Guest Post: Logistics of a Destination Wedding

May 2, 2012

I have another great wedding post for y'all from Jessica! This week is about destination weddings, something I would never have the energy to plan. Enjoy:)


Logistics of a Destination Wedding

Any sort of wedding requires a great deal of preparation and planning. The planning process can be both fun and stressful. When your wedding location is a separate destination, both the stress and excitement are amplified. Follow these tips to help planning a destination a little bit easier:

It's best to choose a venue that has an in-house coordinator. You want as few steps as possible so things don't get miscommunicated. While you don't need a planner to help with a local wedding, it certainly makes things smoother things out for a destination celebration.
Unless you’re planning a remote location ceremony, then the local florist, bakery, etc. will probably suffice. However, if you prefer special items like a specific cake topper, goodie bags or décor, they will need to be shipped. Have your planner help find shipping quotes and coordinate the arrival of the items. Shipping delicate items can help keep them safe during travel.

Offering plenty of tasty, perhaps even, gourmet food and drinks at your wedding reception is in many ways, the backbone of a good wedding. Your guests have come a long way, and they should be rewarded with a standout party. Many couples cut corners on the ceremony to save for the reception or to throw a larger rehearsal dinner party. In fact, if someone flew in, they should probably be invited to the rehearsal dinner and receive some sort of gift bag in their hotel room.

One of the most frequently neglected aspects of a wedding is the photography. Having a high quality photographer and crew on-site to capture the day in still image is of the upmost importance, and is in many ways, irreplaceable. The special locale will make these portraits even more impressive.

Remember music for the "in between" periods. Before the ceremony starts, after a band has played their set, before a DJ goes on, etc. It's fine if these songs (or all your songs) come from an MP3, just having background noise makes everything flow.

Visit the location beforehand as many times as possible. This is good to emotionally prepare yourself for the big day, as well as envision how everything will come together. Meeting with your coordinator, event staff or photographer face-to-face will help ease your worries. This can also be valuable if you want to do tastings or make-up/hair trials.

If you’re having an outdoor wedding, have umbrellas on stand-by. You'll be getting married rain or shine, but guests may not be quite as loyal.

Jessica enjoys wedding and party planning. She is interested in coordinating event logistics and making sure the event is flawless!