazing and getting married in an epic location! A destination wedding can be a ton of fun, but it can also be a lot of work to tie the knot away from home. This guide will give you some tips for planning a destination wedding, and some ideas for your own unique day!
It’s totally possible to plan a destination wedding no matter what your budget is! While your travel costs might be higher, couples often save money in other areas if they have a smaller guest list – so before you dive into planning your destination wedding, sit down with your partner and talk about your budget and what’s important to you. It’s all about prioritizing!
Since prices for things like vendors, a venue, and food can change a lot depending on your location, do some research about potential locations to figure out what your budget might be.
One of the first things you’ll need to do can also be one of the biggest challenges – choosing a wedding destination! Needless to say, there are endless incredible places all over the world, so you’ve definitely got a lot of options. Here are some things to think about when it comes to narrowing it down.
A destination wedding is typically at least a few hours away from home, and you can go literally anywhere – so one of the first questions to ask yourselves is how far from home you want to travel. Some couples want to jet off somewhere completely across the globe, while others prefer to stay a little closer to home. Things to consider when it comes to this decision can be budget, who you want to invite to your wedding, and whether you want to include your pet or leave them at home!
One of the best tips for planning a destination wedding is to choose your destination based on what you want to see and experience! If you dream of a gorgeous venue in the mountains, you might tie the knot somewhere like the Catskills. If you want to be on a tropical beach, you might jet off to Cabo. Think about what kinds of places bring you joy, and where you want to be when you marry your best friend!
Destination weddings often are a little bit smaller, since you and your guests will be traveling to this place – so your guest list may need to be a little more intentional and possibly shorter than it would be otherwise! Think about who you truly want to be there with you, and send out invitations early.
For a destination wedding, it’s best to send save-the-dates and invitations a little bit earlier than usual, since guests will have to make travel plans and bookings! Send out save-the-dates as soon as you have a date and location set, but at least 6-8 months out is ideal. For invitations, give your guests a little more time as well, and send those out about three months away from the wedding date!
If you’re taking your wedding international and planning to get married outside of where you live, there will likely be very different marriage laws to navigate. Getting legally married abroad can be difficult, but it can also be pretty easy – it really depends on where you tie the knot! After you choose your destination wedding locations, make sure you know the local marriage laws.
Some couples decide to do the paperwork at home instead, as this allows you to enjoy your ceremony without worrying about the legal stuff! If you tie the knot in a place where getting a marriage license as a foreigner is more difficult, this might be a good option. Don’t worry – your ceremony won’t feel any less “real!” Paperwork isn’t what truly begins your marriage, your vows do.
If you do decide to get legally married during your destination wedding, make sure you know the requirements and get all of your paperwork in order!
The ceremony is a big part of your destination wedding, but I also recommend planning some more fun adventures to have with your partner, and with your guests. Since you’ll likely combine your honeymoon with the wedding, the two of you can explore and enjoy your location, but it can also be great to include your guests in some of that.
In the days before or after your wedding day, I recommend planning some activities to do with your loved ones – this can be a fun pool party, a beach day, a family hike, anything you can think of! Your guests are traveling to this destination to celebrate with you, so it can be nice to spend a little extra time with the people you love.
Once your loved ones go home, you can continue your honeymoon and have some adventures, just the two of you!
A photographer is super important for any wedding! Your destination wedding photographer will be there to document the day, but I also recommend having them be there for a few days, to capture some moments of the two of you hanging out with guests. All of this will be a part of your wedding story, and looking back on all of those memories for years to come will be priceless!
An experienced destination wedding photographer will also be able to help you make your dream day become a reality, give you tips for planning a destination wedding, and be there to give you advice and everything you need along the way.
If you’re ready to plan your destination wedding, contact me!