Considering planning a destination wedding? Here are some of my favorite tips for making your day one that is as stress-free and breathtaking as possible.
Think of your wedding as being in your own movie — picture the big day!
When you first start thinking about how to plan a destination wedding, you should think about the big picture. Do you want your wedding on a white sandy beach? In the middle of a big city? A small, elegant affair? A big bash with all your friends and family? Then factor in your budget and guest list. You can’t begin to work on the details without understanding the whole picture. Once you know where your wedding will be, you can work on the smaller details such as style, theme, flowers, colors and design.
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Pick a destination
Once you’ve picked the type of wedding, it’s time to choose the special place where you’ll be saying, “I do.” Follow your heart!
If you like to spend long days in the sunshine with a drink in your hand, choose a tropical island. If you are looking for something intimate and lovely, rent a small home or a vineyard in Sonoma. Maybe you are more adventurous and want to do it in a lush jungle, or if you are a historian, London or Rome might be the perfect destination for you? Barn-chic is very popular now and there are some beautiful spots in New England, Montana, and Colorado where you can rent a spot with nature and wildflowers all around you. How pretty is that?
You will also want to consider how easy it will be for everyone to travel to your chosen wedding destination. Try picking a place that offers reasonably priced, direct flights from your home city and make sure the location can accommodate guests that are older or have special needs. Think about which family members will definitely be excited and commit to coming to the destination and factor their ease of travel into the equation.
Select a date
One your mind is set on throwing a destination wedding, make sure you take the time to look at the weather that time of year. Saturday nights are often the chosen date and more expensive so if can you can swing a Thursday, Friday or Sunday or host an afternoon wedding you can save a lot of money. Early in the planning, make sure to ask your family members and closest friends what date will work best for them. Check a calendar for smaller holidays such as Martin Luther King Day, Columbus Day or President’s Day because travel is often more crowded and more expensive at those times. You will also need to accept that you won’t be able to pick a date that works for all your guests.
Choose any amazing wedding planner
If this is not in your budget, most hotels, clubs and off-site venues have an event planner on staff. If you have an organized family member or friend that offers to help-say yes. There are lots of details in planning even a small wedding so extra help is key. It is preferable if the event planner is same time zone as the host country and it’s especially helpful if they are fluent in the native language spoken in the country. Alternatively, if you stay in the US/Canada- still be mindful of different time zones so that your key people (planner, caterer, music, flowers) can easily make joint planning calls.
Even the best planned events can have some glitches so you need a team you can depend on. It is this teams job to:
- Meet with you in person at the venue
- Advise you on the local requirements to be legally married there
- What is the proper attire is for that time of year and venue
- Help select a theme and decor that looks great and food that they have made for other events. You do not want to be the “experiment”.
- Develop a Plan B in case of rain, heavy wind, a storm
- This team should be easy to work with and understand your vibe
- Make sure that the chosen vendors are responsible!
- Work with them to select a menu that uses local, fresh ingredients
- Help design some signature cocktails that match with the theme
It is super important to create a table design that has great flow and allows everyone to be able to see you and your partner
Put a lot of thought into picking your wedding party
- Not everyone is a good traveler. Some people get very anxious if they are not in their home city
- It may be difficult for friends with small children to have the time to travel to a destination wedding
- Some friends are really fun but can add drama to a situation, invite them to the wedding but maybe not have them in your wedding party.
- This is your day. Your wedding party’s focus should be on you, your partner and helping make it the best day ever.
Send out invitations early
It is very important when planning a destination wedding to send out the invitations early. Aim for at least six months earlier if not sooner. Consider dropping hints or sending out save the date cards on the intended date up to a year early so people can block out that date on the calendar. You can help your guests by working with a Travel Advisor to help them figure out the easiest most cost effective route to the wedding site and accommodations once they arrive.
KERRY MORIARTY ROBBINS
Kerry is the owner and lead travel consultant with KerryOn Travel, an affiliate of Tafari Travel. She originally hails from Chicago, but currently splits her time between living in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and charming, historic Charleston, South Carolina. A study abroad program in Europe originally sparked her infatuation with travel. This was her first full immersion into another culture and forever shaped her desire for cultural and culinary discovery. An avid sports woman, Kerry has trekked to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain and swished down the slopes of Europe and South America. But, she also loves kicking back with girlfriends on a spa weekend. Some of her favorite travel memories include enjoying leisurely winery lunches in New Zealand, visiting small islands off the coast of Cartagena, and exploring neighborhood markets in Thailand. When exploring North America, some favorite memories are Lobster Rolls in Maine, Country Cookouts in Nashville, Jazz Fest in New Orleans, hitting the desert for Coachella and amazing meals in Montreal. Kerry graduated from The University of Denver with a degree in Finance, has an MBA, and a degree from Northwestern University. Prior to joining the team at Tafari, Kerry worked as a technology executive and enjoyed earning lots of airline miles for her travels.
She also has the distinguished honor of being a member of Virtuoso, the top 1% of Travel Designers in the world. When not hiking in Colorado, or enjoying the amazing food in Charleston, Kerry can be seen enjoying life with her twin daughters and husband Richard.
Travel Specialties:
Culture and Culinary
Health and Wellness
Active Adventures
Destination Weddings/Honeymoons/Girls Trips/Romantic Weekends
