Over the last several years, more and more brides are opting for destination weddings when planning out their special day. Our happy couples tend to choose to have a destination wedding for many reasons. Some love the romance of stepping out of their everyday to go some place special to celebrate this event. Some want to keep guest count low and a destination wedding is an easy way to do so. Some brides have simply dreamed about having their wedding at a certain majestic place for years and now have a chance to make that fairytale a reality – here at Castle Farms, many of our brides grew up dreaming of having their wedding here!
Obviously there are many advantages to destination weddings, but there also can be some struggles in planning the perfect destination wedding. Because we work primarily with brides and grooms who are planning destination weddings, we believe that many of those struggles can be avoided with proper planning.
Here are our top two tips for a successful destination wedding:
1) Plan ahead…way ahead: If you think you are planning ahead, add 4 months. We recommend that you plan at least 10 months, but preferably a year or more ahead when having a destination wedding. Can a fantastic wedding be put together in less time? Of course it can, but allowing yourself more time will help ensure a few very important aspects to creating your dream destination wedding:
- You aren’t a stress case: Any bride will tell you planning a wedding is difficult no matter how far in advance you start planning. But you CAN make it easier on yourself by giving yourself more time to make sure all the details are taken care of. Having the time to enjoy the process is half the fun.
- More time=Less money: Allowing yourself more time also helps you keep costs down, get the best deals and avoid making last minute ‘emergency purchases’ at high costs.
- You get exactly what you want: When you have to make quick, last minute decisions, you often won’t have the time or flexibility to get exactly what you want. This is your day and it should be just how you’ve always dreamed. Getting the details just how you want them will make sure the entire experience is the best it can be for both you and your guests.
- Your guests have time to plan: Unlike local weddings, a destination wedding requires more advance notice and planning for guests. People might need to take time off work, arrange baby sitters, book travel, etc. Make sure you send Save the Dates well in advance and give ample time for people to plan and respond after official invites go out as well.
2) Check weather patterns: Here in Michigan our weather varies greatly from season to season. A very important part of planning a fantastic wedding is knowing (not assuming) what weather traditionally looks like during the time of year that you are scheduling your wedding. Once you figure this out you can plan all the other details accordingly and be prepared for (almost any) seasonal weather tendency.
By letting these two simple tips lead the way in your entire destination wedding planning process, you will maximize your chance of planning the wedding of your dreams.