Planning your destination wedding- Tips & Advice

Planning your wedding is hands down one of the biggest decisions you will have to plan for in your life. Add in a destination venue to that equation and you are sure to have your hands full.  No worries though, we’ve got you covered with our destination wedding check list helping make your decision a bit less stressful.

Which location should I choose?

Picking the location of your wedding day determines not only the mood (rustic, luxury, beach themed), but also the navigation, time and budget required to make it happen. Your wedding venue should focus not only on the location but the small, intricate details, which gives meaning to the entirety of your event. You want to make sure your location is a representation of yourselves as a couple, with remarks from your guests exclaiming, "That was so them!" Did he propose on a trip to the Bahamas? Why not continue the mood with a tropical beach vibe? Are you foodies? Think about planning for places like Tuscany or Northern California in Napa wine country. Or if you are looking to backpack through the Swiss Alps on your honeymoon, think of a wedding already close to Switzerland like Austria or France.

Destinatoin weddings California
Local Temecula weddings
Swiss Alps

Should I hire local vendors or vendors from home?

With your venue being potentially thousands of miles away, it is essential to have the utmost trust in your vendors. Sure, you can view vendors' portfolios online and cross reference with other weddings, but keep in mind you are placing your entire day in their hands. If you decide to hire your vendors without a face-to-face interaction, schedule a skype call so you get a sense of their personality and who they are. We always like to advise brides and grooms to bring pros you trust from home to handle critical aspects such as wedding photography, hair and makeup, and design coordination.

Hair and makeup
Astray Photography

How do I properly invite?

It is extremely helpful to list information for getting to and from the nearest airport to your wedding venue. Sites such as Wedding Wire make it a synch to create your online rundown of the entire event. For all those who made it out to your big day you surely do not want to leave out; invite all your guests to the rehearsal or welcome dinner and next-day breakfast and drinks. Do not be shy to have the conversation with friends inviting friends you have never met. The people attending should be limited to those named on the invitation. You can avoid this potentially awkward question by clearly addressing invitations with the names of everyone you are wanting to attend. Creating your online website for guests and directions to the venue make everyones travels that much easier, and allows you to focus on the most important thing... saying "I Do!"

Retro Ranch

We love destination weddings! Feel free to hit us up if you have any questions about ideas for your destination wedding.