There's just something so romantic about the thought of
saying “I do” in some far off destination with your family and closest friends
by your side; but if you've already started to consider the possibility of an overseas
wedding then you may have realised that it's not all about bare feet in
the sand, bikinis and cocktails. In fact, just like any wedding there's a lot
of preparation as well as (in many cases) a foreign language to contend with.
Plus a huge list of legalities to comply with. So with this in mind, here are 6
useful tips to ensure your destination wedding is just perfect.
Start planning well ahead
Overseas wedding venues get booked up 18
months or more in advance so if you don't want to seriously limit your choices
then book your venue as early as you can. In addition remember to send out
'Save the Date' cards equally as early since your guests may have to plan their
annual leave around your wedding.
Give careful consideration to the location
Choosing your destination wedding location is
one of the hardest decisions since it's only natural that you want your family
and closest friends to share your special day. It's all very well choosing a
destination on the other side of the world but if it isn't easily accessible
for most people, then there's very little point in choosing it. Look carefully
at the frequency of flights and check that there is a variety of accommodation
to suit all pockets.
Enlist some help
Planning any sort of wedding is stressful and it's certainly
no easier in a foreign country. Consider using the services of a local wedding
planner to deal with the bulk of the work as they will have extensive knowledge
of your destination, understand the legalities involved, have a fistful of contacts,
and may even be able to pull the odd string or two. A fantastic resource where you'll find lots of local wedding
planners listed is Wedsaway, which is the largest destination wedding
planning directory in the world. However, if you're determined to do most of
the planning yourself you'll also find hundreds of wedding vendors from around
the globe all neatly organised into various destinations and categories.
Look after your guests
Your guests will have gone to a lot of expense and effort to
be at your wedding so make sure that they too feel pretty special. Create a
welcome pack for their arrival to give the personal touch from the bride and
groom. Additionally you could book a restaurant for a welcome meal and organise
a couple of events for their stay, after all it's also a mini holiday for them
too.
Plan for the weather
Whether you're planning a Mexico wedding or Bali
wedding, the weather can be very hot, so make
sure your venue offers
plenty of shady areas so that you're not all flagging with the heat before the
celebrations begin. You could include some flip flops and fans for your guests
in their welcome pack and also arrange to have cold drinks handed around as
guests are seated for the ceremony. 
Pacing yourself
Unlike a wedding at home, you'll be surrounded by family and
friends and it's all too easy to spend long days with them and late nights so
that by the time your wedding day arrives, you're walking about like a zombie.
Plan for yourself and your (soon to be) hubby to spend a little chill-out time
on your own, perhaps at a spa, so you feel relaxed and stress free. If you're
not planning a honeymoon then at least try and book a lovely hotel for a couple
of days after your guests have all departed.
Weddings abroad are growing in popularity and
can be a lot of fun. Wedsaway is an invaluable source to help you find
reputable and experienced wedding planners, a plethora of vendors, and lots of
useful hints and tips. Why not visit www.wedsaway.com
for more information, you'll be glad that you did.
No comments:
Post a Comment