If a destination wedding is the right choice for you and your fiancé, keep these helpful tips from our Travel Editor, Oncu Tuzuner in mind when planning that perfect tropical escape with family and friends.
With the love of your life kneeling before you with the brightest diamond ring, you can’t help but to start mentally planning the perfect wedding…sometimes even before you remember to say, “YES!” For me, my mind immediately wandered to white sandy beaches. The turquoise blue waters of the tropics, with just our families and closest friends present to watch us take our vows.
If you’re like me, you’ve known for a long time a destination wedding is the ideal way you hope to say, “I Do!” You’ve imagined your wedding photo album filled with the blues, greens and sandy colors of the islands and you can’t wait to share this special opportunity with your loved ones. This the moment you’ve dreamed about and you’re having a destination wedding!! Aside from your personal wedding dreams coming true, a destination wedding, defined as a wedding taking place in a location where most guests must travel a distance and usually stay overnight for several days, has several significant benefits as well.
Due to the distance, expense and time required to attend a destination wedding, the guest list is usually limited in number. No need to worry about a guest list longer than your dining room table or inviting your mother’s cousin’s daughters or your father’s boss. Just you, your fiancé and your closest family and friends will share in your special day. With fewer guests attending, your budget will stretch further than a locally planned event and who doesn’t love more money to spend? Add to this, the limitless options available worldwide for destination wedding locations and the world is literally at your fingertips. Need to stretch your wedding dollars a little more? Choose a location you and your fiancé would love to honeymoon in. Once the wedding day events are over and the guests have left for home, you and your husband can stay longer and enjoy your first vacation as a married couple without having to plan a separate trip.
TIPS
Some important matters to keep in mind when planning a destination wedding:
- Check Local Marriage Requirements: Every location has it’s own unique marriage laws and requirements. Some require a marriage license be acquired days if not months prior to your event, while others allow only symbolic wedding celebrations, requiring couples to legally wed in their own country. Regardless of the individual requirements each destination holds, make sure you research them prior to sending out your wedding invitations.
- Consider Your Guests: Send a ‘Save the Date” as soon as you know your wedding date and location. This allows as many of your chosen loved ones as possible to secure days off, prepare for the expense of travel and arrange for childcare and household obligations prior to their departure for your event. A “Save the Date” is a considerate way to notify family and friends of your destination wedding and helps ensure all your loved ones who can make the trip, will make the trip.
- Choose Dates Wisely: Tropical destinations, while lovely and magical can also have temperamental, sometimes volatile weather conditions. Many destinations offer deeply discounted rates for travel during these “low seasons” but beware the potential risks of planning a wedding during those times. Make sure to research extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes or tornados prior to booking a particular location.
- Attire: Whether your destination wedding is being held on the sandy beaches of Turks and Caicos or in a mountainside lodge in the Swiss Alps, dress accordingly. For warm tropical destinations, choose a lighter gown with breathable fabrics and fewer layers. For those winter wonderland weddings, choose a gown with sleeves or add a fashionable shrug for added warmth. A bride should never be uncomfortable on her wedding day!
- Shoes: Shoes deserve a section all their own! Your wedding day shoes should compliment your gown, but also your location. For ceremonies held on the beach, opt for ballet flats or glamorously bejeweled sandals. Save the high heels or even wedding boots for the colder climates and more solid ground. Always aim for comfort; you’ll be wearing those shoes for a long time and likely on your feet all day.
- Travel With Necessities: Never check your wedding dress, veil or jewelry onto the plane with your checked luggage as lost luggage is a huge concern during destination wedding travel. Instead opt to carry your wedding gown and other wedding day necessities onboard the plane and suggest your bridesmaids and groomsmen do the same. Often a flight attendant can hang your wedding gown in a closet to help minimize wrinkling.
Last but not least, Take A Moment To Breathe! You must remember to take some time during your wedding day for yourself and your fiancé to privately appreciate your surroundings and bask in the glow of your love and the love of those who have traveled far an wide to share in your special day.
This is after all, your destination wedding dream come true. Relax, have fun and enjoy every moment.
CREDITS
Article written by: Oncu Tuzuner