Despite the pandemic putting a damper on the idea of travel, many couples are still choosing to have destination weddings. According to statistics, over 350,000 destination weddings are performed annually, accounting for about 25 percent of all weddings in North America.
Besides the incredible amount of logistical planning and packing involved—especially wardrobe and tech necessities—destination weddings are actually much more expensive than conventional weddings.
Still, many couples love the idea of having a destination wedding because of how exciting and memorable it can be. Destination weddings are also a great way to avoid inviting too many people. If you’re planning a destination wedding, here are some things you should consider when planning and taking your ideas to a planner:
1. Set a budget and try to stick to it
When planning a destination wedding, it’s likely that you’re going to need help from a wedding planner. The good thing is that a wedding planner ensures that you stick to your budget and could help prevent you from overspending.
Plus, experienced wedding planners often know where the best deals are for hotel wedding packages, photographers, and food.
Before approaching a wedding planner, consider how much you’re willing to spend, what the budget for each guest will be, and what the both of you absolutely want at the wedding.
2. A lot of the planning will be out of your control but…
Packing the right essentials like your tech necessities, wardrobe, and medication is not. While stressing out about how your wedding is going to be, it’s likely that you’ll feel overwhelmed. However, making a checklist of things you need to take with you while on your trip will prevent you from forgetting things and give you some peace of mind when traveling.
3. Some people might be upset you chose a destination wedding
Honestly, some people will be upset that you’ve chosen a destination wedding, and that’s completely fine. It’s understandable that some people will be upset because they cannot make it, and unless you’re willing to pay for all your guests, they’ll have to pay for their own flight tickets and accommodations.
If you’re highly concerned about that, you could also do a simple ceremony back home where everyone can attend or stream the destination wedding live through a video conferencing platform.
Ultimately, the whole purpose of the wedding is to celebrate you and your partner, so while it’s perfectly acceptable that some of your friends and family will be upset, it’s worth remembering that it is an important day for you as well.
4. Take into consideration the weather and what you want to wear
Many couples love the idea of a beach destination wedding because of how romantic it is. While this is great, most beach destinations are warm and humid, so you’ll need to consider this when planning your outfit, makeup, and hair for the day. Finding the right outfit could make all the difference in ensuring that you don’t have a meltdown out of discomfort and unhappiness.
You’ll also want to consider your wedding venue and whether some things are practical. For example, is the sand on the beach you’ve chosen too soft for an aisle runner? Are there any festivals going on near your wedding venue that will cause distractions?
There are plenty of different things to consider when planning a destination wedding. While a wedding planner will definitely help anticipate and answer those questions, it’s worth noting these things for yourself, too. This will help you set better expectations and figure out solutions as well.
5. Make sure you can legally be married in your destination wedding location
Legal requirements for marriage differ from country to country so before you decide to do a destination wedding, figure out if you’ll need to do some sort of ceremony in advance in your home country. For example, getting married in Mexico will require some medical visits to get blood tests and chest x-rays done. These tests will all need to be done in Mexico itself.
There are plenty of things to consider when planning a destination wedding. While the list above might be a lot to take in, we hope it doesn’t deter you from wanting to do a wedding abroad because it can be a gratifying experience.
