Planning a destination wedding is a dream come true, but it takes careful preparation to make it perfect.

Start by choosing a beautiful and accessible location, ensuring it’s easy for your guests to reach. Next, send out save-the-dates 8 to 12 months in advance and establish a clear budget early on.

With your guests, offer a range of accommodation options and consider providing travel assistance by working with a travel professional who specializes in destination weddings, such as myself. Also, understand the local marriage laws to avoid any legal surprises. Then, add personal touches like welcome bags and extra events to enhance the experience. Lastly, as the big day approaches, confirm all details and communicate the dress code clearly.

By following these destination wedding tips, you’ll create a memorable and stress-free destination wedding.

The Islands of Hawaii can make an amazing destination wedding location!

Choosing the Right Location: Accessibility and Travel Logistics

The first step in planning your destination wedding is picking the right location.

This choice is about more than finding a pretty spot. You need to consider how safe and easily accessible the location is. Can your guests easily get there? If your grandparents or someone with special needs is coming, you’ll want to make sure they can travel comfortably. If it’s going to take your guests 20+ hours of travel time, they may be a little bit hesitant to come.

Picture this: You’ve chosen a beautiful beach, but it takes 12 hours of flights and a 3 hour drive to get to. It’s also up on a hill and your grandparents can’t easily get around. While your scenery will still be beautiful, there will be outside stressors that hinder your experience. Think about how long the travel time is, whether guests will need visas, and how many flight options there are.

Make sure the location is not just beautiful, but also accessible for everyone. Here is a great blog where I went into more detail about this.

Planning Timeline

When it comes to planning your destination wedding, start early.

One of the most important destination wedding tips is to send out “save the dates” 12-15 months before the big day.

Why so early? Because your guests need time to arrange their schedules, book their flights, and maybe even renew their passports.

Then, send out the actual invitations at least 6-8 months before the wedding. This gives everyone plenty of time to get everything in order.

Budgeting

Let’s talk about your budget. One of the top destination wedding tips is to set a clear budget right from the start and understand how far it will get you. Destination weddings can be very reasonable, but can get expensive quickly if you don’t understand what outside costs there will be, such as different vendors, travel costs, and accommodations. Include all your expenses, such as the venue, food, and even little things, like welcome bags.

Also, think about your guests’ budgets. Most of the time, guests pay for their own travel and hotel rooms, so try to cater to the different budget ranges as best as you can without sacrificing your “must haves.” Booking hotel room blocks can help save money for your guests and keep everyone close by.

Guest Considerations

You’ll want to make sure your guests have a good experience. While you don’t necessarily have to book their travel, you can make things easier by offering some help, such as a travel agent who can help you create a room block, communicate with everyone, ensure they meet requirements to travel, and help answer any questions guests have.

This not only makes things easier, but also helps your guests get excited about the trip!

Legal and Cultural Considerations

Don’t forget about the legal stuff.

One of the most important destination wedding tips is to make sure you know the local marriage laws. Each country has its own rules about getting married, and you don’t want any surprises. Make sure you know what documents you need, who can perform the ceremony, and if there are any cultural practices you should follow. For example, some countries require you to be there a few days before the wedding to make it legal.

If this overwhelms you, consider a symbolic wedding ceremony.

Enhance the Experience

You can make your destination wedding even more special with a few extra touches.

Welcome bags are a great idea. These can include local treats, an itinerary, and some travel essentials. It’s a simple way to show your guests you appreciate them making the trip.

Plan some extra events like a welcome party or a brunch after the wedding. Excursions are also well loved and greatly enhance the experience for all involved. After all, that is one of the perks of a destination wedding: you get several days to celebrate and have fun with friends and family and not just one night!

These events give everyone more chances to relax, enjoy the destination, and make memories.

Final Preparations

As the wedding day gets closer, there are a few final destination wedding tips to keep in mind.

First, make sure your guests know the dress code. You might have a specific look in mind, but your guests might not be sure what’s appropriate. If you are getting married in the sand, consider warning them so they wear appropriate footwear. Consider the climate when choosing your dress requests. Including this information in your final itinerary can help avoid any confusion.

Also, double-check everything before the big day. Confirm your flights, hotel bookings, and any arrangements with vendors. Make sure you have all the legal documents you need. You don’t want any last-minute problems on your wedding day! Once you arrive in destination, set up a meeting with the local coordinator to review everything.

Ready to Plan Your Destination Wedding?

If these destination wedding tips have inspired you, it’s time to start planning your perfect day.

At Destination Days, we’re here to help you create lasting memories with the people who matter most. Whether you’re dreaming of a beachside ceremony or a wedding in a historic city, we can help you make it happen.

Contact us today and let’s start planning your dream destination wedding together!