Did you fall in love with the dainty and dreamy wedding pictures of your favourite Bollywood celebs? Well, the idea of a destination wedding has swayed many young couples, but they are skeptical about pulling it off. If you are on the same page, do not worry. Here, in this article, Gharpedia will clear most of your doubts about planning a destination wedding. So, read on.
Believe us when we say, “extraordinary weddings don’t just happen; they are planned.” Honestly, a lot of effort goes into planning a simple wedding ceremony in your hometown. If that is the case, then planning a destination wedding will surely be a Herculean task.
Well, you are somewhat right. However, one thing is for sure: if the idea of a destination wedding appeals to you, then all you need to do is make your destination wedding a success by planning every detail around it. For this, you can plan your accommodation by hiring homes in villas and resorts and providing stays for the bride’s family, the groom’s family, and their respective guests.
Below is our easy guide for planning a destination wedding, and check out a few tips suggested here to add to your wedding planning checklist! We are sure that every single aspect of your destination wedding will make your guests happy and enthralled, and you will have lasting memories as you utter your vows of togetherness.
How to Plan Your Destination Wedding?
Planning a destination wedding can be thrilling as well as challenging. It starts by allowing yourself to have enough time to organize the details. There are many things to consider, like the location, the date, the guest list, the budget, vendors, the legal requirements, and much more. To aid you in this process, we have listed some useful tips and resources on how to plan a destination wedding. Make sure you follow the wedding planning checklist and learn how to plan your destination wedding before booking a flight!
Follow these simple steps to plan a perfect destination wedding:
01. First Choose Your Wedding Destination!
The first step in planning a destination wedding is to choose the ideal location with your partner and family. You should base your decision on the local weather and season. Also, you should be realistic about your expectations. Make sure that the travel destination you choose has the resources you need. Choose a destination that is accessible and safe for planning a marriage.
The top venues across the world include laid-back beach hotels, mountaintop ski resorts, lush vineyards, glitzy casino hotels, full-service cruise ships, exotic islands, old castles, posh villas, etc. While planning such a grand destination wedding, book hotels packages online to make the whole process easy and time-saving.
Top Wedding Destination in the World
If you are confused about choosing a destination for your wedding, or if you have already decided on a location but are having second thoughts, we have listed a few top venues for your destination wedding:
01. Hawaii
The dream paradise in the world for your destination wedding is Hawaii. A definite and cherishing romantic experience is in this place for destination weddings. Exchanging vows in such a romantic destination is a dream come true. It is globally renowned for hosting grand marriages, and couples can also explore big islands.
02. Bali
If you are looking for an ideal blend of exotic charm and scenic beauty, Bali is the best destination. It has emerged as a glamorous location due to its opulent and stunning destinations, studded with swoon-worthy wedding sites. Couples looking forward to a fully-architected destination wedding must surely go for it.
03. India
A colourful and vibrant wedding destination is India. It is a diverse and beautiful country, offering varied wedding venues. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to conduct destination weddings on Indian soil. The PM’s nudge to the rich and famous to prefer local destinations to foreign ones for weddings is a significant ploy in his Mann ki Baat radio broadcast. India has diverse and varied destinations, ranging from palaces, forts, temples, mountains, forests, beaches, and gardens that portray different themes.
Here are the top five wedding venues in India to celebrate your destination wedding:
- Goa for beach-themed wedding
- A royal affair in Udaipur
- Andaman and Nicobar, a dreamy affair on a golden beach under stunning skies
- Jodhpur, a mélange of heritage and exquisiteness
- Mussoorie, amidst snow-capped mountains.
04. Mexico
One of the most extravagant wedding venues in the world is Mexico. It is a spectacular and picturesque place for conducting a destination wedding. It will leave you spellbound with its beauty. If your expectations are high, then you must opt for Mexico. It is also known for its amazing beaches.
05. Italy
Cherish romance in every corner of Italy. If you start thinking of a destination wedding worldwide, Italy would top the list of venues, as it provides a seamless blend of joy, fun, and adventure. This place surely creates magical moments. Many romantic venues in Italy are intricately crafted to showcase elegance and intimacy.
02. Choose your Wedding Theme
At times, a destination wedding is theme-oriented. It brings your fantasies to life. There are many excellent themes wherein you can tie the knot in style and have a unique experience. If you want to cut short on travelling worldwide for destination weddings, here is a catch. You can plan your destination wedding in a resort by incorporating one of the below-mentioned destination wedding themes that you might like:
I. Beach Wedding Destination
A beach wedding destination is an unforgettable experience with the sun, sand, and shores. Let the sand at your feet and the cool breeze in your hair accompany you as you embark on a new journey in life!
II. Mountain Destination Wedding
A mountain destination wedding gives you the perfect backdrop you have longed for in your wedding photographs.
III. Vineyard Destination Wedding
Vineyard weddings are becoming the new fad these days. So, embrace your wedding vows in the lush green vineyards.
IV. Royal/Vintage Destination Wedding
Want to celebrate your dream wedding like a queen or king? It’s possible these days with palace wedding destinations. Plan your wedding in any forts or villas near Jaipur or Udaipur and experience the royal wedding.
V. Forest Theme Destination Wedding
Try out this tropical forest wedding theme if you are one of those out-of-the-box selectors. It will give a lavish wedding vibe in one go.
VI. Lakeside Destination Wedding
Lake Destination weddings are perfect if you want an intimate wedding with a small group of people. Take your vows amid the lake and make it a lifetime memory. Kerala is a beautiful destination for lakes. Stand out with this idea complemented with surreal natural surroundings.
03. Choose a Wedding Package or Hire a Certified Wedding Planner!
Wedding bells not only bring excitement but also include lots of formalities to complete. A wedding brings excitement to the bride, groom, and family members of the couple, but a lot of activities are involved, which must be managed with professional efficiency; hence, you need to hire a certified wedding planner to make the marriage ceremony sail smoothly.
A wedding planner must be familiar with the planning potentials of space, layout, and time, along with items like coverings for weddings, banquet cover chairs, event draping, floral decor, party decor accessories, etc. These components will help you make great decor. The planner must be an expert with enough experience taking care of and working in a given venue. In short, he must specialise in arranging destination weddings with various themes.
04. Set Your Wedding Budget
Destination weddings are mostly costlier options, but you need to fix a wedding budget, including its connected expenses along with the budget for travel and non-local vendors. It’s also important to consider the form of currency used at the destination so that you can keep track of your total expenses!
05. Organize Your Guest List
As it is a destination wedding, there is less pressure to extend the wedding invitations to acquaintances, co-workers, or people you are not that close to! Statistics say that it is expected that a destination wedding may include more or less 20% of your guest count in your marriage function. Keep your guest list small to reasonable because most invitees to a destination wedding are those from the innermost circles of the bride and groom.
06. Send Your Wedding Invitations Early
An invitation is an important formality for any wedding, which announces your upcoming event. Send out your wedding invitations in advance so that guests can mark the dates and plan their travel well in advance. Also, add RSVP to your invitations so that you get confirmations from all your guests and you can plan your destination wedding diligently. As it is a theme, make sure that you try to incorporate the colour of the wedding invitation card with the wedding theme colour.
The most important step in the planning process is to decide when to send destination wedding invitations! You should send out destination wedding invitations four to five months in advance of the marriage date. Be detailed and formal about the invitation format. You may include a link to your wedding website or social media page if you can’t fit all the details on the invitation card! Stay connected with the guests, at least virtually, if they need any further assistance!
07. Agree on Terms with Any Non-local Vendors
Since you are in an unfamiliar destination and hardly have you known the locales, it is advisable to bring your wedding photographer and beautician-make-up/hair artist with you! Look into their past projects and ensure that they are good at what they do. Once you have done that, be sure to negotiate their travel expenses. Do not compromise on these two areas because a bad photographer or makeup artist can ruin your big day.
08. Make Sure Your Officiant Can Officiate
Research all legalities related to the weddings to make sure your officiant can officiate and declare you and your loved one as legally” married.”This is important since some laws require the couple to be present in the country for longer than a day!
09. Accommodation That Offers Group Discounts
Since it is a destination wedding and you will have to make bookings for the air tickets and accommodations of all your guests, look for offers. Hotels and resorts offer group discounts, which can be a great way to save some money. If your guests plan to extend their stay, having meetings with the hotels beforehand can help them in a big way. It is always advisable to have all the guests, family members, and other wedding participants in a reserved hotel block!
You can even book villas for the guests in close proximity to the marriage venue. This arrangement can save on transport costs and avoid possible hassles.
10. Create Welcome Tags and Welcome Baskets
To show hospitality to your guests, offer our hashtag, wedding tags, and a welcome basket in their rooms. Fill this basket with water bottles, snacks, medicines, cold drinks, coffee, milk powder, and sugar sachets. In addition, you can add aloe vera lotions, sunscreens, and face masks to the welcome basket.
11. Organize Transport Service for Wedding Ceremony
Make proper travel arrangements for the guests present at your wedding venue. Remember that it is a foreign land for your relatives and friends too, and commuting around an unknown place is difficult. Make sure travel doesn’t become an issue for them when they decide to attend your wedding.
12. “Save the Dates” For the Destination Wedding!
If your destination wedding will be during the tourist season, you should send “save the dates” to your guests 10 to 12 months in advance to plan their participation. Airline prices can be unpredictable during peak travel season, so planning this in advance can give you time to book the flight tickets and hotel! Some of your friends or family may offer to pay for their travel and stay. Giving them enough clarity on the timeline can help them crack some good deals.
While “save the dates” are not mandatory for local weddings, they are necessary for destination weddings.
13. Shop for a Wedding Wear
It is said that a bride looks the most beautiful in her wedding dress. And for this to happen, you must invest quality time in your wedding shopping. Put special focus on shopping for the appropriate kind of fabric depending on the climate of your destination and the weather at that particular time of the year. Homework, online research, and consultation with your makeup artist can help you a lot in going shopping for the best result.
14. Safely Pack Wedding Essentials
Do not leave anything until the last minute. Start packing before it gets too hectic around the last few days of the wedding. Make a handy checklist of all the essentials that you like to carry on your flight. Often, we forget to include basic but essential things. Review the packing before you lock your package.
In Indian weddings, there are some important ceremonies like haldi, mehendi, sangeet, DJ nights, and the customary guests’ return gifts. Make sure that your wedding planner makes every function of your destination wedding sail smoothly, one after the other.
In a nutshell, pay attention to every single detail at the micro-level. Arranging a flawless wedding ceremony will not only make you feel happy, but it will also give loads of good memories for you, your family, and your friends to cherish. Now that you know about planning a destination wedding, don’t hesitate to make this idea a reality. Start planning today and turn your big day into the fairytale wedding you have always cherished. Let your wedding be the most memorable day of your life!
Also Read:
Creating the Perfect Outdoor Wedding Venue at Home
Indian Weddings: 16 Tips for Your Home Decoration!
Image Courtesy: Image 1, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5, Image 6, Image 7, Image 8, Image 9, Image 10, Image 12, Image 14, Image 15, Image 16, Image 17, Image 18, Image 19, Image 20, Image 23, Image 24, Image 25, Image 26, Image 28, Image 29
