Congratulations on your engagement! This will be one of the happiest times of your
life, as you start planning your destination wedding! But, thinking of everything that you
need to pull together to host a destination wedding can be overwhelming. There are
so many different things that you will have to manage for everything to run smoothly.
How do you make the choice of location, venue, transportation, and all the other
destination wedding essentials that you need to concern yourself with?

This destination wedding guide will help you navigate the 6 most important details of planning a destination wedding that will truly be fabulous! It can be an arduous journey, but this will ensure that both you and your partner come out not just surviving, but actually thriving during the destination wedding planning process!

Ok, so let’s jump into these six destination wedding essentials!

Get Started Right Away

In today’s post-COVID environment, dates & availability are booking up faster
than ever before! Many couples are eager to finally say “I DO!” in an amazing
location, just as they had hoped before the pandemic! Now dates are booking
up fast, so don’t procrastinate, start researching resort wedding venues &
availability now!

2. You Don’t Have to Know it All

You may think you have to know everything about planning a destination
wedding before you begin, but that’s simply not true! You don’t need to have it
all figured out to get started. The two most important things you need to start
working on is making a list of potential destinations you would like to get
married, and then, a list of potential resort wedding venues to hold your
wedding & wedding group at.

3. Consider Doing a Pre-Wedding Planning Trip

Hey, Who doesn’t like the samples at Costco, before you buy a 12-pack of hot
chocolate bombs? Right?

Once you have a destination wedding location chosen, then it’s time to figure
out which wedding venue & resort to have your ceremony and host your group.
One of the most effective ways to choose a wedding resort & venue is to visit it
first before you decide. In fact, many resorts offer special “wedding visit”
packages to encourage you to visit their resort, hoping you will choose them for
your destination wedding.

Get a New Email Exclusively for Wedding Related Conversations

In order to have a successful destination wedding, you have to be organized. I
always suggest that you create a special email address exclusively for your
wedding & honeymoon. This way all of your wedding correspondence &
conversations will be in one spot! Believe me, this will save you so much time
and probably money in the end. The last thing you want is a confirmation email
requesting you to verify your wedding date & time at the resort, and you miss it
in a crowded inbox sandwiched between emails from Peloton & your uncle’s
gallbladder surgery!

Consider Getting a New Credit Card that Earns Miles

As long as you are going to be charging your wedding expenses, you might as
well earn some reward miles to help you pay for your travel. This is a great time
to open a new credit card that will earn you miles or points for future or even
current travel. You could actually get your airfare paid for if you play your credit
cards right!

Consider Working with a Destination Wedding Specialist

If you want to ensure that your destination wedding will be planned correctly,
and reduce the stress and frustration you may feel when trying to plan this all
on your own, it may be worth it to invest in a destination wedding designer or
planner. A destination wedding planner or designer knows the ins and outs of a
destination wedding and has plenty of experience setting up wedding groups,
negotiating contracts, and managing all of the logistics for you and your guests.
They will also make sure that you receive ALL the amenities & perks you will
qualify for as well. Things that many resorts won’t tell you unless you ask.

I hope this destination wedding survival guide helps make your wedding planning a little less stressful and more fun. At the end of the day, you want your destination wedding to be a celebration that everyone will remember! (In a good way) By knowing these destination wedding essentials, you can ensure that your destination wedding experience will be everything you hoped for, as well as one of your fondest memories as a couple.

And, by the way, If you feel like you need a little help planning your destination wedding, or you’re ready to have all of this lifted off of your shoulders, then I encourage you to schedule a free 15-minute strategy session with me!

I would be honored to help you figure out everything you need for your dream wedding to come true!

5 Steps to Planning the Most Magical Destination Wedding on ANY Budget