Congratulations! You found The One, got engaged, and are having a destination wedding. YAY! A destination wedding is both a wedding and a tropical vacation with your closest family and friends. It’s really a “WEDCATION!” Sounds fabulous, right?

Many newly engaged couples don’t know what they’re getting into when trying to plan their destination wedding. Most couples have this idea, that they will just find a place somewhere in a beautiful location, get married, then live happily ever after. But there is a lot of planning that comes into play to make this all come together, Many couples eventually find out the hard way that it’s not so easy.  While finding a resort is a big part of the process, there’s so much to consider…

• Is your wedding date available?
• How early do you need to arrive at the resort for the final planning meeting?
• Are your guests booked at the right resort for the right dates?
• How will everyone get to the resort?
• Communicating with a resort coordinator in another country
• And keeping everything organized

Here is your survival guide for the newly engaged couple giving you a rundown on essential tips to help you stay sane during this process.

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! 

Consider Working With a Destination Designer or 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 is worth it to invest in a destination wedding expert.  A destination wedding expert 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 know what to ask for.

Bonus: You can stop reading the rest of this guide right now, if you decide to book a Destination Wedding Planning Session with me (click HERE to schedule). I will walk you through the process from beginning to end and you’ll have my expertise the entire way. No more stress or worry!

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 ceremony and reception. You may enjoy taking my quiz Which Wedding Venue is Right for You?

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 and resort to have your ceremony and host your group.  One of the most effective ways to choose a wedding resort and 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. (This is something I can help you set up!)

Get a New Email For Only Wedding Related Conversions

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 cousin’s baby shower!

Consider Getting a New Credit Card That Earns Miles

If 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 wedding airfare paid for if you play your credit cards right! 

A destination wedding is a fabulous time of celebrating your marriage and having an amazing vacation all at the same time.  Most of your family & friends are bound to have an amazing experience, but it’s never guaranteed—and the chances of having a bad one can happen once in a while.  The best way to avoid problems is to implement these 6 tips in my survival guide (or hire an expert, like me!).  

And if you feel like you just 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 use this link to schedule a complimentary 45-minute planning session with me.  I would be honored to help your figure out everything you need for your dream wedding to come true!