How to Plan your Destination wedding in Europe
Destination weddings are becoming more and more popular. It is a wedding that takes place outside of the normal venue, which is usually the bride and groom’s home town. There are many reasons why people choose to get married in a destination location. Some of them decide to go for a destination wedding, because of the weather in their region, for example couples from the UK decide to have their wedding in France, and some people want to avoid family drama.
Destination weddings can be expensive and stressful, so you should make sure you do your research before booking anything. Some considerations to keep in mind when planning a destination wedding are the timing of the event and the weather. Would-be couples may also be concerned about guest availability, but with a little know-how you can handle all of that to plan a memorable getaway for you and your guests.
Choose meanful location
Wedding locations can have a big impact on the mood and outcomes. For example, you might want to consider the travel requirements and prices of particular venues; how much time it would take to get there; or whether the location would be appropriate for your desired wedding vibe (e.g., beachy, rustic, sophisticated). But how to choose?
Were your first vacation experiences in France? Invite friends and family to the south of France or beautiful Dordogne region.
Your fiancee made you a proposal near Como Lake? Make your wedding in one of the beautiful lakeside villas at Como Lake.
Read my articles that helps you with the location decision:
Wedding Venues at the south of France
Decide when to have a wedding
There are some advantages and disadvantages of having a wedding in different seasons. Fall weddings are more likely to have rain and cool temperature, while winter weddings may be cold. Spring weddings may be too hot or too rainy, while summer weddings will probably be hot as well as expensive due to the increase of tourists at popular destinations.
Decide about budget for vendors
You might not think it, but it can actually cost less to have your wedding in a different country than a closer location. Knowing what you won’t be spending your budget on will give you a better idea of how much more you can spend in other areas. These days, couples are opting for more unique and personalised wedding vendors, such as award-winning French photographer, in order to have a truly special day. But with so many options out there, it can be difficult to find the perfect balance between quality and price.
Visit in Advance
If possible, book a ticket to your destination of choice at least once during the wedding planning process. This gives you the opportunity to scout out venues and lodging, as well as plan a dinner spot for your rehearsal dinner. You’ll also be able to meet with potential vendors.
Read more about visiting France in my other articles:
Honeymoon at the South of France
Find good vendors
Wedding planners can help you find vendors for all aspects of your event and make sure your plans are running smoothly. When you’re looking for a planner to hire, make sure they know the ins & outs of their industry. They will be able to tell you what companies provide the best products and services based on their experience.
Whether you hire a planner or not, it’s always important to have video-chat discussions with your vendors. You’ll find out who they are and what kind of working style they operate under, you’ll have a sense of what you like and don’t like about them in terms of the marriage planning process and any potential red flags will be discovered.
If you are on a budget, you can consider choosing your vendors by yourself. Most of the venues offer services such as catering, DJ, floris and ceremony maker. But you can also find it helpful to hire a destination photographer for your wedding. Before you decide, here are some helpful questions to ask your destination photographer before hiring him.
Consider about guests
Hmmm…that’s a tricky question. Are you thinking about your budget or the number of guests? Either way, it’s good to consider both before making your decision. If you and your partner are thinking of having a destination wedding, be mindful that travelling can be tiring. It’s best to ensure that as many of your loved ones (especially those who live far away) attend as possible so no one misses out on the fun!
A good rule for destination weddings is to invite the people closest to you that would be there anyways and who will provide a strong sense of love, support & positivity. So don’t feel bad if a few people get cut from the list, as you can always invite them at a later date.
Tell them where to go in Advance
Everybody should have some preparation work. So tell your guests in advance where you’ll have your wedding. Imagine having your wedding 1000 km from home and tell your guests that they should come next week. Sounds impossible? So it will be a good idea to send invitation cards at least 6 months before the wedding.
It can be not exact location for example, but the city where you plan your dream event.
Think where everybody can stay
While you won’t have to take care of guest accommodations, they will appreciate having a list of lodging options within a budget range. They’ll probably feel more comfortable staying somewhere with other guests near them. Take the distance between the hotel and your event or as well as the airport into consideration too. If it’s near your venue but far from the airport you should plan for taking a shuttle, rideshare services, or other transportation options.
Tailor your wedding dress to destination
The process of tailoring a wedding dress to destination is not as straightforward as it sounds. You need to know where the wedding is going to be taking place, and what kind of climate it will be in. For example, if the wedding is in the south of France, and it will be during the summer days, you would need to take into consideration that it will be hot there. Also, you would need to choose fabric that will not only keep you cool but also look good under those conditions.
