Five things need to know if you want to have a destination wedding

Planning a destination wedding at a faraway venue may sound farfetched. There are, however, the great benefits of a low chance of wedding crashers, and a two-in-one wedding and honeymoon in the same location. Before you hop on a plane or embark on your long road trip, here are a few things to consider when planning your destination wedding. 

Simply seeing the venue online won’t cut it. You want to have a true feel of what your wedding is going to feel and look like. Hotels and resorts typically put their best foot forward when advertising their properties, they never capture the less appealing areas.

You should visit the place physically to ensure that it is what you and your partner actually want, and to see if it meets your desires. Don’t settle on a location based on its popularity or positive online reviews, make sure your sentiments are also positive.

Letting your guests know that you will be having a destination wedding several months in advance will give them enough time to prepare for the occasion. They may need to make some savings, ask for leave from work or schedule the wedding around their other engagements in advance.

You don’t want a situation where some guests can’t afford to travel to the destination because you informed them about the wedding at such short notice.

Informing your guests early will give you ample time to get feedback on who will attend and who will not and plan accordingly.

Choosing to have a destination wedding is somewhat a high risk investment. Things could go completely left and end up costing you money.

Some of the expenses to factor in include payments for key vendors, décor, and travel costs for family and activities for the guests.

You may end up spending slightly more money than anticipated so create a realistic budget that factors in extra costs.

As exciting as having a destination wedding may be, the commute to the location can be daunting. If you’re flying to the destination, carry as many things as you can (within the weight limit) in your suitcase. This is because shipping items across countries is risky and expensive.

In addition to this, carry your wedding dress in a garment bag on board the plane. Do ensure, however, that you can press and steam it once you arrive at your destination.

Tying the knot in a foreign country may have rules that vary from your home country. A number of countries have a “residency requirement”. What this means is that you must stay in the country for a certain period of time before your ceremony.

Make yourself aware of the marriage laws of the country you wish to start your journey of your happily ever after.