First Thing’s First!

Pick a destination

Sometimes you just know! People who know they want a destination wedding may already have a location in mind, but sometimes there are things you have to consider before nailing down the details. If you don’t know immediately, narrow it down to 3 and start pricing/planning.

Choosing a destination wedding location is an exciting step in planning your special day. Here are some key factors to consider when making your decision:

1. Your Vision and Style

• Beach Wedding: Consider tropical destinations like the Caribbean, Mexico, or Hawaii.

• Mountain Wedding: Opt for scenic locations like Colorado, Switzerland, or the Canadian Rockies.  

• City Wedding: Choose a vibrant city like Paris, Rome, or New York City.

• Cultural Experience: Explore destinations like Bali, Thailand, or Morocco.

2. Guest Considerations

• Budget: Consider the cost of flights and accommodations for your guests.

• Travel Time: Choose a destination that is easily accessible for most of your guests.

• Visa Requirements: Check if any visa requirements apply for your chosen destination.

• Accessibility: Ensure the location is accessible for guests with disabilities.

3. Legal Requirements

• Marriage License: Research the legal requirements for getting married in your chosen destination.

• Waiting Period: Some destinations may require a waiting period before the wedding.

• Paperwork: Ensure you have all the necessary paperwork to get married legally.

4. Venue and Accommodations

• All-Inclusive Resorts: These offer convenience and often include food, drinks, and activities.  

• Private Villas: Rent a villa for a more intimate and personalized experience.

• Hotels and Resorts: Choose a hotel or resort with beautiful wedding venues and amenities.

• Local Venues: Consider unique venues like vineyards, historical buildings, or beaches.

5. Weather and Seasonality

• Climate: Choose a destination with a pleasant climate during your wedding month.

• Off-Peak Seasons: Consider having your wedding during the off-peak season for better deals and fewer crowds.

Remember, the most important factor is choosing a destination that reflects your personal style and makes you and your partner happy. By carefully considering these factors, you can plan a memorable destination wedding.

Budget

Once you pick your destination, it’s time to start budgeting! Don’t be like me and go way over budget lol. Budgeting for a destination wedding requires careful planning and consideration of additional costs beyond a traditional wedding. 

In addition to the standard expenses like venue, catering, and attire, couples must account for travel costs for themselves and their guests, accommodations, and potential visa fees. It's crucial to set a realistic budget and allocate funds for unexpected expenses. By researching all-inclusive packages, off-peak travel dates, and negotiating with vendors, couples can effectively manage their budget and create a memorable destination wedding without exceeding their financial limits.

Venue

Choosing the perfect destination wedding venue is a significant decision that sets the tone for your entire celebration. Consider factors such as the capacity, vibes, and available amenities. All-inclusive resorts offer convenience and often include food, drinks, and activities. Private villas or Airbnbs provide an intimate and personalized experience. Hotels and resorts offer a range of amenities and wedding packages. Local venues, such as vineyards, historical buildings, or beaches, can add a unique touch. When selecting a venue, remember to prioritize your vision, budget, and guest preferences.

We opted for getting married at a resort and I am so glad we did because with all the money we spent, our honeymoon was all on the points we earned!

Open a Travel Credit Card

So if this is a possibility for you, I highly recommend getting married at a Marriott property. Not only will the planning be made a lot easier, but the vendors will all go through Marriott. We chose to open a Marriott Boundless Chase Visa card because every dollar we spent on our wedding counted towards points. Right now, there is a 125,000 Bonus  on points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months of having the card. With the 17X total points for every $1 spent, we had a couple million Marriott points that we were able to splurge on our honeymoon to the Maldives with. I cannot recommend doing this enough!!!

Vendors

If I sold you on the top item, there will probably be a list of pre-approved vendors that work closely with Marriott. We went with all these vendors except for our videographer. We used Little Island Stories and he was absolutely fantastic! There will be tons of local vendors, and I recommend only hiring local vendors because they know the area and it is important to support local business, especially when traveling as a tourist.

Join a Facebook Group

The best way to find out which vendors are the most popular is by joining a Your Destination Bride Facebook Group. I joined the Aruba Brides FB group and it was quite literally a game changer! We booked all our vendors based on what I read from there, and recommendations from our wedding coordinator at Marriott and I would not change a THING!

Optional: Visit your location

This one is optional, as not everyone will be able to visit the destination or venue before booking, but if this is something you can swing with your budget/PTO, DO IT!!! We made a trip to Aruba about a year and a half before our wedding date and doubled it as a birthday trip for me. We were able to meet with our wedding coordinator in person and tour the venue together. 

By visiting the venue, it allows you to envision your wedding day, evaluate the quality of services, and ensure that the venue aligns with your vision. Additionally, a site visit provides an opportunity to inspect the facilities, taste the food, and discuss any specific requirements or customizations with the venue staff.

Build a Wedding Website

Wedding websites are a must these days, and absolutely essential for weddings where your guests will all be traveling to. A dedicated website allows you to share important details such as the wedding date, location, dress code, and travel information. You can also use it to create a personalized experience for your guests, including a guest list, RSVP form, accommodation recommendations, and a travel guide. A wedding website serves as a central hub for all wedding-related information, making it convenient for guests to access the necessary details and stay updated on the latest developments. Here are the must-includes for a destination wedding website:

• Wedding schedule

• Extra activities/events you may be planning like a ‘Welcome Party’

• Travel details including flights, hotel room blocks, and good Airbnbs

• Things to do, including restaurants, excursions, and top activities at your destination

• Q+A section that answers questions about common wedding questions

There are several tools you can use to make your wedding website. I recommend either using The Knot or Squarespace. Depending how technically savvy you are, Squarespace allows you to customize a lot more details about your site and when having a destination wedding, that is sometimes necessary. If you want to check out my wedding website for inspiration, please feel free to ask any questions to me directly and I’d be happy to help!

Send out Save the Dates

Sending save-the-date announcements well in advance is crucial for a destination wedding, especially if your chosen location is popular or requires international travel. These announcements should be sent at least 8-12 months before the wedding date, giving guests ample time to plan their travel arrangements. By sending save-the-dates early, you ensure that your guests can secure their preferred travel dates and accommodations. This also helps you gauge the number of attendees and make necessary arrangements for the venue and catering.

Make sure you include all hotel room information on your website if you don’t plan on including it on the Save the Dates.

Figure out Marriage Logistics

International? Maybe have a courthouse wedding

Different destinations may have specific legal requirements to get married there. Definitely do your research prior to having your official wedding and decide if you want to officially get married at your destination or have a courthouse wedding prior to departure. There are certain details you need to think about including:

• Marriage License: Research the legal requirements for getting married in your chosen destination.

• Waiting Period: Some destinations may require a waiting period before the wedding.

• Paperwork: Ensure you have all the necessary paperwork to get married legally.

• Translation: Your marriage license will need to be translated if in a different language for legal purposes in the USA.

We opted to have a courthouse wedding in our new hometown of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia! It was way more fun than I expected and we were able to invite my Grammy and Noah’s grandpa who were unable to travel to Aruba.

Get to WORK! Random Things No One Tells You!

Guess What? More Event Planning!

Something that has become the norm for destination weddings, but totally does not have to be is hosting extra events/activities for guests. Because people are traveling from out of town, it is a nice gesture, but also not completely necessary if it does not fit your budget. We opted to have two, with one doubling as our joint bachelor/bachelorette party. We hosted a welcome party for our guests on the Thursday before our wedding for everyone who traveled in early and rented out the bar across the street from our resort for drinks and tacos. It was a ton of fun and allowed our guests to mingle before the big day!

The second thing we did, which I absolutely love that we did, was have our bachelor/bachelorette event be an excursion for all of our friends in town. We went on a snorkel trip on the Wednesday before our wedding and had a jolly good time on a pirate ship. Depending on where your location is and what your budget is, it could be a good idea to plan additional activities with your guests who are traveling so far for you.

Welcome Bags

Guest welcome bags are a thoughtful gesture to welcome your loved ones to your destination wedding. These personalized bags can include essential items like local snacks, water bottles, sunscreen, maps, and a welcome letter. You can also add fun surprises like miniature bottles of alcohol, customized souvenirs, or vouchers for local attractions. By providing these thoughtful amenities, you can enhance your guests' experience and make them feel appreciated.

We included a ‘Welcome Booklet’ with details of all the things to do near our wedding venue and fun facts about our guests. If you are interested in using my template, shoot me an email.

Travel Planning for Guests: You’re a Travel Agent Now!

AirBNB

Renting an Airbnb for a destination wedding can offer a unique and personalized experience for guests. In our case, the Airbnbs were WAY cheaper than our resort, so it allowed a lot more people the ability to come to our wedding. I also rented an Airbnb for the bridesmaids, and it allowed for us to have a space larger than a hotel room to get ready in the day of the wedding. Our Airbnb was awesome and had a pool. We hung out there a lot throughout the wedding week even though we were staying at the resort. Renting an Airbnb can also provide flexibility in terms of guest accommodations and event planning. 

Room Blocks

Securing hotel room blocks is essential for a destination wedding to accommodate your guests conveniently. By partnering with your wedding venue/hotel or resort, you can negotiate special rates and provide your guests with a convenient booking process. If you are not getting married at a hotel/resort, ensure that the hotel is within a reasonable distance from the wedding venue and offers amenities like transportation, dining, and entertainment options. 

Clearly communicate the hotel block information to your guests, including the booking deadline and any specific instructions. By providing a hassle-free accommodation option, you can enhance your guests' overall experience.

Cheap Flight Alerts

Check out Going, formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights —which is an email mailing list that notifies you of the cheapest flight alerts. We also set up Google Flight alerts from the airports our guests were coming from at various dates that would work with our wedding. Whenever the prices were good, I sent a text to the person at that airport and they were able to book cheaper flights than normal.

Pre-Trip: Make a Timeline

Our destination of Aruba had a pre-entry card that quite literally none of our guests knew about, so I set a schedule to reach out to each guest letting them know they needed to fill it out 3 days before leaving for the island. I’m so glad I made a list of things I needed to get done and when it needed to happen. There are tons of checklists available online, but almost NONE for destination weddings, so definitely make one in Google Docs!

Ask Your Guests These Questions

It is essential to know when your guests will be arriving and where they are staying while at your wedding. There was a freak airline incident the Friday before our wedding, and thankfully because we knew which flights our guests were arriving on, we were able to know who we might have had to miss at our wedding. Thankfully, everyone was able to make it, and I am so glad I was able to keep track of who was arriving on which days. Here are the questions that I asked on our wedding invite RSVP–and I’m GLAD I did.

1. What is your arrival date?

2. What is your flight number?

3. Where are you staying while here?

Having all this information allows you to be able to greet guests when they arrive, have their welcome bag (if you choose to have) available for them, and be able to invite them to any activities/events you might be doing/hosting.

Packing…start immediately!

Packing for a destination wedding requires careful planning to ensure you have everything you need for your special day. Start by creating a detailed packing list, considering items like your wedding attire, accessories, shoes, and undergarments. Don't forget essentials like toiletries, medications, and any specific items you may need for your wedding day, such as a veil, hairpins, or cufflinks. 

Pack efficiently and label and organize all of your wedding supplies ahead of time. We were so happy we did this, because it made things easier for us when we arrived to our destination. By packing strategically, you can ensure a stress-free and enjoyable travel experience. One thing we did was for items we did not need on the first day, we had a guest check an extra bag for us because they were flying first class. This saved us some money and we were so thankful to my cousins for doing that for us.

Lastly, the most annoying thing for me was mailing our welcome signs, and seating chart. International shipping is no joke and we spent a fortune on this, only for it to get to customs in Aruba and our wedding coordinator had to pay even more to retrieve it.

Relax on Arrival and ENJOY!

Once you make it to your wedding destination, try to stop with the crazy wedding planning and just embrace this special time with your friends and family. I hope you choose to do a destination wedding, because it was one of the best experiences of my entire life and worth every penny!