How to Plan a Destination Wedding Without the Stress

I've been traveling in Italy for the last two weeks and there's places that I think, "Wow this would be an amazing wedding location". This has got me thinking about how couples could plan a stress-free destination wedding. A perfect destination wedding is a dream for a lot of couples, but due to the expense or the amount of planning that needs to be done it is a turn-off for most couples. With these ways you could could cut down on the stress of planning a destination wedding and also have a clear understanding of what your expenses would be.

Start Planning Earlier Than You Think

Destination weddings require a lot of coordination, more than local weddings. When you start planning earlier this allows you to secure venues, book travel, and hire the vendors you want. We suggest planning destination weddings about 12-18 months in advance. With this much notice you will also have enough time to be able to go and visit the venue and possibly even meet with vendors, specifically the caterer. This is very important to ensure everything is exactly how you want it. Planning earlier will decrease your stress as well as hopefully save money with no last minute bookings.

Choose a Destination that Fits You

If you're going to do a destination wedding do it right and choose your ideal destination. Do you want beach or mountains, a vineyard or a historic city? Is the destination easy for guests to get to? Will you need passports or visas? What kind of rules and regulations does that city or country have for getting married there? What is your budget and what places fit your budget? All these questions help you when trying to decide where you want your wedding to be. If your dream wedding is on a remote mountain in South

America where accessibility is difficult, then maybe choose a more accessible location so more of your guests will be able to come. If the country you're wanting to have the wedding has too many rules and regulations that prevent you from a lot of what you want to do, it may be better to pick a different country that has a similar location. Choosing the perfect destination will elevate your wedding and help you and your guests have a fun experience.

Create a Realistic Budget

Do your research. Look at what venues and vendors will cost in the specific area you're wanting to have your wedding. Then you'll have to add in all the additional costs wardrobe, decor, gifts, accessories, etc. Finally you'll have to add in all the travel fees: flights, transportation, lodging, local taxes, travel insurance, etc. There's a lot more to think about with a budget for a destination wedding. Creating a detailed realistic budget will help you understand what you have to spend, keep expenses in check, and help you have a better wedding planning experience.

Give Guests Plenty Of Notice

If you want a lot of your guests to be able to come, give them as much notice as possible. There's a lot of things a guest has to do before coming. They have to first see if it's fits with their budget, then they have to book travel, take off of work, book lodging and transportation, possibly get child care, and get a passport or visa. Giving them more time ensures that they will be able to get everything done and will be able to come. Giving them as much information as possible also increases their chances of coming. Providing a hotel block and transportation and giving them info on what the requirements are for traveling in that area will help them make their decision to come. This will all help ensure that as many guests as possible will be able to come and support you.

Hire a Wedding Planner with Destination Experience

This decision is probably the most important in making your destination wedding planning stress-free. Not all wedding planners have destination experience and therefore could cause more stress in the planning as they're learning everything for the first time as well. Hiring a planner who specializes in destination weddings is the best way to go when looking for a wedding planner. It would be even better if they've planned a wedding at your location as well. This will help you so much in the long run as they are more familiar with rules and regulations and are used to communicating with the vendors in a different cultural setting.

A Stress-Free Destination Wedding

Using these tips will help in making your destination wedding as stress-free as possible and will maybe even make you more likely to go ahead and plan that destination wedding you've been dreaming about. It can be a fun experience if planned out thoughtfully and correctly and can have you and your guests talking about it for years to come.