While having a destination weddings feels like a dream come true for every bride-to-be, the reality is it might not be the best choice for everyone. Here are some questions to ask yourself to find out if an overseas wedding is the right choice for your special day.
(1) Is it okay with you if not all of your family and friends can make it?
Some people will not be able to fly out for your wedding. The truth is that going abroad might not be feasible for many of your guests. You should be aware and ready for this.
[From: A Picturesque Wedding at a Chateau in Bordeaux France / Photo: Traveller Ki]
(2) Are you ready to plan your wedding remotely?
One of the biggest challenges of having a destination wedding is planning it all from another country far away. Time zone differences will also affect the lead time correspondences. You’ll have to take these into consideration.
[From: A Romantic Wedding in Australia That Was Almost Three Years In The Making / Photo: Aliki Anadena]
(3) Are you and your partner willing to fly in to your destination to check it out, if needed?
It’s not always the case, but there might be a need for you and your partner to fly over and visit your overseas wedding location to do an ocular check, meet suppliers, or even make some arrangements. If it’s really, really needed, assess whether you’re okay to make that trip.
[From: A Cozy and Intimate Garden Wedding in Cotswolds England / Photo: KC Chan Photography]
(4) Are you aware that you may have to do some extra work to legalize your wedding?
Depending on the rules and legal process at your destination country and at your home country, your wedding may or may not be legalized. You’ll need to check and make the necessary adjustments–like having a separate civil union at your home country.
[From: A Picturesque Wedding in a 14th Century Castle in Catalonia, Spain / Photo: Volvoreta]
(5) Are you open to exerting extra time and effort to help guests with accommodations and other logistics arrangements?
For destination weddings, guests will usually ask a lot of questions and seek help with making other arrangements around your overseas wedding, such as accommodations, transportation, and so on.
[From: The Dreamiest Dusty Blue Garden Wedding You Can Imagine / Photo: Iluminen]
(6) Are you open to spending more?
Destination weddings can be extra costly. Prices abroad will also vary compared to local prices. You’ll need to add travel and accommodation expenses on top of the usual wedding expenses, too. If you’re planning on bringing in local vendors to your overseas wedding, you’ll also need to cover their travel expenses.
[From: A Romantic Clifftop Wedding Overlooking Lake Toya / Photo: Juno Inc]
(7) Are your bridesmaids and groomsmen ready to fly out for your wedding day?
Just like your wedding guests, some of your entourage members may not be ready to fly out for your wedding, for various reasons–financial constraints, schedule conflicts, and so on. You might need to make adjustments if some members can’t make it.
[From: This Couple Wed Amidst Pastel Pink Hues and a Stunning View / Photo: Chesoen Tan]
(8) Are you flexible with your wedding vendors?
Many brides-to-be already have local vendors in mind for their wedding day. However, if you’re having an overseas wedding and want to take local vendors with you, not all of the vendors may be available to fly out for a number of days. Schedule conflicts may occur and you might have to choose other vendors that are available and ready to fly out on your chosen dates.
If you answered “yes” to all these questions then you’re definitely ready to plan your dream destination wedding! If you answered “no” for some of these, reassess you wedding priorities and check if a destination wedding is really for you. We hope this helped you out!
