How to Decide on a Location for Your Destination Wedding

Here comes the fun part – deciding which paradise location to say "I Do"! 

There is a ton to consider when deciding where to have your destination wedding, but with a bit of knowledge and education, you can begin narrowing the options for your dream wedding quicker than you might think.  

To get you in the zone, I have something fun to start you off! I created the quiz below to help couples begin the process of planning and envisioning their dream wedding location. These questions will get you started on the right track about some things you'll want to keep in mind as you start location shopping! ​

After daydreaming and having some fun taking the quiz, we still need to talk about specifics.

The first thing that you should decide is not actually that exciting, but something to get out of the way so you can move forward with your planning - legal verses symbolic ceremony.  

Each country has their own requirements in order for a legal ceremony to be performed, and many can be quite tedious. There may be a mandatory "residency period" which can range from 24 hours to 4 days.  Some countries require blood tests, immunization certificates or doctor certificates. For instance, one island requires the official ceremony be held at their civil townhouse before you can have your "blessing ceremony" at the resort or beach location of your choice. Another country requires you to arrive 3 months prior to complete the paperwork in person before returning for your ceremony later. 

I'm going to be completely forthright here - nearly every single destination wedding couple that I have worked with (including myself), has chosen to do the legal paperwork back home prior to the international ceremony to keep it simple and have more time in destination with family and friends. However, this is an intimate decision that each couple must make together and there is no wrong way to do this. Just make sure to research the requirements of the destination(s) you have in mind to determine how you want to proceed. If having a legal ceremony is important, you might select a destination that's easier and doesn't have a lot of requirements. If you have chosen to work with a travel advisor, they should be able to go over all of this in great detail with you – it's their job!  

While the above is paramount to your narrowing down your location choices, there is so much more to consider before you start coming up with Aruba or Curacao wedding hashtags, so keep reading on!  

Additional Considerations to Determine Your Ideal Destination Wedding Location:  

• Do you have a significant location that may be an ideal destination to start your new life together? Did you get engaged on vacation? What was your first vacation spot together? Or perhaps just a destination you have both always wanted to go? 
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• Do you prefer an all-inclusive resort? These resorts are great for keeping costs consistent and not having your guests worry about extra expenses when they arrive. If this is something you had in mind, there are limited all-inclusive resorts and are not available in all locations or islands, so this question will narrow down your destination options very quickly. 
  
  
• What is your wedding vision when you think of your ceremony? Do you want a sunset background in your wedding photos?  Mountain views? Cultural influences? Many people don't think about the fact that not all tropical destinations have direct sunset views - the resort may face East and offer sunrise views only with the sunset behind the buildings. 
  
  
• Is there a date or month that has significant meaning? If you need to plan around a special date, focus on destinations that have good weather that time of year. Don't forget to think about any local festivals or holidays that may effect availability or pricing. Additionally, seasonal concerns such as turtle nesting season could be factor. For example, during turtle nesting season, the property is required to close the beach early which would force you to have an early wedding or select another reception location which might not live up to your vision of getting married on the beach. 
   
• Is turquoise water one of your top 3 requirements OR not as important? This in particular is a huge factor because even though all of the pretty pictures online love to tout locations as having that Caribbean teal water, the truth is that many places do NOT, so you can narrow down your search considerably right there. 
  
  
• Is the color of the sand important? White, Golden, Black colors? Beaches also range in locations from powder soft sand to pebble beaches, so if you have a preference or know what you do not want, you can cross some destinations off your list. 
  
  
• Do you have a vision of venue for your ceremony? Are you looking for an ocean view wedding gazebo instead of ceremony directly on the beach? What about a sky wedding, where you're on a rooftop with aerial or panoramic views? Maybe you want an over-the-water chapel or over-the-water palapa or a secret garden? Deciding on your vision for the ceremony will help trim those destinations that offer properties with venue options matching what you are looking for. 
  
  

• Are you planning on wearing heels, but still want a beach wedding? If so, you'll need to find a property which includes a deck or boardwalk on the sand or has an ocean front ceremony option that isn’t directly ON the sand. You'd be surprised, but this would actually rule out a lot of destinations!
  
  
• Do you have any special traditions or desires that you want to incorporate? Looking for a bonfire welcome party or floating lanterns to be released? Not all resorts can offer these due to government restrictions or insurance coverage. What about fireworks, a particular band, or entertainment show like fire dancers? Be sure to ask first, as not all resorts or locations can offer these type of events, so this can help you rule out many options if you have something particular in mind.
   
• What back-up location(s) are available in case of weather? Some properties will only have a ballroom available, others will have covered entertainment areas with ocean views or charming chapels. You'll want to discuss what matters most to you should a tropical shower occur.  This will ensure that you're prepared and know what you're getting so you aren't disappointed on your big day!  
  
  
• Any guests have disabilities, dietary or any other special needs to be considered?  Consider ages (children or seniors) and any physical mobility issues you should plan for. For example, if you have a lot of guests coming from both California and New York you may need to consider a more centralized country that won’t require some of your guest to layover overnight to get to your wedding losing precious time and money. In addition, if you have some mobility issues, you'll want to ensure the property grounds are easy to get around on, and have elevators to the rooms, as well as, any venue locations you are considering for any of the wedding events. Make sure the destination and resorts you are looking into can accommodate for any special needs your guests may need.  
  
  
• Do you have a special group activity you want to experience off resort? Zip-Lining, snorkeling, city tour, etc... My clients often elect to plan at least one group excursion that’s off property during their stay, so if you think that you might want to share that kind of experience with your guests, you may want to select a location that offers the adventure you envision. Zip-lining flat grounds isn't quite as exciting as if you zip-ling through a jungle mountain range, so if you know what you prefer to do as a group, that can help you concentrate on destinations that are best for that particular experience!   
  
  

• Budget for guests (air and hotel). While budget will come into play in a much bigger way when it comes down to comparing resort options, you'll want to pay attention when selecting your location since some countries are, simply put, just going to be way more expensive.  A wedding in Mexico for example, is a completely different budget ballgame than a wedding in Turks & Caicos. 
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• Kids Clubs/Activities/Babysitting Services. If you know that you'll definitely need to get married on a family-friendly property, then take that into consideration when choosing your country. Some countries - and smaller islands in particular - may not have a suitable family-friendly option available, so you could waste a lot of time and energy researching a place that has no actual viable resort option for your wedding. 

I hope you found some valuable insight to help you get started with finding your ideal destination wedding location. If you feel overwhelmed or would like assistance to narrow down the perfect destination or resort, we are here for you! This is what we do every day! 
 
We spend most of our vacation time touring resorts, meeting with the wedding coordinators and training for destination weddings, so we can make it very simple for you. We save you time by filtering out all the bad advice and countless options for you. Let us take the guesswork out and match-make you to the destination and resorts that fit your style, vision and budget the best. 
 
Together we will find your most perfect wedding resort and we take care of the logistics after that. All you have to do is the fun wedding planning and creating an unforgettable event your friend and family will remember for a lifetime! Schedule your free consultation to see how we can assist and learn more about our services!