How to plan a destination wedding: tips from the pros

Wedding Planning

9 Nov

So it begins - you are now planning a wedding abroad!

Congratulations on making the first big decision on your wedding planning journey. The wedding will be taking place in another country. This is super exciting (and a little scary) as plenty of options exist. You might already have your heart set on a particular destination, perhaps on a specific venue. It is always a good practice to compare and shop around a little, just for that peace of mind.

Let’s get ready, it might be a challenging journey but we are here to make it super easy and always on chat to answer any questions.

Choose Your Destination Wisely

Every country has its own rules, pros and cons when it comes to weddings. Especially if you wish to marry legally. To start with:
Travel accessibility: think of your guests and where they need to fly from, also look at the destination of the venue from the nearest airport. Will you need to rent a car to get to the venue? And can you organise transfers for the guests from airports, OR from their hotels (or a meeting point) to the wedding venue and back?
Weather and Seasons: Research the best season to get married in your chosen destination. Avoid hurricane seasons in tropical locations or extreme weather that could impact your wedding. Note that the wedding ceremony and the wedding itself abroad usually take place later on in the afternoon or early evening due to the heat of the summer day. However, you can party later in the night!

2. Set a Realistic Wedding and Travel Budget

When planning a destination wedding you mustn’t forget about the travel and the hotel you would like to stay in for the duration of your holidays there! This will be a large sum of money coming off your budget alone. At the same time, think of your guests, can they all afford flights and stays in your chosen country? Are you giving them enough notice to start saving?

I understand this might be quite daunting, but from years of experience, with enough notice and information about the holiday part of your celebrations, those who want to come - will come and be part of your big day! At this stage, be practical!

Factor in extra costs: Destination weddings can come with hidden expenses, like import taxes for decor, currency exchange fees, and travel expenses for suppliers. Allow 10% of your budget for these alone
All-inclusive packages: These are designed to save you time and money. We offer a venue, with catering and a wedding planner/ coordinator. The foundation of your wedding in one package that still gives you the flexibility to choose your own decor, DJ, cake, flowers, and other vendors.
When the Budget is in place: Now you can start looking and browsing venues and locations. You can see the difference in costings from country to country and some regions too on our website.

3. Understand Legal Requirements

We recommend getting legally married in the UK or at your local registry office and then having a symbolic ceremony abroad. This approach allows you more flexibility to personalise your vows, select your music, and control the timing of the ceremony.

Every country has different legal requirements for marriage, and these can change from year to year. Our wedding planners and coordinators stay up-to-date on these regulations and can assist with the process.

Please note that to legally marry abroad, you will typically need to apply for a marriage license in the destination country and personally collect it from the local registry office or embassy. Additionally, most countries require you to stay a certain number of days in the country before the wedding; this can range from two to eight working days.

Keep in mind that all paperwork must be translated into the local language if it is not in English, and translations need to be confirmed and apostilled. This applies both to the documents required for the wedding abroad and for registering the marriage certificate when you return home.

4. Consider Visiting the Venue in Person

You can start the exciting planning journey with a little holiday! Even though it is not necessary to go and view the venues in person, it is an enjoyable experience (for most :)). You can opt to see the venue before you book it or afterward. A visit closer to your wedding date will allow you to have a food tasting and speak about the final details with all your suppliers. Please note that the wedding vendors abroad work usually seasonally and the whole approach to wedding planning is way more relaxed than in the UK.

So don’t panic if you don’t hear from your coordinator or a cake maker for a week, they just might be busy with the wedding that is currently happening, or it is out of season and they work in the office only limited days a week.

5. Create a Guest Friendly Experience

Your guests will be traveling from near and far, and your wedding may be their annual holiday, meaning many will stay longer than just the weekend. It’s essential to provide them with all the necessary details when you share your wedding date. Creating a wedding website is a great way to keep everyone informed. Include information about accommodations, transportation, and activities planned during your time abroad.

On your wedding website, you can also gather meal pre-orders, check for potential allergies, and note any special guest needs—helping you avoid a flood of last-minute questions.

Create a Weekend Wedding Itinerary:

Welcome Party (Night Before the Wedding): Host a casual gathering, like a dinner at a local restaurant, where guests can spend quality time together before the big day.
Wedding Day Itinerary: Share the timeline with guests, either in the invitation or as a printed itinerary placed in their rooms, or at reception ready when they check-in. It is a cute welcome touch to have a letter ready for your guests!
Additional Events: Consider organising a post-wedding brunch, group breakfast, or even a catamaran cruise! Communicate any extra events well in advance so guests can plan accordingly.

By sharing these details early, you’ll create a smooth, enjoyable experience for everyone attending your destination wedding.

6. Prepare for the unexpected

Life happens, human errors happen, and unexpected world/nature situations happen. Cover all your bases and opt for wedding insurance, and don’t forget your travel insurance too!

Remember weddings can be postponed fairly easily and wedding and travel suppliers are used to rescheduling for couples more often than you think.

Contingency plan: book reputable wedding suppliers and that is the best foundation! We do take the selection of our venues very seriously to make sure your wedding is in safe hands!
Travel contingency: allow for extra days before your wedding date!
Weather plan B: all venues have a plan B for the rainy or windy wedding day, also your planner is naturally an overthinker and has covered all bases!

7. Stay Organised and Enjoy the Process

Create a Check-list: a simple spreadsheet with your budget and suppliers already booked will be super helpful
Create a Guests list: again a simple list of your guests that you can tick off will be helpful, this is something that can be created on your wedding website
Seating Plan: this can be the most challenging part of any wedding, there will be moving parts, last-minute cancellations, and allergies to mark down, you can perhaps use ‘ALL seated’ - easy-to-navigate seating plans. Your planner can also send you the layout of the venue you can easily type into. Find the full list of helpful planning apps below.
Embrace the Unique Experience: Remember, a destination wedding offers you and your guests a unique, memorable experience. Enjoy the process and take in every special moment.
By following these pro tips, you’ll be well-prepared to plan a beautiful destination wedding that reflects your vision. With the right support, the planning process can be as enjoyable as the celebration itself! Have fun! And if you have any questions talk to us.

8. Popular planning tools and apps to help you with the destination wedding planning process:

Plan like a Pro

Guest list and Invitation management:

Joy: A free tool for managing guest lists, RSVPs, and wedding websites, plus an app for guest communication.
Riley & Grey: Offers custom wedding websites with unique designs for an upscale experience.

Budgeting and Expense tracking:

Mint: A general budgeting app that’s also helpful for managing wedding expenses created by intuit.
WeddingHappy: A simple app that breaks down budget and tasks by deadline, helping you stay on track.

Inspiration & Visual Planning:

Pinterest: Perfect for collecting inspiration for everything from decor to dress ideas. You can create private boards to organise themes and color schemes.
Canva: Great for designing your own wedding invitations, signage, and other visual elements, and those welcome letters!
Instagram: Use saved collections to gather inspiration from wedding vendors and planners worldwide.

Task Management & Timeline Planning:

Trello: Helps organize and track tasks, especially if you’re collaborating with a planner or family members.
Airtable: Offers customisable templates for task management, guest lists, and seating charts.
Todoist: Ideal for keeping up with planning checklists, reminders, and task deadlines.

Seating Charts Tools:

AllSeated: Specialised for event seating with 3D layout options, making it easy to visualize seating arrangements.
Social Tables: Used by many venues, this tool helps manage seating arrangements and floor plans in detail.

Vendor & Budget Tracking:

HoneyBook: Designed for client/vendor relationship management, HoneyBook lets you handle contracts, payments, and invoices, all in one place.
Aisle Planner: Comprehensive wedding planning software with tools for budgeting, vendor management, and timeline creation.