Destination Weddings
Nothing is more exciting than a destination wedding. The moment you share the news with your family and friends everyone starts planning their holidays in the sun round your event. Having a destination style wedding can also make your family and friends bond even better in the day or two of the leadup or during the after party days where everyone is still mingling round a sunny pool in Greece or Italy.
It is no easy feat planning such an event abroad, but we have a few handy tips to help you plan your dream destination wedding with minimal hiccups and maximum peace of mind.
Vila Monte Farmhouse Portugal
Start from the top
Set a date and book your dream venue. The date might depend on the venues availability which is why I am writing them together. Figure out your ideal dates and preferred venue and get this booked as soon as you comfortably can. A fixed date and the location will help you drive the project forward and will help you book other suppliers in as well.
Simple is best
The fewer suppliers you have and the fewer logistical challenges the less complications you would experience. Where possible, use the venue’s catering if you are happy with their standards and options of course. Consider logistics for destination events perhaps even more than for events in your home country. Try to choose a venue that is close enough to an airport for easy and cheap connections. If you can have your sound supplied by your function band you should choose this option rather than trying to provide sound separately as this could end up costing more or worse, not suit the band’s requirements. Most music bands or function bands would bring their own sound if they can, but where this isn’t possible they would hire or ask you to hire sound support at the destination based on on their requirements. But make sure these are communicated clearly and professionally to the correct vendors to avoid disapointment.
Wedding Planning
Make sure you are going through the typical wedding planning process and don’t skip any stages or expect things to just work out by themselves. This might sound obvious but I felt it is worth reminding our readers. Sometimes, when planning a destination wedding couples are stuck in holiday mode and rely too much on their suppliers. Think about what your suppliers might need, and ask them for their requirements, so there are no surprises nearer the time or any unexpected last minute bills. Costly food bills for wedding suppliers who get stuck in some small town in Portugal, or Greece due to insufficient planning of their route is just an example of things that might happen.
Keep your feet on the ground- absolutely not!
Don’t forget this is your big day, so it has to excite you and inspire you! First come up with the biggest baldest plans and only start scaling back on bits that you truely can’t afford or are outright physically impossible. Keep the dream alive through-out and don’t let the naysayers squash the vibe.
I believe you should first aim for the stars and only later on lower the gaze and only if you absolutely have to.
Early birds catches the worm
Where possible book suppliers in early and try not to dwell on some of these decisions too long. Use recommendations where this is possible and always quiz your suppliers in advance, make sure you agree on clear contracts and that your suppliers are not being too vague. Once you have compared a few suppliers for each category and cross examined their answers you should be in a good enough position to commit. we would always recommend suppliers who communicate quickly and clearly. Answering emails or texts efficiently is one of the best marks of professionalism and organization. If someone is slow to answer messages before they are paid, imagine how slow they would be after the invoice is cleared. So get in there early for your perfect destination wedding.
If you have any questions or want advise, please feel free to comment below! Good luck with your wedding planning!