By Wedding Blog Contributor, Lana Perry
A wedding in a far-away land, or anywhere other than your hometown, can be an extraordinary experience for everyone involved. Here, we spoke with Kelsey Sheofsky, Sr. Event Producer of leading destination wedding planning company, Alison Events Planning and Design, and one Vegas-bound newlywed to get their ideas on how to plan a fabulous destination wedding.
1. Choose the perfect destination:
To start, Kelsey recommends looking at how you like to spend free time as a couple; whether you’re into action and adventure or beaches and relaxation should play a large part in what type of location you consider, whether you’ve been there before or not.
Also consider how much time and money you and your guests can spend on travel. This usually impacts both how many guests you invite and how many can actually attend. For the most budget-friendly ‘exotic’ destination wedding locations, Alison Events suggests the east coast of Mexico to best accommodate guests from all over the U.S.
With such a varied landscape, the U.S. itself is packed with amazing destination wedding locations – beaches, vineyards, cityscapes, ranches, farms, mountains, lakes, prairies and deserts. Newlywed bride Carlene Fort and her husband chose Las Vegas in order to stick to their budget. “We decided on Vegas for many reasons, but the most important two were affordable wedding packages and proximity to entertainment for our guests, 80% of which were young and looking for fun. We were able to have a classy, elegant wedding in a city known for Elvis and late-night eloping!”
2. Research both online and on-location:
While a simple “Google” search of your destination and the word “wedding” will bring up all kinds of reviews, blogs and photos, there’s nothing like seeing the place first hand, or at least sending someone to go in your place.
“I think it’s ideal to go to the location before the wedding so you can meet the vendors and see the space,” Sheofsky said. “Websites can be misleading and something you dislike online may be your favorite when you see it in person, or vice versa. This happens all the time with our clients.” Sheofsky also explains that visiting the location is especially important with foreign countries where sometimes a handshake with a vendor can hold more weight than a contract, or there is a language barrier, which is much easier to deal with in person.
This is why working with a wedding planner can be even more helpful when your wedding is not local. If you hire help, be sure you choose a planner who is experienced in destination weddings because the methodology demands a specific kind of creativity and resourcefulness.
3. The deal with all-inclusive packages:
All-inclusive wedding packages are common at resorts and restaurants in locations that experience high levels of tourism. These packages are great for convenience sake, but some can stifle your personalized wedding dreams, and can result in higher costs for each service or item since many venues work with preferred vendors and mark up everything with their own manager fee.
Fort chose an all-inclusive package for her Vegas destination wedding and was pleased with the results. “We decided on Victoria’s Chapel, and their all-inclusive package. They received great reviews and the package included everything. But we could customize whatever we wanted! I customized everything from my DIY personal touches, to the cake, the flowers, the music and they only charged extra if absolutely necessary, and even then it was nominal.”
Depending on the steps you take to prepare, destination weddings can be a major stress relief offering a beautiful backdrop for your nuptials, an escape, and a great excuse for a tiny guest list. Many newlyweds spend their honeymoon in their destination wedding location, or somewhere nearby, for added convenience and savings. No matter the location, your wedding will be a personal and memorable representation of your love and commitment – so where is your dream destination wedding location? Leave a comment to let us know!
Credits:
Photography by: Thayer Allyson Gowdy
Opening Image: Costalegre, Mexico
Closing Image: Inverness, California
Also check out great online resources for a hot wedding dress body in my previous wedding blog, Top 3 Websites to Whip Your Body into Wedding-Dress Shape
Lana Perry blogs about DIY and budget wedding planning tips for Perfect Wedding Guide’s Wedding Blog. She is ecstatic to finally see the photos from her own recent elegant, unique, DIY-style wedding!
