How to Plan a Destination Wedding: 6 Steps to Get Started

So you’ve decided to have a destination wedding. First of all, congratulations! A destination wedding is such a beautiful option for many couples that you won’t regret. But have you already gotten a little overwhelmed by the planning process? There’s a plethora of information on traditional weddings, but planning a destination wedding can be quite different. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of resources out there, but don’t worry. This post on how to plan a destination wedding will give you a great start.

Below we’ve outlined 6 steps to get you started. As soon as you start planning a destination wedding you’ll want to get a good head start on these to-do’s. They will set a precedence on the rest of your planning and make it more seamless for you. Let’s check out what they are.

1. Your Budget

First thing’s first, you’ll want to know how much you plan on spending for your destination wedding. Setting a budget right off the bat will help make the rest of the planning process much smoother. Why? Because once you have a dollar amount it mind, and start getting ideas on how much individual line items will cost, your budget will dictate some of your decision making.

Most people assume a destination wedding is cheaper than a traditional wedding (and one of the main reasons a couple chooses to have one). Although a destination wedding can definitely be cheaper, it really depends on what you want, when you want the wedding, and how many guests plan on coming.

Check out our post, “Your Destination Wedding Budget – 16 Must Have Budget Items” to make sure you don’t miss any big budget items.

2. Pick the Right Resort

I know I know, there are hundreds of resorts to choose from and the possibilities can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips –

Hire a travel agent

Not only will the travel agent have direct experience with the resorts they recommend, they’ll know how to plan getting all your guests there as well.

If you’d like to book your wedding with me as your travel agent just head to my Let’s Get Started page to set up a consultation!

Know who you’re catering to

Will you have children attending your destination wedding? A resort that’s kid friendly is the obvious choice. Thinking an adult only resort sounds nice and relaxing? It may surprise you how much more expensive an adult only resort will cost. There are also plenty of kid friendly resorts that have specific areas blocked off as adult only sections. Knowing who will most likely be attending your destination wedding will help influence your decision.

Focus on what you want the resort to provide

Do you want to be dancing with your family and friends at the swim up bar? Or maybe relaxing on the beach with no background noise. You can tell which vibe resorts accommodate for more on their website alone. Maybe it’s not so obvious? Check out their social media pages.

3. Choose the Time of Year

The time of year for your wedding can have big impacts on your budget, what the climate will be, and the availability of your guests. Typically, the most popular (and usually more expensive) time of year is March-May. You’ll find the autumn months to be a little cheaper, but the weather may not be as predictable as you’d like.

Also consider holidays and when people are busiest. If your wedding is in November some guests may not be able to afford your trip as well as holiday plans and Christmas gifts.

Here are the three times of year to consider:

1. January to April – the busiest and usually more expensive season
2. August to November – the “off season”, or hurricane season depending on where your wedding will be
3. Spring break time frame – March or early May

4. Give the Important Attendees a Heads Up

Personally, I wanted to check with both of my sisters before we even started planning our destination wedding. There were a few reasons for this. First of all, I couldn’t imagine either one of my sisters not attending my wedding. Second, they both had small children at the time. If either one of them said they wouldn’t be able to afford it, or it would be too much for their family to attend, then I would have strongly considered a traditional wedding.

This may not be the case for you, but make sure to have serious discussions with your fiancé about the chances of certain people not being able to attend. You may assume they will because you’re family or really close, but a destination wedding is a big expense for your guests and they may not be about to swing it. For this reason, make sure you give your closest friends and family a heads up about your destination wedding plans. That way they know well before your save the dates go out and they have plenty of time to save money to attend.

Try not to get your hopes up. Even if you give certain guests all the time in the world they still might not come. There may be some guests that are a deal breaker, or you may decide to go ahead with your destination wedding regardless of who is or isn’t there.

5. Have a Checklist

Having a checklist will ensure you cross off those important to-do’s. Not sure what should be on there? Check out our Destination Wedding Checklist here.

With a checklist you can organize everything that needs to be done to avoid getting overwhelmed. Some things will take months (like finding and altering your wedding dress) while others you can wait on until shortly before the wedding.

6. Use a Destination Wedding Planner

A planner is going to outline everything for you. The big and little to-do’s, important deadlines, and everything in between. We have a planner specifically for destination wedding brides here:

With a planner you don’t have to worry about missing anything in the planning process. It also has areas where you can write down and include pictures for your wedding vision. This helps you plan your wedding based on what you want it to look like and what you can afford based on your must haves.

I hope this guide on how to plan a destination wedding has been helpful. Comment below or contact me here to let me know what you think!