Wedding itself is a grand affair, and deciding to take it to a far-away land, makes it all the more “right-out-of-fairy-tale”! But as dreamy as destination weddings are, couples are often skeptical about them!
What if it jumps the budget? What if not everyone could not make it till there? And what not!
You’d be kidding yourself if you say that you never thought of having a destination wedding, but the BUTS!!
We at Shaandaar Events, understand that no matter how amazing the idea of it all seems, there definitely are some genuine concerns. And we are here to address your biggest fears about a destination wedding, one question at a time. After all, you shouldn’t have to hold back on your dream wedding just because you are not 100% sure about how it works!
Destination weddings are a blessing for the ones who hate to put too much effort into planning. Yes, you read it right! The onsite wedding planners do more than most of your legwork, leaving you free to think about other things. It is also a great choice if you have family members scattered all over, and they have to travel anyway.
BUDGET
First things first; The most obvious concern when planning of a destination wedding is the BUDGET!
As fancy as destination weddings may sound, they don’t cost any more than an at-home reception. Rather, it is easier to keep costs in check! This is mostly because your guest list is automatically trimmed to only close people, and you have limited choices than when at home. And since everything about the location feels exotic, you settle for the less-expensive alternatives.
HIRE A LOCAL WEDDING PLANNER
It is also important to understand that if you decide to fly your team of wedding planners and other local vendors with you, you will have to bear the travel and accommodation. Therefore, whenever you plan for a destination wedding, think realistically, and try not to control all factors. You can also opt for a wedding planner who handles destination weddings and has contacts in several places. This way, you will have a local person to rely on.
TIME
Another essential factor in planning a far-away wedding is the TIMING! If you are picking a vacation destination for a wedding, it is important to consider that the best weather would also mean a full-fledged tourist season. Everything from the flights to the hotel bookings will be expensive at that time. Hence, you must plan your wedding well in advance and make all the booking when available at more reasonable prices.
If you have never visited the destination before, you might as well want to go for a trip or two before you finalize things. All this takes a lot of time. And hence, the planning for a destination wedding must start way early than for that of a local marriage.
GUESTS
As for the guests, you cannot give them an invitation 6-weeks before the wedding like you would for a local marriage. Even if you are not sure about the exact venue, but know the destination, send out “Save-the-Dates” at least 8 months in advance. This gives them time to settle their finances and to book flights at reasonable prices.
Here is another thing about destination weddings; not everyone you invite might attend. Irrespective of how close they are to you, everyone has restraints on how much and when can they spend. While you may see it as an all-paid vacation for them, but the travel and other expenses might not make it worth it for them.
So, giving them buffer time to see how their expenses roll out, and to let them decline your invitation gracefully is also a major part of destination weddings.
SECOND RECEPTION
Another thing that might concern you is a second wedding reception back at home. Yes, you will have to throw another party to compensate for all those who couldn’t make it to your wedding or were never invited to the far-away wedding. However, it is not necessary to throw a gala, a simple dinner at your favourite restaurant or at your backyard should suffice.
Destination wedding might seem like a task, but with our efficient team of destination wedding planners to cover all points, it is literally a cake-walk!
