As the 21st century has progressed, more and more couples have started weighing the option of having a destination wedding.
While the primary reason for doing so usually pertains to sharing a mind-blowing destination and unforgettable experience as the perfect way to start off a marriage, other factors such as the affordability of the endeavor as well as being able to “make cuts” from that huge list of guests make it a much more practical option. However, destination weddings are hardly a cut-and-dry option for those of us wanting to tie the knot in some far-off place.
First, let’s talk destination. The location and time of year will dictate much of the ins and outs of your wedding. Therefore, this is the logical first choice to make. Are you looking for that picturesque Greek Isle wedding day with white-washed houses overlooking the Mediterranean in the background of your pictures? Maybe the destination looks more like white sands on a crystal clear span of Caribbean Sea as the backdrop to your day. Maybe you are unsure what is perfect for you, but you know you want to do it somewhere else other than home. In any case, consider yourself already bogged down with thousands of choices to make because on top of the normal decisions a bride a groom make for a wedding, you now have to consider everything travel adds to the equation.
This is where seasoned professionals will help make your wedding day seamless and the planning leading up to it painless. When planning a destination wedding, I always suggest a wedding planner. While many resorts have their own wedding planners, most can not think outside of their “3 package to choose from” box and most won’t even bother planning with you until a couple months before your wedding date because they are stacked sometimes 4-6 weddings daily. This can be extremely frustrating, especially when you have already settled on a destination and a resort. This can also make for an impersonal experience. For these reasons, it will make your day all that more special and leave you with less migraines if you use an experienced wedding planner from the U.S. Preferably, use someone you can meet with and call regularly as most resorts will only contact you through email.
Travel agents, specifically those with destination wedding experience and other group experience, are the next professional you should call. They are the ones who will be able to compare and quote multiple destinations and resorts to meet your needs. They will also understand the reasons why you would choose one destination over another due to weather, flights and destination type. Once you’ve settled on where and when, the travel agent then takes care of your friends and family’s travel arrangements and keeps them from calling you every day asking about one flight or one room type over another. They also make sure of little things like transportation to and from the airport, insurance needs, passport needs, etc. All of this work would be 100% on the couples’ plate without either of these two professionals.
Destination weddings are not all bad. In fact, they are becoming more popular than ever because they are amazingly fun. However, you don’t want to get overwhelmed with the dynamics of everything and lose sight of why exactly you wanted one to begin with. Therefore, let someone with experience take the work load off of your hands and you just take care of not getting tan lines for the big day!
Destination weddings have become more and more popular in the last few years. When planning a destination wedding, I always suggest using a wedding planner. While many resorts have their own wedding planners, most can not think outside of their “3 package to choose from” box and most won’t even bother planning with you until a couple months before your wedding date because they are stacked sometimes 4-6 weddings daily. This can be extremely frustrating, especially when you have already settled on a destination and a resort. This can also make for an impersonal experience. For these reasons, it will make your day all that more special and leave you with less migraines if you use an experienced wedding planner from the US. Preferably, use someone you can meet with and call regularly as most resorts will only contact you through email.
Travel agents, specifically those with destination wedding experience and other group experience, are the next professional you should call. They are the ones who will be able to compare and quote multiple destinations and resorts to meet your needs. They will also understand the reasons why you would choose one destination over another due to weather, flights and destination type. Once you’ve settled on where and when, the travel agent then takes care of your friends and family’s travel arrangements and keeps them from calling you every day asking about one flight or one room type over another. They also make sure of little things like transportation to and from the airport, insurance needs, passport needs, etc.
All of this work and more would be 100% on the couples’ plate without either of these two professionals and the best in the business work together as a team. If you have the bride and groom as well as the wedding planner and travel agent all understanding each moving part, it makes the experience not only easy, but fun.
Written by Brian Podvia, Managing Partner of JetSetPilot Travel in Conshohocken, PA and a destination wedding and honeymoon specialist.