As people slowly begin to travel again, destination weddings are once more on the rise. For those who want to keep their destination wedding within the United States, South Florida is one of the top locations they turn to. If you are considering hosting a destination wedding, make sure you keep these tips in mind.
Needing some advice for planning your #destinationwedding during #COVID19? Here are tips from some of the wedding industry’s finest to help you navigate yourself down the aisle with ease!
….https://t.co/hLcygLzHkb pic.twitter.com/25ngaFTl1S— Destination Weddings (@DestinationIDo) January 21, 2021
Visit the location in advance
Even if you are familiar with the area where you would like to host your destination wedding, you should still take a trip to visit potential venue locations before scheduling one. If possible, take a second trip a few months before the wedding to finalize details, and if you’re unable to do that, do your best to arrive five days before the wedding to make those decisions.
Hire a wedding planner
If it is in the budget, a wedding planner will make a world of difference. It is difficult to make executive decisions and meet with vendors when you don’t live near the wedding location. A wedding planner can take these meetings for you and find the local vendors you can trust, allowing you to forget about a long-distant search and take care of the most important details.
Consider the time of year
While tourism is a major part of South Florida all year round, there are definitely better times of year to host a wedding in the area. Summers are hot, the heart of hurricane season, and the time of year people take vacations to travel to our sandy beaches. Winter is “snow bird season,” when people travel down south to escape the cold. If tourism is a concern, you may want to consider these factors before picking a date.
Inform guests that it is a destination wedding ahead of time
You will want to give your guests a much longer notice about the destination wedding than a local wedding. Save-the-dates should be mailed out about a year in advance, giving guests ample time to plan for travel and funds. Still send out the actual invite around three to four months in advance, but an early save-the-date notice is key.
Check local marriage requirements
Each state has their own marriage requirements that couples need to research in advance. You don’t want to expect your state’s marriage license rules, only to find there is a longer waiting period in the state in which you’re getting married. Make sure you study this in advance.