Wondering if we have any tips for planning destination weddings? I know there are about a million things to consider, which is why I’ve got plenty of info for you, straight from the experts! I talked to two beautiful brides who recently held a destination wedding to help you find out everything you need to know.
I worked with both of these brides on their gorgeous destination weddings, helping them craft wedding videos that were true to the love, adventure, and excitement on their big day. Because destination weddings range from a weekend up to a whole week, we have plenty of time to capture all of that touching, sweet footage of your celebration – you’ll love looking back on it after you’ve returned from the trip, I promise!
In this Interview With a New Bride series, two brides share why they went for a destination wedding, what worked well, and plenty of other helpful tips for destination weddings. I hope it helps you plan your own meaningful destination wedding!
Bride 1: For us, it was plenty of time to spend with our guests, a chance for all of our family and friends to build relationships with each other, and the memories made during the trip.
Bride 2: The dreamy location, having a small and intimate wedding with just a few guests, and being able to spend quality time with every guest who joined us.
Bride 1: It was a cheaper route and we love to travel, so it made sense. It also allowed us to be more creative and to craft a day that was all about us, not about having 500 guests to look after.
Bride 2: We both have big families and our wedding guest list was nearing 400 people! Instead of making anyone feel left out, we invited all 400 to our wedding in Hawaii, knowing that those who weren’t that close to us wouldn’t attend. Plus, we found such a beautiful location and the venue was all-inclusive, which made planning much easier when we were based in the States. Hawaii offered a lot of venue options too, which we loved.
My husband and I met at a destination wedding and knew immediately we wanted to do one and pay it forward to our guests to have a similar experience. Having a small, intimate wedding with the people that meant the most to me and supported our relationship 100%. Plus, we knew that going on a trip with my friends and family would be incredible – getting to go on vacation with friends and family before the wedding, it was just so memorable.
Bride 1: We got married at the same place where we got engaged! It wasn’t too far from the Bay Area, and who doesn’t love Hawaii? Hawaii was our first trip together and we wanted to get married in a unique, boutique setting that wasn’t too commercial.
Bride 2: I wanted to be on a beach and I didn’t want to be at a hotel where a lot of people were watching me getting married. For our wedding, we wanted it to be somewhere remote that felt exclusive, just for our family and friends. Plus, we picked a destination with clear blue water and just amazing food.
Bride 1: Making sure that every decision made was meaningful to me and my hubby was so important to us.
Bride 2: Definitely the intimacy and getting to celebrate in a memorable location. We also hosted our bachelorette and bachelor party in the days leading up to the wedding since the bridal party would already be flying out. It made it convenient and fun!
We loved having time with guests and a chance for them to build relationships and have a new fond memory – that was a big priority on our destination wedding checklist.
Bride 1: I would probably say we would’ve liked to have more time with our photographer before the ceremony. It was super rushed, but we would have loved to take more photos with the bridal party and guests.
Bride 2: Talk to your planner; find one that has worked with your photographer. Also, make sure you like the style of the videographer you pick so you don’t feel like you have to be overly involved – you can trust them to make a video that you know you’ll love.
This is a tip from me! You really want to give your guests as much notice as possible, so 6–12 months, if not longer, isn’t unreasonable. Of course, you can put together an amazing party with less notice, but in those cases, a destination wedding planner will be really useful to help you get everything done in a shorter timeframe.
One key take-home message from talking to these beautiful brides is that your destination wedding should be authentic to your relationship and values. From there, you’re sure to end up with a wedding that you’ll absolutely love.
If I can help with your videography needs for your destination wedding, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s discuss all of your wedding ideas and go from there!
