Destination Wedding Tips

When you imagine your wedding day, where do you picture yourself? Are you on a tropical island with the sand between your toes, are you at a cozy lodge in the mountains or are you somewhere closer to home? Options for your wedding local can be endless if you expand your venue search outside of your hometown,

These days, destination weddings have become an increasingly popular choice for couples. Destination weddings can often be more cost effective and intimate than weddings at home. This is due in part to their smaller guest lists. Not only does this allow you to spend more one on one time with your guests, but it allows you create a more unique and personal experience for you and your guests to enjoy.

Here are some tips to help you get started planning your destination wedding:

1)      Check With Close Family And Friends: Make sure that those most important to you will be able to come. If a close family member won’t be able to make the journey you may want to reconsider having a destination wedding.

2)      Plan Ahead: Destination weddings require a lot of planning. You’ll want to have the venue, room blocks and major vendors booked before you invite your guests. At least one planning trip to check out the venue and meet local vendors is also a good idea. A certified wedding planner with destination wedding experience can be you best ally when securing vendors and working with your venue.

3)      Give Guests Plenty Of Notice: Guests will need time to make travel arrangements like flights, rental cars and hotel rooms. It is courteous to give them at least six months notice. If you are planning on getting married out of the country this is especially important because your guest will need to have all of their travel documents like passports and visas up to date.

4)      Know The Facts About Getting Married At Your Destination:  The embassy or tourist information bureau of the country in which you wish to get married is a great source for this information. Each country has different requirements; some require blood test and a myriad of other documents in order to get married there. Be knowledgeable and have all of your documents in order before you arrive for your wedding.

5)      Have A Back-Up Plan: Make sure you plan for that unexpected hurricane or natural disaster which can affect travel for you and your guests. Travel or wedding insurance is a great idea for destination weddings. It can cover everything from a postponed event due to weather, damaged property, and even lost luggage.

The world is filled with exotic destinations, but the perfect location for your destination wedding may be closer than you think. If you live in Houston, there are beautiful resorts and boutique hotels in the Texas Hill Country and gorgeous historic properties in New Orleans that are just a few hours drive away but will give you and your guests the same feeling of escape and relaxation as a tropical resort. 

Bon Voyage!

Megan Hardy
Wedding Planner
Green Lily Weddings

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