Planning a destination wedding is an exciting adventure. Because you are not having a traditional wedding there are things you will need to consider. First and foremost remember that you will be asking friends and family to travel to your wedding and possibly take on extra expenses that they might not have done normally. Also you will want to consider your budget and how you would like to spend your money. If you know this and are sensitive to everyone’s needs, you will be able to find ways to save for both you and your guests on your wedding day.
Let’s begin with the timing of your wedding. Timing is everything, you will need to consider the season, holidays, and any special events that may take place in any one destination. Depending on the occasion, your travel might be manageable, but the flowers may not. And choosing the low season is a great option, but you will need to deal with weather. How about the date and day of your wedding. Since you are already traveling to your destination you may find a better deal if you have your wedding during the week.
Travel deals are also crucial to your budget. Take your time to find the best travel deals available. Don’t jump on the first flight. Find sites that have fare predictors and or flight aggregators. They will help you find a good deal that you can book right away. Try also to fly direct because then you won’t pay extra for multiple stops. You may want to find an airline that has destination airline packages that will give you a discount for you and your guests. There may be package deals available, but sometimes booking airfare and hotels separately will give you a better deal. If you do your research then the beginning steps of planning your wedding will seem easy.
Now consider your budget and decide which details are the most important to you on your wedding day. Some ways to save are by shopping for favors and gifts in the off season. If you are having your wedding in June try and buy any beach themed wedding favors in November or December. You might find some savings and don’t forget to shop around. There are several wedding sites to choose from and each has something different to offer. Another way to save is by being a €DIY Bride.€ By making favors, printing invitations, and stuffing your own Welcome Bags you can save a lot. Have you thought about your registry? You can always register for the normal wedding gifts, but having a honeymoon registry will help to pay for the little extras. Dinner, a spa treatment, or an excursion are perfect gifts to make things special once you are married.
Over the last few months, you have planned most of your wedding details, but here are some ways to save a little extra cash once you arrive at your destination. At your wedding ceremony site the first thing you can do is use nature as your decoration. There is no reason to go crazy with flowers or candles because you already have a natural backdrop. Once you’ve said €I do€ it will be time to have your reception. Before you begin think about these few little ways to save – fake the cake. When you have a destination wedding, you probably have a smaller guest list and will need less cake, this however does not mean that you have to have a smaller looking cake. Have a display cake made with the top layer made just for the cutting ceremony. You can then have the biggest cake of your dreams for your pictures and not a lot of cake leftover. Your guests can then enjoy a sheet cake that was made just for them. On your table use seashells, sand, or fruit to decorate. You can save a lot on flowers, not to mention that some destinations will not let you take your flowers home with you. Try a local liquor to toast with, you may see a savings compared with champagne. And when planning you menu ask for substitutes because your vendor may have a less expense alternative. Finally one last way to save money (something I did) was make a playlist and use your Ipod to play music at your reception. I had my brother play DJ and we saved a lot!
I hope that these few tips were helpful. There are truly an unlimited amount of ways to save when planning a destination wedding. Just remember to stick to your budget and remember your guests!!!!
