Destination Weddings: What to consider when planning a wedding abroad

Congratulations! You’ve landed the all-important rock! Now it’s time to start planning for the biggest milestone in your life – your wedding day. While most brides choose to celebrate the occasion close to home, a growing number of couples are opting to take the marital party to far-flung exotic locales instead.

However, most don’t take into consideration that a destination wedding is more than a plane ticket and a fancy hotel.

Wedding planning is stressful enough without having to factor in the travel equation but if you’re one of the brides determined to materialize the destination wedding of your dreams at some island getaway or at the top of the Eiffel Tower, we’ve compiled a few tips to help you every step of the way. Follow these tricks to make your journey to “I do” a stress-free one.

LOCATION IS EVERYTHING

You may have your heart set on location X but is it feasible for your guests to travel half way around the world to get there? It takes more than a gorgeous scenery to make a successful wedding. The location of your wedding determines not only the mood, but also the time and budget required to pull it off. A rustic wedding out in the jungles of South America might be appealing to you but consider your guests who might not be too keen to have to take a plane, boat and elephant ride to get there!

SCOUT THE PLACE

Sure a destination may look pretty in pictures, but is it still postcard perfect when you get there? The beach where you plan to have your wedding might be off-limits or a popular tourist spot that’s crowded throughout the day. Unless you’ve been there before, we certainly don’t recommend planning a destination wedding without actually seeing your key venues – ceremony, reception, hotels, etc. It’s your big day so don’t risk disappointment just to save money!

SEND OUT EARLY INVITES

In the flurry of exciting wedding plans, don’t forget to send out invites to your wedding guests –preferably 3-5 months ahead of the big day. This will give them plenty of time to take leave from work, save money, book hotels and snag the best airfare deals. Your wedding ceremony might be a lonely state of affairs if you give your guests two weeks notice to RSVP.

FACTOR IN THE EXCHANGE RATE

How expensive your destination wedding is depends on which country you tie the knot in. Europe and America are always going to be more expensive due to the exchange rates so always convert prices into Singapore dollars so you know exactly how much you can afford to spend without risking embarrassment on your big day.

LOCAL OR NON-LOCAL?

Regardless of where you hold your wedding, you’re going to need photographers, DJs, caterers and the likes to handle your big day. Are you going to go with the local talent of your wedding’s destination or are you planning to fly in your own tried-and-trusted vendors to take care of everything? Either way, you should consider keeping aside a budget for them.

WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE?

Research the weather of your destination wedding. Will there be hurricanes? A heat wave? Snow fall? A big fat wedding in India is sure to be enchanting, except if you have the misfortune of holding it during monsoon season. Likewise, don’t assume that Mexico or the Caribbean have sunny weather all year round. If your wedding is held any time after July, chances are high that your celebrations might be interrupted by hurricane season.

PACK EARLY

It’s a destination wedding, of course a little packing is involved! Be sure you’ve got all your wedding essentials at hand – wedding dress, makeup, accessories and more! Start early and be sure your other half and you know who’s responsible for what. After all, it’s not like you can run back to your home if you left out something! The last thing you want is to forget your passport, or worse still, the wedding rings!

Karen George

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