Whether you are planning your wedding locally, or dream of a destination wedding, I’ve got all the best tips for you to know exactly how and when you should plan what. If all else fails, these three things will go a long way to making a successful day, whether you’re a local or destination bride.
For Local Brides:
- Weather – Well, weather has been are archenemy this year. Make sure you have an indoor space set aside just in case, or an option for tenting. You don’t want to agonize about ensuring that the backup plan is as beautiful as your original outdoor plan, guests will understand a last minute call – as long as you have a sheltered space the wedding can go on!
- Personalization – Creating special personalized touches will separate your wedding from everyone else. Simple things like a late night snack or a signature cocktail that are “his favorites and her favorites,” or having your wedding cake be different flavors for each tier, representing signature flavors from where you are from. I did a wedding once where the escort cards were a photograph of the guest with either the bride or groom at different points in their lives, which was extremely heartfelt and memorable.
- Budget – Set a budget in the beginning of the planning process, to help give you a roadmap and areas that you can potentially scale back on or splurge on while also keeping your eye on the total spend. It ‘s definitely easy to get carried away! I always tell brides to list out what is most important to them and make a plan around that. If you love the idea of a wine pairing dinner, choose a caterer and venue that can support that as your first goal. Maybe you set the table with more glassware and lots of candles and less floral. Keeping in mind that your catering bill will be higher, but saving on your floral budget.
For Destination Brides:
- Two planning visits – If possible I suggest allowing for two planning visits to the destination prior to the wedding; one to finalize contracts with the venue and the local vendors that you are going to utilize, and one details meeting, where you can finalize decor, layout, event timelines, menu and bar selections. Be prepared and send your vendors a checklist of items that you plan to review with them while you’re there, this will keep you productive and help ensure that they are prepared for the meeting as well.
- Avoid Overscheduling – If you are planning a wedding weekend for your guests, be careful not to overschedule their time. Remember that this trip could easily be their vacation time, so offer activities, send them information regarding the area, the hotel, etc., but give them time to unwind, explore and enjoy as well as celebrate the happy couple.
- Choose one resort – Consider resorts that can host all of your guests, or the majority of your guests all at one location. Looking back, I loved the weddings where everyone ran into each other as they were out and about during the day. Keep the guest list intimate, yet large enough to have a great party. You’ll have planned a once in a lifetime experience, to have everyone you know and love all be on vacation together.