Useful Tips For Planning A Destination Wedding

Published: July 5, 2023   |   Updated: July 5, 2023

Over the past few years, my husband and I have enjoyed the privilege of witnessing so many of our friends say “I Do” in some of the most beautiful destinations in the world! We’ve attended weddings in Mexico, Dominican Republic and even Jamaica a few times. Each of these special events were memorable and unique in their own way. After sharing in so many destination weddings, I thought it would be great to compile a list of useful destination wedding planning tips for future brides!

Destination weddings can be a win-win for planning and enjoying a beautiful venue, inviting family and friends to share in your lovely day while enjoying a vacation of their own, and you could opt to spend your honeymoon in the destination of your wedding. Continue reading below as I share some useful tips and tricks for anyone who is considering planning a destination wedding of their own.

Tip 1: Select a destination and time of year.

If you’re planning a destination wedding, the first order of business should be when and where. I will share links to a few destinations we’ve attended for weddings in the past. Some were a wonderful guest experience and some were just okay. If you’re considering a specific time of year, I definitely recommend consulting a farmers almanac if one is available for the country you’re visiting or at least looking at the past weather history for your dream destination. You should avoid visiting certain destinations if it is hurricane season, rainy season, extremely hot, or even busy season, which could make booking difficult. If your wedding will be outside, be sure to research sunset times and where the sun will be setting for optimal photography and videography turn out (aka “Golden Hour”).

Tip 2: Check destination marriage license requirements.

While destination weddings are absolutely beautiful, always take time to research each country’s marriage requirements. It may be easier to tie-the-knot in the US at a smaller legal venue, and formalizing your marriage abroad for guests and loved ones. At the same scale, one should also consider investing in wedding insurance, to ensure you and your guests are covered for any possible liabilities.

Tip 3: If possible, visit and scout a few destinations before selecting one.

If you have the financial means to do so, consider taking a miniature vacation with your fiancé or fiancée and visit a few locations prior to settling on one. Should you choose an all-inclusive location, consider staying one or two nights at each so you can experience the resort’s amenities and what the experience will be for your guests. Trust me, your guests will thank you! Some destinations appear better online and in photos than they do in person. Additionally, there is a risk of poor service, low food quality, less to be desired room and amenity quality, beaches filled with seaweed, high concentration of bugs or more. You can also take this opportunity to meet with various wedding coordinators, and wedding venues, which are always better seen in person.

Tip 4: Consider booking an all-inclusive resort.

Speaking of all-inclusive resorts, these properties are an excellent way for yourself and your guests to maximize your destination experience. These venues often include in-house wedding coordinators, teams, photographers, decor and more, which are readily available for use and deployment. Should you choose to serve liquor and/or wine at your wedding, hosting guests at an all-inclusive will negate the need for a separate liquor license abroad. All-inclusive resorts also tend to offer guests a better overall value. Depending on guest count, some resorts may also offer the couple-to-be special discounts for their stay or complimentary nights.

Tip 5: Hire a professional planner from your resort.

If you remember nothing else from this article, NEVER try to be the couple-to-be and wedding day coordinator at the same time! This adds unnecessary stress and takes away from your special day. To ensure all of your wedding and wedding reception plans are carried out to your desire, request a schedule and schedule a walk-through with your coordinator through the resort.

Tip 6: Create a Pinterest board to share with your planner.

A picture is worth a thousand words! Since you will be dealing with planners and vendors from a different country, consider creating a Pinterest board that can be shared with them to ensure your decorations, cake and colors are clearly communicated. This is also very useful for day-of setup and reference.

Tip 7: Create a wedding website to share with guests.

This may go without saying, but wedding websites are the perfect way to share wedding details, dress-code, FAQ, travel information, engagement photos, bridal party information, wedding registry and event details with your guests. Popular wedding websites that are free are Joy, Zola, or The Knot (Joy is my personal favorite).

Tip 8: Book a get-ready bridal suite for your wedding day.

One important consideration for your resort selection should be the provision of a get-ready bridal suite. This ensures all bridesmaids are together in one place with the bride to ensure an on-time wedding start. This is also convenient as it allows the bridesmaids to have hair and makeup done in one location and share in special moments together. If the resort does not have a bridal suite, consider booking a large room suite for dress, hair and makeup. Depending on the size of your bridal party, if you choose to have professional hair and makeup done, consider creating a day of hair and makeup schedule. Make-up time slots should be around one hour per girl, and the bride should have her makeup done last so it’s fresh. One should also allocate time for touch-ups before the processional.

Tip 9: Ensure there is a day-of wedding schedule that can be shared.

Prior to your arrival, ask the wedding coordinator to share a day-of wedding schedule with you. This will ensure both you and the coordinator are on the same page, any external vendors are aware of who is doing what and where, and you are able to squeeze in all-desired activities into the designated time allotment. Also ensure you have buffer built into your schedule for any unexpected delays or surprises.

Tip 10: Consider creating small WhatsApp chats for your guests.

Even though some wedding websites allow you to send email updates to your guests, some, if not most guests will not be checking their email abroad since they are on vacation. The fastest and easiest way to send photos or updates to your guests is through WhatsApp. This way, guests can still receive updates through WiFi, without international data rates. For one of my girlfriend’s wedding, we created mini-group chats based on table numbers. This allowed guests to know their table neighbors prior to arrival and guests felt more comfortable to ask questions without blasting dozens of individuals. We also found WhatsApp as a great way to send photo indicators of where events would be, and day-of reminders/itineraries.

Tip 11: Surprise guests with welcome bags.

Surprising your guests with a welcome gift upon check-in is a kind gesture and much appreciated. Especially since many spent time and money to share in your special day. Many resorts allow you to coordinate these gifts with their staff, which can be given out upon check-in.

Tip 12: Provide small favors that are easy for guests to travel with.

If you choose to give away wedding favors, consider something that is small enough for you to travel with, and easy for your guests to take home. Some ideas for some favors may include luggage tags, fans, candy bags and more. Try to avoid large or liquid favors if possible since some may be traveling with carry-on luggage. If necessary, you can also work with the resort to ship favors ahead of time prior to your arrival.

Tip 13: If you have your own “vendors”, invite them as guests to avoid additional expense.

Now this is more of a “life-hack” than a certified tip, but from my experience, a lot of destination venues will charge a fee for any external vendors. Some of these may include a DJ, makeup artist or even a hair stylist. If you want a tip to workaround this gray area, be sure to include your friends who will help in any of these areas as a wedding guest and not as a vendor to avoid additional fees.

Tip 14: Consider planning a welcome event, cocktail hour, brunch or something special.

Whether you plan a rehearsal dinner, meet and greet brunch, happy hour, or cocktail hour, it’s always a nice gesture to invite wedding guests to a special pre-wedding event. This allows guests to mingle and get to know each other, and makes for a memorable evening if planned properly through the resort. I recommend hosting these types of events the day before the wedding.

Tip 15: Review wedding day schedule and walk-through with coordinator upon arrival.

I recommend having an end-to-end walk-through with the coordinator 2 days before the wedding on the resort property. This way, if anything is missing, or if there are any last minute changes, you have 24 hours to make these adjustments for a smooth and perfect wedding day!

I hope you enjoyed and found some of these tips useful! For your convenience, I’ve created a printable checklist for you to use as well. If you are a bride-to-be reading this post, many congratulations and remember through all planning, always have fun! Cheers!