A romantic destination wedding can be accomplished with
thoughtful planning. Destination weddings have gotten increasingly popular and are
ideal for the couple who wants to get away with a few close friends and family
for a combined celebration and vacation. One of the drawbacks of a destination wedding is
that for close family and friends the extra expenses that they will be faced
with, i.e. air fare, lodging, wedding attire for the locale. If it is important
to you as a couple to have certain friends and family at the destination of
choice, it is important to assess your guests ability to finance what will
usually be three to four day get away especially if you won’t be covering the
cost or helping to cover any extra accommodations. Because of the costs and
scheduling there are some individuals that might not be able to attend your
destination wedding.
Photo Credit: Explore Jamaica
If your destination wedding is in another country you and
your guest will need to secure passports and maybe even special visas. You
should check the wedding legalities of the country that you wish to get
married. Each country has a different set of requirements. Some countries ask
for residency requirements of a certain duration and others require a certain
amount of witnesses. Based on the country that you are going to, there might be
recommended medical precautions and inoculations.
Resources to utilize includes the United States Department,
the embassy of the country where the ceremony will be taking place or even
travel agents and wedding consultants that specializes in destination weddings.
Be sure to pass the information on to your guest. In addition you should check
on any legal requirements such as a period of residency or a published
announcement of intent to marry.
Photo Credit: Jordon Brian Photography
If you have the capability to commute back and forth to the
chosen location that would be great; if not you will need someone onsite to
manage the preparations in addition you might also want to work with a wedding
consultant in your area who can coordinate with a planner in the wedding
location. There are travel agents who specialize in destination weddings or even
hotels in popular travel locations may have a wedding planner on staff.
Photo Credit: Jordon Brian Photography
Try and inform your family and guest as far in advance as
possible, well before the mailing of the invitation. It is also important to
have a plan “B” just in case.
A lot of couples who choose the Caribbean as a destination
location might not take into consideration hurricane season. (June 1st
through November 13th)
A destination wedding can be anything that you envision it
to be. It can be formal or as casual as you like. The guest list for a destination wedding is
usually shorter than if you were having a wedding in your home city because of
the logistics and the expenses that goes along.
The key to having a successful destination is advanced
planning.
No comments:
Post a Comment