The new year rings in much celebration, including news of romantic proposals and happy engagements. To the wanderlust couples who dreamt of a destination wedding, here are five questions to guide your approach in choosing the perfect location.
- What statement do we want to make with this event?
Getting married is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to outwardly express your love – to each other and to those who made an impact in your life. For some, that means the wedding would involve hundreds of people, while for others, it’s just a handful. But for almost all, it will be a stressful event. Nonetheless, as much work as it is going to be, it’s worth it. So what do you envision the event to be like or say about you as a couple? Some would like it simple, while others love it grand. For my wedding, we wanted to share with our close friends and family a typical vacation that we enjoy while living in Asia. We also wanted a small enough wedding to spend time with all our guests and truly express our gratitude to each of them. Once we had the overall concept, we were able to make a guestimate for our budget and the amount of guests to invite and these numbers guided the type of venue we were looking for.
- Who are my key VIP guests and what are their needs?
There will always be that family member or friend that will launch a complaint. However, to minimize the complaints (and therefore the stress the comes with it), anticipate certain non-negotiable requests from your key “stakeholders” and then find a location and venue that would accommodate the needs. For example, grandparents accustomed to warm climates may easily get sick in the cold so avoid winter snowy weddings. For us, we had important guests that have trouble walking or driving so we chose to get married in a country where taxi’s and private cars are affordable so guests wouldn’t need to rent a car. On a side note, everyone feels like they are entitled to having an opinion about your wedding, but only a few opinions actually matter. Once you’ve done your best to be considerate to the key guests, you can have peace of mind and stand your ground if others are being difficult. Going into wedding planning with a resilient mindset is a key to success and you’ll come out of it a stronger person!
- Is my destination wedding accessible & transport friendly?
The more accessible the wedding venue is, the less stress it will be for the bride and groom. A destination wedding that is close to an international airport and is in a city with a transportation app (such as Uber or Grab) makes a big difference. It minimizes the amount of questions about airport transfers and the panic calls guests may have. Even the airlines flying into the airport, the type of aircraft (big commercial flight vs. tiny budget airlines) and the frequency of flights are factors to consider. On top of that, it’s helpful to find a wedding venue that’s located near other accommodations at different price ranges, as alternative options for guests.
- What kind of food is there?
Going back to point #2, some of your key stakeholders may have adverse reactions to certain foods or cuisines. If you want to make sure your closest friends and family can make it to your big day and not complain throughout the process, it’s worth ensuring there’s a balance of international and local cuisine at the various events during the wedding.
- What is there to do around town?
Everyone’s excited and can’t wait to celebrate with you. But they also can’t wait to leave their day-to-day routine and have fun on vacation! The more activities there are for guests to entertain themselves, the more time the bride and groom will have to take care of their own arrangements pre and post the wedding. If the venue is located in a remote location, they should offer tours and activities for guests.
In addition to the key questions above to narrow down a destination, there are the general questions when choosing a venue. Is there a wedding planner or designated coordinator that comes with the wedding package? What is the venue capacity? Is there an indoor option and space in case it rains? Is there a corkage or outside-vendor fee? By asking the right questions and narrowing down key considerations, you’ll be well on your way in planning your dream destination wedding.
Glorious Ruins 