Chances are, there’s a pretty big difference between the wedding your grandparents had and the one you’re planning. Weddings have changed rapidly within the past few decades; whereas they used to be more solemn, small affairs, now they’ve become major celebrations of love. It’s no wonder that people want to make their weddings into parties — while you should take getting married seriously, it should also be a fun time. Weddings are also among the few occasions in which large groups of family and friends have the excuse to get dressed up and have a big party, complete with dancing, food, and sometimes even games. More recently, brides and grooms have been stepping up the wedding game by choosing destination weddings. Destination weddings fall into the category of “celebration vacations” — now that about 70% of leisure vacationers go on vacation to celebrate a special occasion, many vacation spots now offer wedding packages. These packages can include wedding rentals, wedding venues, and sometimes even a wedding planner to help make the occasion as smooth as possible. It’s a great way to both celebrate your nuptials and vacation in style; for that matter, many couples find that by having a destination celebration, they can cut down on certain expenses and sometimes honeymoon in the same place that they got married. Below, we’ll list a few things you might want to consider when planning your destination wedding — just to make the process a bit easier.
1. Have A Loved One Officiate
For many brides and grooms, an officiant is either a religious leader — if they’re having a religious ceremony — or otherwise whichever justice of the peace is available. When you aren’t getting married locally, choosing an officiant can be a bit more difficult. If you’re leaving the country for a destination wedding, this can get especially complicated as different countries have different laws regarding who can officiate at a wedding. By choosing someone you know to officiate, you can both have a more personal affair, and know that your officiant is definitely going to be on hand. By someone you know, we mean here a family member or friend. It isn’t difficult to get ordained to officiate a wedding, and many brides and grooms find that this makes the occasion even more special than it would have been otherwise. This is why 43% of brides and grooms choose a family member or friend to officiate at their wedding, whether or not they’re having a destination occasion. In the case of a destination affair, it just mixes the personal with the practical.
2. Choose A Planner
If you decide to get married outside of your hometown, you may be familiar with the location, but you won’t be there to ensure that everything is as it should be in person. Even if you’re able to visit, you won’t be able to survey everything yourself — and this can get very stressful, very quickly. An estimated 50% of women find the planning process more stressful than they thought it would be, spending a reported 11 hours per week planning. The great thing about choosing a planner is that they take stress out of the equation. Of course, you need to be careful and make sure that your planner’s ideas align with yours; but the great thing is that in the case of many all inclusive packages offered by vacation hotspots, you’ll have an experienced planner on hand who knows how to work with clients on a professional level.
3. Tell Guests Early
You may want to have a big wedding — however, for many people who choose to get married in a destination location, traveling means sacrificing a “huge” wedding. Not all guests are going to be able to travel to attend a wedding. But the sooner you tell them where you’re getting married, the more likely they’ll be to make the trip. Therefore, it’s crucial that you pick your venue as quickly as possible, and have everything planned ahead of time.