How to Start Planning a Destination Wedding

Tips from a Trusted Destination Wedding Photographer

For all of you who have ever planned a wedding, I bet 99.9% of you all have considered throwing caution to the wind and deliberated a destination wedding. After the romantic idea of sweeping all of your guests off to the destination of your dreams, reality took over, and you may have realized planning an out-of-state or out-of-country wedding can be a lot more work than you anticipated. We've developed some pointers on getting started planning a destination wedding, outside of general wedding planning tips.

1.Research whether guests will need any shots or travel documents (passports, visas, vaccinations) to go where you're planning your wedding. The more entry barriers there are to get to your wedding, the more likely guests will RSVP "No." Make it as easy as possible for them.

2. Consider the date and location compared to the seasonal weather during that time (unless you don't mind walking around during a rainy season in your beautiful wedding dress).

3. Know the currency exchange rate, so when you are talking to vendors, you can convert their currency into USD. And with the power of the internet research vendors who are local and have high customer satisfaction ratings. You can also turn to your venue contact to make recommendations on all the other wedding vendors available. Of course, I make a pretty amazing wedding photographer myself (hint, hint).

4. Find a local wedding coordinator. You may think you can do it alone because you're a master organizer, and I'm sure you can, but it really helps to have someone onsite at the location who knows his/her way around the area. Even if it's just the venue coordinator who is willing to help make recommendations for you and take over day-of duties, every little bit helps, especially when you're in an area you're not familiar with.

5. Research marriage license requirements and confirm with the local tourism board.

6. Consider the attire of your bridal party. Don't make them wear heavy material if they'll be standing at the wedding sweating in sweltering temperatures and vice versa at colder locations.

7. Create a destination wedding website for your guests that lists all pertinent information such as any travel documents they'll need to obtain, the currency exchange rate, hotel blocks, transportation to and from the airport, transportation to and from the wedding, and things to do in the area.

8. Start purchasing items to put in guest's welcome bags. They took time off from work and spent money on hotel and flight, all because they loved you and wanted to witness your wedding. A welcome bag is a nice gift given to each room as they check in.

9. Use a luggage set to bring any decorations or items to your destination. Keep in mind you will incur baggage fees for bringing extra bags and for the overweight limit. We filled our luggage with everything, including our clothes for our wedding, and carried my wedding dress and my husband's suit. Once the pieces of luggage were emptied, we stacked them inside one another and placed my dress and his suit within. We stayed longer at Melia Caribe Tropical in Punta Cana, where we got married, so my sibling brought back my luggage, and we use another set for our honeymoon.

10. Use a destination wedding expert to help book hotels and flights for you and your guests. We used DestinationWeddings.com, and my friend was happy with BeachBumVacations.com. It was better for them to help coordinate everyone's itinerary and provide you with the final information, rather than trying to figure out when everyone is arriving or if guests already booked.

Good luck! I had a destination wedding and loved every moment of it. Trust me. It's do-able with the proper planning.

Destination Wedding in the Caribbean:

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