If you love to travel, the idea of a wedding abroad can be tempting. Whether you’re tying the knot for the first time or simply renewing your vows in your family’s favourite destination, this could lead to a day you’ll never forget. We’re talking weddings on the beach, cocktails at your reception, and some of the most spectacular pictures you could imagine.
Yet, for many couples, the sheer planning that seems to go into a destination wedding can be off-putting. Don’t you already have enough on your plate without worrying about legality, flights, and language barriers?
Maybe, and destination locations certainly aren’t for everyone. If travel has played a massive part in your relationship up to now, though, it would be a shame not to include that love in your commitment.
The good news is that, if destination marriage won’t stop haunting you, there are a few key ways to take the stress out of even this mammoth planning task. And, we’re going to consider them here.
Settle on your destination early
Destination choice is, of course, the key priority when it comes to a destination wedding, and deciding this early means you’ll be able to plan without as much worry. This will even ensure that you can apply for all necessary paperwork, and even learn whether it’s legal to get married in a destination that appeals. Luckily, as a travel happy family, the chances are that you already have somewhere in mind. If you have a shortlist to hand, narrow it down before you do anything else by considering things like local language, cost of a ceremony here, and even the ease with which guests could travel to each chosen area for simplicity at every stage.
Lighten your workload
While wedding planning is always an intensive task, destination weddings bring a fair few more considerations along with them. As such, you may find that lightening your workload where you can is the best thing for making your dream ceremony a reality. Totally DIY weddings, especially, are often best left alone when you’re already thinking about going overseas. Instead, accept that you can’t do it all. Trust a professional to bake your cake instead of taking this on your shoulders. Give your venue some autonomy over table decor so you don’t have to worry. Even if you don’t want to let go completely, ready-made do it yourself options like these DIY wedding invitations from Pure Invitation can be the ideal way to make your mark without overloading your schedule. And, that alone will allow you to tackle those extra responsibilities without necessarily adding to your load.
Keep it intimate
Sharing your special day with loved ones is always important, but flying your nearest and dearest to a remote part of Jamaica isn’t exactly what we’d call making your life easier. In fact, this is guaranteed to lead the wedding planning stress you’re working so hard to avoid. Instead, many who host a destination wedding decide that it’s better to keep their ceremony intimate. If this seems a shame to you, you could always plan an after-party back home for more distant friends and family. Still, working with a limited guest list means less stress about how people are going to arrive, where they’re going to stay, etc. Instead, your small party will be able to fly out together, and may even fit in the same hotel for ease and potential discounts. Destination weddings don’t get more stress-free than that.
Plan a trip around the big day
Flying to your wedding destination can also be stressful, especially if you’re only stopping for a day or two. All that packing, house prep, and airport hassle; is it worth it? Perhaps not, but you could always change that by planning your summer holiday around the big event. After all, you’ll be in the market for a honeymoon anyway, and taking the chance in your wedding destination will save you costs and a world of hassle when you can wake up the next day and start exploring. Even better, this makes the slightly added hassle of flights and accommodation much easier to manage than it would be if you barely stayed still long enough to recover.
Honestly, there’s no reason to stress out about your destination wedding. In fact, many couples find that this is a less hasslesome wedding option than simply staying put when approached right. If you can’t get enough fun in the sun, then you certainly shouldn’t pass up this opportunity.
