Planning a Destination Wedding - the first things to consider
By Ophellia McKnight , WPICC, DWC
Destination Wedding Specialist
Location, location, location – make sure that you have some idea of where in the world you want to get married. This is important not only because it will be the basis of your budget but also because it will determine your guest list (if you are having guests) as they will have to book the time off, budget for the trip and be able to physically travel to the destination. Your location will also determine the type of celebration that you envision. There are only a few places in the world (like Quebec) that you would be able to get married in an ice hotel!
Budget, budget, budget – as a general rule, it will always be cheaper to get married in the Dominican than in Hawaii depending on the season. It is important that your expectations fit your style and your budget. There are ways to get luxury details incorporated into your budget but it would be hard to fit a catamaran cruise, daily excursions and a 25 person reception on a secluded island on a US$3000.00 budget!
Timing, timing, timing – start planning as soon as possible. There is a lot of research to do and a lot of decisions to make. Some countries have residency requirements and waiting periods to get married there. If you want to get married in France, at least one person has to be a resident in a commune in France for a minimum of 40 consecutive days prior to the civil marriage!
Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility – planning a wedding somewhere away from home is going to require patience and an easy temperament. If you are an A type personality and need everything on your list to be done at a specific time and always in a specific way then this will be a little more difficult for you unless you make several visits to the destination prior to the wedding. You need to be open minded regarding the weather, your officiant, local cultural and legal requirements of your destination for example, in Jamaica you cannot be legally married after sunset!
Relax, relax, relax – leave the details to the professionals and hire a destination wedding consultant so that you can relax and enjoy your wedding and honeymoon as a guest as well as a host. They will deal with all your marriage requirements, work with the local vendors and help you negotiate all your contracts to make sure that you are covered at all times for one of the most important days of your life!
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Ophellia McKnight, BSc. WPICC, DWC
Destination Wedding Specialist
Bridal Affair Destinations
www.bridalaffairdestinations.com
416-938-5465 – mobile
