Destination Wedding Anyone?

[SusieQ]

Hello, I just wanted to see if anyone here has planned or is planning a destination wedding. We are in the process of planning our wedding in Las Vegas for next April and I'd love to get ideas from other brides.

[Natasha]

We may be going with Vegas...I am "supposed" to settle on some concrete ideas by the 7th, so I'll let ya know!

[tlew12778]

Yep. Well half-destination really. We are getting married in Italy bc we live here and his family is from here. But my entire family is travelling from NY-Boston to Italy for the wedding. I would imagine that planning something within the US is a lot easier. My entire family argued for 2-3 months about the date and I ended up picking one not based on what we wanted but based on the academic schedules of all the children that are coming.

[sdianems]

Yes, we are heading to HI in September and will be married on the Big Island.
No details yet; we really just want to get the marriage license the first Monday after we arrive and will take it from there.
Very low key and just the 2 of us....just the way I like it!
;)

[filmgirl7]

We are planning a destination wedding for January of 2006. We're hoping to get married at an inn in Vermont, but we're still in the planning process right now. We were supposed to be married next week (the 16th) but trying to please my parents, fiance, and everyone else got so difficult that we called it off in April. I'm still bummed. :cool:

[DelSol]

I had a destination wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

We loved it and wouldn't have done it any other way.

Las Vegas is great, we've been there 3 times.

Good Luck with the planning.

[filmgirl7]

Hey all,
I need to get your opinions on something. My FH and I are planning a destination wedding for January, '06. We were supposed to get married next week, but called it off because the tension and fighting from planning were just hurting our relationship too much.

My question is, how long should i wait to tell the families/friends about our new wedding date. We're only inviting 25 people, and they are mostly the wedding party and our siblings and parents. I'm concerned that people will make other plans for that weekend, but i'm also afraid of getting flack from my folks. I really don't want my mom to try and get involved in planning at all this time....I can't take it. What do you all think?

Thanks,
filmgirl :p

[tlew12778]

I would give those 25 people 6+ months notice which means telling them ASAP. I got a HUGE amount of flack when I said I was getting married here in Italy and not in the US. Mainly bc ppl needed to request vacation time and save up the money.

I don't think that the ppl who are not coming even know that I am getting married next April. They will get invites but I know they won't come and they are getting their invites about 4 months before the wedding.

If I were you, I would set the date (if you can, not all civil services allow you to set a date so far out) and start reserving the caterer company (if you need one) and photographer, reserve a block of hotel rooms, and choose your invites. Once that's done there isn't too much that your mom can get involved with.

[pixiecat]

We had a destination wedding in Kauai in July 03... We invited 55 people and 40 of them came! I was so surprised! But everyone was excited about having a vacation in addition to going to a wedding!

The one thing we did that I think helped *a lot* was prepare a little booklet "save the date." It had a lot more info than a usual save the date including facts about the island, Hawaii travel tips, etc.

The only downside was that we had to work with a wedding coordinator (I would have preferred to do it myself!) who was pretty unresponisive... but we survived!

People said that they loved it!! I wouldn't have done anything different.

Good luck!! You won't regret a small wedding. :p

[MandyMaloo]

Hello!

I'm kind of having a destination wedding, even though it's not a very glamourious one! My FI and I are living here in Raleigh, NC, but we are getting married in Lake Mills, WI- where he was born and where his family still lives. It's very hard planning a wedding so far away, but I like the idea of being able to have the people we care about being so close to us!

Filmgirl- I'm sorry you had to call off the original wedding. I now understand why so many brides find this so fusterating. It's extremely fusterating when everyone tells you how to plan something that is so important and meaningful to the two of you.

I would tell the people you would like to come as soon as possible. They need the time to be able to make sure they can ask off and save the money to come. I would also tell your mom--even though she will probably give you some flack about it. At least then she can't hold it over your head on your big day. I would also tell her that you prefer to plan the wedding on your own since it had caused so mnay problems before.

Again- sorry you even have to go through this. I think doing something small is a great way to cut down on the wedding stress, and I hope you and FI enjoy planning your special day with a lot less stress!!

[filmgirl7]

Hey all,
So the plans for Vermont are coming together slowly, but I'm excited. Once the school year starts up, I won't have much time to think about any of it, so I'll be glad to get it done over summer. The date of January 7th seems like it's going to work out. :D

We decided that, since we are pretty much renting out the entire Inn for our wedding, we will get people to save the date by saying "We're having a dinner party on January 7th, you must come!" Some people may read between the lines, others may not. Either way, it will get them to save the date without having to give away the secret just yet. I don't think we want to tell the whole truth until September or even later....My brother is getting married the first week in November, and I wouldn't want to take the focus off him and his FW, nor give my parents anything else to think/worry about between now and then.

Now we'll need to decide whether the men should rent tuxes, what color the flowers should be, which room we want for our wedding night, and who will marry us. I desperately want a minister rather than a justice of the peace, because I don't want God to be totally absent. FH is Jewish and I'm Catholic, which is one reason we ended up postponing the first wedding....there was too much flack coming from my parents about who would officiate, etc.

Ok, input is most welcome. What are your thoughts?!

[maplekitty]

Hey all,
I need to get your opinions on something. My FH and I are planning a destination wedding for January, '06. We were supposed to get married next week, but called it off because the tension and fighting from planning were just hurting our relationship too much.

I'm very sorry about that. But I'm glad that you two agreed that taking some extra time to build back your relationship was more important than a wedding. Being fully prepared mentally is much more important than being prepared physically.

My question is, how long should i wait to tell the families/friends about our new wedding date. We're only inviting 25 people, and they are mostly the wedding party and our siblings and parents. I'm concerned that people will make other plans for that weekend, but i'm also afraid of getting flack from my folks. I really don't want my mom to try and get involved in planning at all this time....I can't take it. What do you all think?

Thanks,
filmgirl :p

I agree that you should tell your guests ASAP. Whether through a formal STD, or more informal email letter. But if you'd like all your guests to come, they need to have ample time to prepare. If your mother's over-involvment was part of the original stress, then by simply telling her that you'd rather have an easy going planning and let the "co-ordinator" at whatever hotel/resort you're getting married at take care of it. That's what they are there for! Tell you mom that your relationship is more important than the stress from a wedding and that you'd rather have her imput on *some* of the important stuff, rather than every little detail. I'm sure if you really play up the role of the on-site co-ordinator, she won't have much to say otherwise about being so involved.

[sunkiss000]

I am almost sure I'm not having a destination wedding.. but its still a possibility. I have considered Hawaii... or possibly a Cruise wedding... has anyone ever had or been to a wedding on a cruise ship?

~Gennie

[jeeplover]

Sunkiss-my friends are getting married on St. Thomas but we (all the guests-28 total) are taking the royal carribean cruise there. Their wedding is going to cost them less than $2000 not including the cost of the cruise.

[Larissa]

Half destination wedding here as well. We will have a reception in the US, and then I will move to England and get legally married over there.

[KrissyCat7]

BeachBride19426- Where did you get married in Montego Bay? We are thinking of having a destination wedding at Sandals Montego Bay. Id love any advice, pictures or ideas.

[MexicoBride'05]

I'm getting married at the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo in the Mayan Riviera in November! I can't wait! The time has been going by so fast and I still have so much left to do! I'll be starting a journal on here soon which will have all my planning ideas from my old journal on the WC.

[DelSol]

KrissyCat7~

I got married at Sandals Royal Carribean. It was great.

Here are a couple of my wedding pictures from the resort:

http://images.snapfish.com/3445%3A97523232%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3245%3E%3A4%3B%3E449% 3EWSNRCG%3D32327%3B467989%3Anu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3445%3A97523232%7Ffp54%3Dot%3E2323%3D%3A24%3D%3B3% 3A%3D3232%3A24%3A49%3C94nu0mrj

The whole gang that attended our wedding:
http://images.snapfish.com/3445%3A97523232%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3245%3E%3A4%3B%3E449% 3EWSNRCG%3D32327%3B4682%3C33nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/3445%3A97523232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2336%3D%3B3%3C%3D53% 3A%3DXROQDF%3E23236%3C3773%3B45ot1lsi

http://images.snapfish.com/3445%3A97523232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2336%3D%3B3%3C%3D53% 3A%3DXROQDF%3E23236%3C3773%3B55ot1lsi

If you check out my journal, my wedding story is in there.

This was our room, 1st floor, 1st room to the left of the palm tree:
http://images.snapfish.com/3445%3A97523232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2336%3D%3B3%3C%3D53% 3A%3DXROQDF%3E23237%3B%3B82375%3Bot1lsi

If you would like any information, please let me know I'd be happy to provide you what I can.

MexicoBride'05~ Hi Farah! Great to see you made it over to the other board. It's hard to beleive your wedding will be here in a few more months.

[ejs]

We got married on Maui. We invited about 40 and had 32 (?) attend. It was perfect for us. We wouldn't have changed a thing about it.

When we returned, we had a reception in our area (near my family) and one where DH's parents live (across the country).

[justHB]

We got married in Maui in February 2002. We had 14 guests.

[Asha]

sunkiss000 - i was invited to a wedding on a cruise ship. we are not going for a multitude of reasons the main reasons being vacation time and money. the main thing is don't make your guests who cannot come feel guilty for not coming bc it can be a financial burden on a guest to plan such an elaborate destination wedding. when someone says they cannot came, just leave it at that bc its slightly uncomfortable and embarrassing to have to explain it.

[Natasha]

That is the one reason I am wary of a destination wedding. I would never want to make anyone feel uncomfortable, and I worry about the people who wouldn't be able to afford it. I feel bad making people spend a bunch of money to celebrate my wedding...

[thompso2]

I had a destination wedding in Scotland. We were engaged for nearly two years and decided on the location pretty early on and sent out Save the Dates, which gave people the time to save up money and time off. My parents paid for my grandma's and cousin's airline tickets (using a fabulous deal through American Express), so that they were able to come. All in all, we had about 40 people, and pretty much everyone thanked us for giving them the incentive to fly over and have a great vacation.

[emmjay]

Hey, I had a destination wedding in Scotland with 40 guests too! We were engaged for over a year and sent the save-the-dates out a year in advance.

asianbear07, I had some of the same qualms - I felt bad about the expense, the time off, it was a long way to travel (esp. for my 90-yr old grandmother who flew to northern Scotland from Chicago all by herself), etc. Well, several of my guests told me independently that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. Of the people who couldn't go, they all just wished they could have been there - no one was mad at me for planning a destination wedding.

I can't imagine having our wedding any other way - the whole weekend was perfect and we had a blast. Plus the wedding coordinator took care of everything so it was stress-free. And it was much less expensive than it would have been for us to have a wedding at home. I highly recommend destination weddings!

[KeliAnn]

*bump*

We're planning a destination wedding. We live in South Carolina and our wedding will be on the beach at Jekyll Island, GA. Okay - so it's not Hawaii or anything, but it's about 5 hours away.

We're inviting approx. 30 people (last count) and expecting around 20 to come.

We're not having a reception at the wedding - just a simple dinner at a local restaurant. But my parents will be throwing us a luau at their house when we get back from our honeymoon (in Maui).

We're very excited about it, and so far, the planning has been very easy.

[steph111397]

Sort of a destination wedding here.

We live in Oregon and had our wedding in Florida. I am from FL originally and most of my family still live there or close enough to drive. FH's family and all our friends are here in Oregon. So we sent out Save the Dates 18 months before the wedding. I did a trifold brochure style which included a general timeline of events surrounding the wedding, airline info, rental car info, hotel info and an additional brochure (obtained from the Visitor's Center) about the city/state itself. I also made business card size magnets with our date as an additional reminder.

I was my own wedding planner. Having family members and friends close to the wedding/reception sites was an advantage.

The only thing that was difficult was all the 'last minute' preparations literally had to wait until the LAST MINUTE. We flew in the Monday before our wedding and it was non-stop wedding stuff from there thru Saturday (the day of the wedding).

All in all we had a great time. We spent the week after the wedding with all of our Oregon guests (went to Disney World and Daytona Beach) until they flew back home. Then we had a few days to ourselves and with my family before we headed home.

[Ohana]

I got married in HI 3 years ago. We hired a coordinator, and while that meant giving up a great deal of control, it made for a very relaxed wedding. I was more nervous about my sister's wedding than my own!

That said, the travel factor is very....prickly. I found out much later that members of my family were angry that we put them through the expense and hassle of a destination wedding. I wish I had known that ahead of time so we could have helped defray their costs.

If I had it all to do over, though, I would still pick a destination wedding. I would just plan things WRT family and guest travel a bit differently.

[Boomer]

I am in FL and we got married in Lake Tahoe. It was sort of an elopement, we told our parents and aunt and uncle we were taking them on vacation to Tahoe. They did not suspect because we had taken them on vacation before. Once we got out there, we told them. It was nice because it was relatively stress free for me since I could do whatever I wanted without input from any one. :D

[FutureMrsBeis]

Yes, we are heading to HI in September and will be married on the Big Island.
No details yet; we really just want to get the marriage license the first Monday after we arrive and will take it from there.
Very low key and just the 2 of us....just the way I like it!
;)

We are also heading to Hawaii for a private wedding ceremony (just the 2 of us). We are getting married in Honolulu on 12/5/05 and the taking a Hawaiian cruise from 12/7 through 12/17. Did you get married this past September? If so, how did everything go ... was everything (marriage license) easy to get?

[GeekGirl]

We are eloping to Charleston, SC in April. Shhhh! :D

[HEW?B]

My FI and I are in the early stages of planning a destionation wedding. We are looking at several different places to determine which option would cost our guests the least money. So far Greece is the front runner. I know it sounds crazy but it really does cost lots less than places like Mexico, St Lucia and so on. I am really worried about people spending the money to come but we will only invite about 20 people max.

[SusieQ]

My FI and I are in the early stages of planning a destionation wedding. We are looking at several different places to determine which option would cost our guests the least money. So far Greece is the front runner. I know it sounds crazy but it really does cost lots less than places like Mexico, St Lucia and so on. I am really worried about people spending the money to come but we will only invite about 20 people max.

My wedding plans have changed about 100 times in the year and a half since I got engaged. Went from planning a wedding in MA (booked hall), then changed mind to Italy or Greece, then changed mind to Vegas (booked chapel, photog, restaurant, bought STD's: all non-refundable) and now we have changed our minds back to a wedding in Massachusetts with only 6 months to go.

With that being said, when we first talked about a Destination wedding, Greece (Santorini) was my first choice. I got tons of info from different coordinators that I found over the internet. The prices for us would not have been that expensive since we were only planning to invite our immediate family, have the reception at a restaurant and do 1-2 excursions with the guests. The reason why we ultimately decided against it was b/c the prices for flights were pretty steep and hotels were not very cheap esp considering the dollar to the Euro. Not to mention food, sightseeing etc (since there aren't any, to my knowledge, all inclusive like you can find in the Carribean). My mother, who is still raising my two sisters (ages 9 and 5) would have had to spend at least 4k just to come to the wedding and bring them along. Same for my father since he would have had to bring his wife and my brother. After all the research I decided that I didn't want my guests to have to spend such a large sum of money to travel to the wedding. If money is not an issue for you or your guests I think Greece is a wonderful idea for a destination wedding. The pictures that I came across in my research are absoutely beautiful. I didn't mean to write this message to deter you b/c if it wasn't for the money issue Greece would have definitely been a go for us. Good luck with your decision! And if you'd like some links to different coordinators that I found on the net let me know.
~sue

[GeekGirl]

We finalized the plans for our Charleston wedding today. For anyone else having a destination wedding, this (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~kzaruba/wedding.html) is a fantastic resource!!! :D

[KrissyCat7]

We are getting married in Riviera Maya, Mexico at Aventura Palace. Im so excited. Planning this destination wedding has been fairly stress free. I love that the resort takes care of so much.

GeekGirl- Congrats on finalizing your plans. I think a Charleston wedding would be awesome!!

Beachbride- Thanks for sharing the pics. They are gorgeous!

[smittee]

My DH and I are renewing our vows during a 12-Day/11-Night tour of South Africa. So far, we have 22 people going with us which is more than I initially thought. We will be visiting Johannesburg, Zimbabwe, Cape Town and Hermanus. The trip is fairly expensive. However, we have a ways to go and it has been stress-free so far.

[MandyMaloo]

Howdy Ladies!

Well, we're thinking about changing our wedding around--again! We had orginally planned to have this massive wedding in Wisconsin (we live in NC) and have everyone we've ever known there. However, wedding planning has taken quite the toll, and it seems as if this wedding has become more about our families than us. My parents have their opnions about how things should be, and so do his parents (it also doesn't help that is parents HATE one another and feel like a wedding would be a perfect place to let everyone know exactly HOW much they loathe one another...). So, FH and I are talking about having a VERY private ceremony with just the 2 of us on either a cruise or at Sandals, then having a reception when we get home. Unfortunatly, we can't do that "only invite close family/friends" thing since money is a huge issue and so is the fact that those invited would be waging WWIII.

Anyway, we're looking for ideas. Right now this is what we're looking at: a) Disney Cruise b) 2 person wedding AT disney (I grew up about 30 mins from there and am still in love with it). c) carnival/royal carribean cruise or d) sandals. Anyone have an recommendations/suggestions? We're trying to keep this as $$ wise as we can since this is combined with our honeymoon (a gift from my father) so we can save on ceremony expenses!

Sorry this is so long! Thanks for any help! :)

[MandyMaloo]

Me again!

I wanted to bump this topic up and ask for some help for you loverly ladies! I am looking for help with a wedding dress. We have decided on our Sandals wedding, then coming back to Wisconsin and having a traditional wedding reception as if we had gotton married only moments before. I am looking for a dress that will fit both events well. I can't wear a sheath dress (I don't think I have enough time to lose weight before we go and I wouldn't feel comfortable). Does anyone have any ideas? What are you wearing for your Destination wedding!?

I never thought in a million years that I would be having a D wedding...but now I couldn't imagine it any other way!! :D

[jeeplover]

MandyMaloo-When we had thought we were going to have a destination wedding this is the dress I had bought to wear:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4df35b3127cce9c257d10f22300000015108BcNGjJu0aU

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4df35b3127cce9c257d13731000000015108BcNGjJu0aU

It doesn't have a train and was very simple so that it could be worn simple for a wedding on the beach and then dressed up a little for a more formal reception.

I hope that helps!

[tlew12778]

Mandy - I'd avoid ballgown shapes obviously. I'd also stay away from anything heavily embellished. But other than that, I don't think a regular wedding dress is too fancy.

Something like this shape has nice clean lines that would work for both:
http://www.watters.com/images/products/fullview/6052B_1.jpg

http://www.watters.com/images/products/fullview/5021B_1.jpg

http://www.watters.com/images/products/fullview/5067B_1.jpg

These come in white/ivory as well:
http://www.watters.com/images/products/fullview/6270_1.jpg

http://www.watters.com/images/products/fullview/5246.jpg

http://www.watters.com/images/products/fullview/1379.jpg

[MandyMaloo]

Thank you for posting those dresses ladies! I've got a pretty good idea what I'm looking for now :)

I am going to start posting some pictures of ideas in here! Every other thread has a ton of pictures for inspiration and I think we should too! Just becuase it's a destination wedding, doesn't mean we can't dress it up a little! :)

http://www.invitationsbydawn.com/pics/EasiestWeddingPics/Dawn/w3726_015lr.jpg http://www.invitationsbydawn.com/pics/EasiestWeddingPics/Dawn/W04726_016lr.jpg
http://www.artcardsetc.com/IM000582_R.JPG
http://www.artcardsetc.com/beachbride_hawaiian.jpg

[MandyMaloo]

http://www.invitationconsultants.com/images/catalogpics_s_bw/3WND5271399.jpg http://www.yourweddingplace.com/wedding-planning/sheraton2.pr.jpg
http://www.thebigday.com/i/dest/10/DestWeddingMain.jpg http://www.all-inclusivecaribbeanresorts.com/media/images/specials/weddings/superclubs_weddings.jpg
http://www.all-inclusivecaribbeanresorts.com/media/images/specials/weddings/sandals_wedding2.jpg http://www.all-inclusivecaribbeanresorts.com/media/images/specials/weddings/sandals_wedding.jpg

[MandyMaloo]

And now some dress ideas...
http://destinationweddinggowns.com/gowns/dest40.jpg http://destinationweddinggowns.com/gowns/dest43.jpg
http://destinationweddinggowns.com/gowns/ccc14.jpg http://destinationweddinggowns.com/gowns/ccc17.jpg
http://destinationweddinggowns.com/gowns/ccc9.jpg http://destinationweddinggowns.com/gowns/ccc13.jpg
(This one is my favorite...I really want something like this for my wedding)

[nettreefrog]

This thread just appeared in the "new posts" --so I had to respond ;)

My DH and I live in NYC, but got married (in Feb. 2004) in Puerto Rico where his father and grandparents live. We actually invited tons of people --and although some people did not come--everyone was tickled to be invited. We planned the entire thing--and because it did not take place at a resort, hotel, etc., there was a ton of negotiation on my behalf.

Here are some other thoughts...
1) We created our invitations... They were actually treasure maps printed on parchment.
2) Our mothers married us --because we thought it would be nice-- and because it was much more convenient that way. (We actually got our license and papers in NY.)
3) We put together a packet of activities and ideas for people who were joining us. We knew that many people would using the trip as a vacation as well.
4) Instead of a traditional rehearsal, we opted for a beach day --the day before the wedding...and invited everyone who had come down for the wedding. We actually went to an uninhabited island off the coast... and the guests had an amazing time!
5) We went to my FIL's favorite bakery where we got a wedding cake dipped in rum... YUM!
6) The caterer made tons of traditional treats --so that no one could leave the Island without having had at least a taste of what makes Puerto Rico so unforgettable.
7) Instead of traditional wedding gifts, we put a piece of Puerto Rican candy with a token of our appreciation on each place setting.

There is so much more... but if you or anyone is planning a wedding or going to Puerto Rico, and I can help, please let me know... Happy planning!

[coloradogrl]

We are considering a DisneyWorld Wedding. I am going back and forth about it because I am scared to ask people to travel all that way! But I was really surprised at what Disneyworld had to offer!

[tlew12778]

What inserts did everyone include with their invitations? As I was laying out the inserts the other day, I started to realise that "Directions" is kind of stupid bc none of our guests are driving (we've got to bus them everywhere). Right now I've got the RSVP, Directions to the Church, and Directions to the Reception (which I may remove since they're taking a shuttle service from the church).

[filmgirl7]

We've been planning our destination wedding since August and now it's really getting close. We're telling the last batch of people this weekend, and all but one of the rooms at the inn are booked. Some of those who who haven't gotten their invite already booked a room, but for the most part this crew will be staying at the inn down the street. I have my second dress fitting on saturday, and we will purchase wedding rings that weekend as well. We still need to decide on readings and decide who will read them at the ceremony. Also, we've secured a photographer, so that's another thing done. I have to call the bakery and the hairdresser, and we're going to scope out potential wedding annoucements and thank you cards at the local party store. That's IT! We're getting married. It's only six weeks away! I'm psyched! How about you all? :)

[tlew12778]

I started half-heartedly pricing around hotels for the guests. I don't really know if the hotels here in Italy do the whole blocking rooms business they do in the US. One hotel mentioned a contract and arranging for payment and it seemed kind of like they want a lump sum payment (maybe even up front!). I will have to go and speak with them (I asked over email) to get the details. I a bit bothered bc I know that if we waited for deals to come out on expedia or something, the guests would get a much better rate... I had a friend stay at one hotel where I asked for a group discount and they quoted me something like over 200 euro per night when my friend paid 85! The other hotel I am looking at wants 138 per room per night but on venere.com (like expedia) they are selling rooms at 115 for the same dates :confused:.

Other than that, the church is booked, reception is booked (providing all food, alcohol, and cake), photographer is booked, I started on my dress, I've tentatively found both florists and musicians, and I am working on the invites now. I plan to hand deliver most at Christmas when I am back in the US. That gives everyone 4 months notice even though they all know already anyway. The rest of the invites will go out with 8-10 weeks notice here in Italy.

[Shapsgrl]

bumping -

we are heavily leaning toward a DW after being engaged for 8 months...

[Noa]

We're planning a wedding in Italy :) . We are renting a goreous villa in Tuscany for 4 nights (it can accomodate up to 40 people) and will enjoy the exclusivity of the property. I plan on having activities for the guests every day- wine tasting, day trips to Florence etc.... Right now my next step is to prepare the STD's. After that I will start exploring details such as photographer, music, bus rentals etc :)

My family was a bit surprised by the destination wedding idea- but I think they're starting to get used to it!!

[Adaya]

I did a DW almost 5 years ago....it was the best thing I could have ever done!! I have no regrets whatsoever. I had a lot of fun planning, and my wedding day was perfect!!

Good luck to you Noa and shapsgrl.

[sbgirl]

We're "eloping" in Greece. Our families are aware that we're getting married but they won't be able to join us. It's our 2nd marriages so we've done the whole craziness before and they understand. Good luck to you both!

[DelSol]

I had a DW and it was so much fun, we got married in Jamaica.

There was no stress, for the most part, in planning the wedding. I'd do it all over again!

[keska]

We got married in Prague 4 years ago. It was wonderful. We wanted to keep it small so we only invited immediate family and some friends who live in Europe.

[Jill1228]

We had a Las Vegas wedding! Best decision evah!

[ginastorm]

I am attending a DW in St. Lucia in about a month. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this vacation/wedding. From a guest's point of view, yes, it will be very expensive for us to attend this wedding; however I look at it as an opportunity to go to a place I would probably have never gone.

[Smilin13]

We're getting married aboard a cruise ship....so I guess that counts as a destination wedding.

All I can say is that planning has been WICKED easy.

:)

[Shapsgrl]

We've definitely decided on a DW in Cabo San Lucas. We're spending roughly half of our orig budget on about 1/3 of our guests - but this expense includes a hellova lot more than a regular 5 hour wham-bam wedding. I am totally thrilled at how the process is going so far.

[jeeplover]

I am attending a DW in St. Lucia in about a month. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this vacation/wedding. From a guest's point of view, yes, it will be very expensive for us to attend this wedding; however I look at it as an opportunity to go to a place I would probably have never gone.

We attended a DW in St. Thomas last year and I felt the same way you do. We had a lot of fun and it was a great vacation!

[KarenS]

Oooh ... ok, yeah, I'm an old married lady, but I hope you guys dont' mind if I read along. I love destination weddings and if DH and I were to do it over again (and have more money at the time) we'd have done a destination.

So many cool weddings you're all talking about!

Karen

[akacharlotte]

We're getting married aboard a cruise ship....so I guess that counts as a destination wedding.

All I can say is that planning has been WICKED easy.

:)

Smilin13-Which cruise line are you going with? We are debating between a Key West destination wedding or a cruise ship wedding. Are you getting married on the ship on embarkation day or while in one of the ports?

Right now I'm searching for a cute Save The Date to send to family/friends. I want to give everyone a lot of notice for next May/June.

[KrissyCat7]

Our destination wedding was amazing! It was the best decision we could have ever made. We didnt have to do anything really, and it was the most beautiful day of our lives.

[Smilin13]

akacharolette> We are actually getting married on Princess cruise lines (Caribbean Princess to be exact). And we are getting married by the Captain while at sea. To the best of our research and knowledge, Princess is the ONLY cruise line that you can get married by the Captain at sea.

We decided to go that direction for a couple of reasons. First, if we were going to get married on the day of embarkment, any friends and family would have to travel to see us...so why not just get married on the ship. Secondly, we decided against a port of call, because the ship can change its ports at the decision of the Captain (it doesn't happen often, but if a hurricane, or something happens, the captain can decide to go to a different island, and then the cruise line is NOT responsible for the wedding that you had planned on the island, you are just SOL).


We had made the decision to cruise in May 05....we are cruising August 06, it gave our family and friends over a year to save, plan, commit....and a few to back out on us.

And to be honest.....I can NOT stress how easy the planning has been. Although I will admit, that if you have some preconceived ideas of how you want your wedding, it might drive you batty and it might not be the best for you.

Basically, we booked our cruise through a travel agent (probably the only decision I regret...flighty travel agent), then called the Princess Wedding department and reserved our wedding package.

You have to pay up front for the wedding package. The wedding department takes care of everything, you have to fill out some paperwork and have it back 60 days before sailing. There is a checklist of options, 4 vow choices, your typical music choices, color of flowers, cake flavors.....all in basically a checkbox list. No changes can be made after 45 days before sailing.

We are just hitting 60 days, and we have everything done. We just have to pay for a few of the extras; cocktail reception for our guests (20 of them), music for reception, cake, getting our outfits pressed, and hair and nail appt. And that is it.

I will say that this is an incredible option for a bride who wants to get married and is fine with not having much control over things. The way I look at it, cruise lines are notorious party planners...I'm just piggy backing a wedding on one of their parties.

We are not planning a REAL reception, just some cocktails and music, then we'll go to the dinner we all paid for and party the night away in one of the night clubs or lounges.

I'll let you all know how it actually goes once it is done.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or anything.

:)

Edited to add: We sent out messages in a bottle as our save the date, I posted them in the DIY thread, post #49 (http://www.constantchatter.com/showpost.php?p=571320&postcount=49)

[Kellie]

My FH and I have decided on a DW in Seward, Alaska for next summer. We are working on renting a lodge that we stayed at least year while on vacation. We plan on renting the lodge for 7-10 days. We are only inviting parents, siblings and their SO, and grandparents. After spending 7-10 days in Seward my FH and I will hop on a cruise ship for a week long Alaska cruise (alone).

We are thinking about having some sort of BBQ/party/reception when we get back. Has anyone done something like this? I was worried it might come across as us not inviting them to our actual wedding, and then asking for gifts. Any comments or experiences?

[ejs]

We are thinking about having some sort of BBQ/party/reception when we get back. Has anyone done something like this? I was worried it might come across as us not inviting them to our actual wedding, and then asking for gifts. Any comments or experiences?
DH and I had a destination wedding in Hawaii with about 35 guests. We did later have a reception in the state where we (and my family) live and his parents had one for us in the state they live in for DH's family.

[Little Angel '77]

Can I ask how you all plan your weddings from afar? Do you talk to Wedding Coordinators or just do internet searches. I am trying to figure out where to look to market. :) Thanks!

[ejs]

Can I ask how you all plan your weddings from afar? Do you talk to Wedding Coordinators or just do internet searches. I am trying to figure out where to look to market. :) Thanks!

DH and I went to Hawaii a few months after we got engaged for a scouting trip. We made appointments with people prior to our trip. We had found resources from online searches and message boards.

On that trip, we finalized our coordinator, location, caterer, and photographer. We did the rest via phone and email.

[Noa]

Little Angel '77- I've been doing tons and tons of research online. Google is my new best friend. I am also hiring a wedding consultant who is giving me information. In addition, I have contacted other brides who had weddings in the same area (Tuscany) and ask for recommendations and/or reviews on certain vendors.

We have the biggest thing booked now- a beautiful Tuscan villa about 20 minutes from Siena. The villa has great amenities (pool, small gym, jaccuzzi, wine tasting bar etc) and can accomodate up to 42 people. We put a deposit down, and now I spend my days drooling over the pictures of the gorgeous location :rolleyes:

[Ericka_Jarett]

We married down at Disney World back in December 2001. We were living in WA State at the time, planned the wedding in a few days (got coordinator name, flowers picked, cake chosen, location chosen (went with Wilderness Lodge, Sunrise Terrace), officiant sent a packet of vows for us to choose or mix from and he got it back in a day and also got our honeymoon stay booked) and got married 3 weeks later. Only people that came to our wedding was my parents and My Aunt & Uncle. We don't regret it at all.

[Shapsgrl]

Planning is going fine for us as well. We have our wedding booked. Since we haven't visited the location, we booked based upon reviews/photos/speaking to other brides so hopefully we have made the right choice. Our location only has 19 rooms so we have booked the entire hotel for the wedding weekend. At this time we are expecting about 80 guests but we expect a lot of our overflow to rent villas or condos in the area.

our location is the Cabo Surf Hotel (http://www.cabosurfhotel.com)

I am working on our save the dates - we are going with a boarding pass design. Cutting them has become the bane of my existence but hopefully i will have everything done by the end of this week.

We're really hoping to make it down to Cabo for a scouting trip prior to our wedding but we both are traveling a ton for work and have other weddings/engagements so timing is becoming an issue for us.

[strwbrygirl]

We were married in an outdoor destination wedding on the coast of Maine four years ago (at the time we lived in Ohio)-- absolutely no regrets! Only 11 people attended, including us, the minister and photographer (a friend of ours). For several reasons, including the fact that we knew that it would be hard for some people to make it, we deliberately only invited immediate family to the actual ceremony. We had a low-key reception about a month later in Ohio for friends and family that would have been invited otherwise.

Research-wise: we didn't have a coordinator or anything. Basically, we flew out during the previous November and found the site, the B&B, and the minister. Everything else (license, flowers, etc) I figured out online or by calling places. It was actually a pretty low-stress wedding, I think, and everyone that was with us was happy that they had a little trip to Maine!

[danalou]

I was hoping you girls might be able to help. My SIL is getting married in September on St. Thomas during a crusie. They are planning a post-wedding reception in November and I was wondering if anyone had any wording they could share?? I found a few ideas, but I wanted to see what others have used -> THANKS!!

[tlew12778]

We're also having a second reception next year. I was thinking of just leaving out the whole announcement part (most everyone knows we were married anyway) and just saying something like:
Mr. & Mrs. My Parents
invite you to celebrate the marriage of their daughter
Me
to
DH

Name of restaurant, address, etc.

I thought the all the wording I saw that mentioned the actual wedding date looked a bit strange since there would be 2 dates on the invitation.

[ejs]

I was hoping you girls might be able to help. My SIL is getting married in September on St. Thomas during a crusie. They are planning a post-wedding reception in November and I was wondering if anyone had any wording they could share?? I found a few ideas, but I wanted to see what others have used -> THANKS!!
I can't remember our exact wording, but it was something like:
My parents' names
are pleased to annouce the marriage of
me and FH
on date in Maui, Hawaii.

Please join us for a celebration
on date and time.

Location

I can't find the invitation DH's parents did for the reception on the East Coast.

[danalou]

Thanks tlew12778 & ejs!! This is the wording that I found and sent my SIL this morning -

He slipped the ring on her finger
a promise made for life . . .
Join us as we share their joy
now that they're man and wife!
A party to honor the newly married
COUPLE
will be held on DAY
at TIME
ADDRESS

HOSTS

We will see what she thinks of it as I know she is still planning to use the glass bottle and cork type invite that she had planned for the wedding before the destination idea arose!!

[DelSol]

I found this to be helpful website:

Verse It (http://www.verseit.com/)

I found my wedding invitation & announcement verses here for my destination wedding.

[Smilin13]

We just got back from our DW this past Saturday.

Things went very well. Overall I was extremely pleased with everything (although there were a few things that didn't meet my standards and I will follow up on).

But here are a few pictures:

During the ceremony, with the Captain officiating:

http://static.flickr.com/97/227418798_11e5551be8.jpg?v=0

The happy couple on the bridge:

http://static.flickr.com/74/227420140_cfcc7cf264.jpg?v=0

And cutting the cake:

http://static.flickr.com/90/227422448_98ff340cba.jpg?v=0

I would do it again in a heartbeat.

:D

[GeekGirl]

Beautiful!! Congratulations!! :D :D

[Adaya]

What a beautiful wedding Smilin13. You looked gorgeous!!

[Shapsgrl]

Congrats, Smilin 13. It looks like it was a great day!

-------------------------------

Small vent - Our wedding is scheduled for March 24 in Cabo, but Hurricane John seems to think otherwise. Good word, I hope things aren't too bad down there. I can't handle the thought of trying to plan this wedding again.

[akacharlotte]

I'm planning my destination wedding. What questions should I be asking of the coordinators/vendors?

[ejs]

I'm planning my destination wedding. What questions should I be asking of the coordinators/vendors?

What do you mean? We had a destination wedding and asked the same questions we would have asked if we were having a local wedding.

[akacharlotte]

What do you mean? We had a destination wedding and asked the same questions we would have asked if we were having a local wedding.

That's what I was wondering. I don't want to miss anything and have the ceremony screwed up because I forgot to ask a pertinent question. Thanks!

[tlew12778]

Are you planning a US destination? If not, you should ask about the legal paperwork.

I would also ask if you will pay the vendors directly or if the WC would be responsible for that. Obviously this is true for any WC, not just a DC WC. It makes a difference as to when your final payment is due bc if your WC is paying the vendors, s/he will want all the funds in advance probably.

[rae]

I'm actually having a destination wedding in Hawaii in two weeks. What I did is I found a coordinator who was actually interested in working with me and my budget. Then I had asked her for suggestions for wedding ceremony sites, reception sites etc. Although I did a lot of things on my own. I found the ceremony site, reception venue, photographer and pastor on my own. The coordinator took care of booking hair and make up, harpist for the ceremony, flowers, cake and coordinating with the reception site on the setup. As far as payment is concerned if the coordinator takes care of it you should just pay him/her and they will make payments necessary to the vendors for you. If you setup something on your own you would make the payments straight to the vendor.
Questions you should ask are things like what's included in the ceremony site fee. What's the setup of the reception site (like what tables will be used and how many can be seated at each table). Other things you should research are how to obtain a marriage license and how long it would take to get your certificate and how to obtain additional copies.

Hope this helps...I know how stressful it is planning for something thousands of miles away. =)

[ejs]

akacharlotte, the best piece of advice I can give you about having a destination wedding is to go do all of your scouting in person. DH and I got married in Hawaii and about 7 months before our wedding, we went to Maui and met with everyone. We interviewed coordinators and photographers, visited tons of ceremony sites, sampled caterers' food, checked out hotels. I'm so glad we did because many things looked very different than photos we saw online.

Our scouting trip definitely made everything so much easier.

[Adaya]

I did a DW in the Bahamas and all the planning was over the phone and by email. I felt pretty confident in the coordinator as she came highly recommended by a couple other brides, and I had very clearly defined plans and pictures of what I wanted. I also had a ton of questions that I put in writing that I would ask her to respond to in writing, though we'd talk about them over the phone sometimes. I didn't want there to be any issues later on down the line with "I never said that or I don't recall discussing that arrangement."

The biggest thing that someone already mentioned is what's included in the site fee. To my surprise that included a whole lot of things that I thought I'd have to pay for separately. My coordinator also took care of the minister and she gave me florist options. I sent her a lot of pictures from bridal magazines that captured my vision in terms of decorations, flowers and the cake and basically asked her to handle it. For the fee that I was paying, and the fact that I was in the U.S. and she was in the Bahamas, that's all I could do.

When I got there, all I had to do was finalize a few things, make a few decisions in terms of the setup of the reception and just get married. It was absolutely perfect!!

Let me know if I can help out in any way. You can PM me if you want to.

[TLynn]

FH and I are eloping to Vegas over Memorial Day weekend (07). I can't wait!

[Natasha]

Congrats, TLynn! We're doing a late september Vegas wedding!

[akacharlotte]

I am entirely frustrated with the planning at this point. We checked out a few places in Cancun but they won't let you bring in outside photography. Photography is the one thing I am picky about.

I have a fairly decent option in Destin, FL but we've decided to just elope and combine our wedding with our honeymoon. So we are looking at the various islands in the Carribean and Mexico.

I own a timeshare that allows me to trade off to other resorts anywhere and we are trying to use the week we have rather than spending additional money for a resort. If we can't use it we'll deal but we would like to do so.

I'm still researching.

[Adaya]

I am entirely frustrated with the planning at this point. We checked out a few places in Cancun but they won't let you bring in outside photography. Photography is the one thing I am picky about.

I have a fairly decent option in Destin, FL but we've decided to just elope and combine our wedding with our honeymoon. So we are looking at the various islands in the Carribean and Mexico.

I own a timeshare that allows me to trade off to other resorts anywhere and we are trying to use the week we have rather than spending additional money for a resort. If we can't use it we'll deal but we would like to do so.

I'm still researching.

Sorry about your frustrations. Just like most wedding facilities, everybody's out to make a dollar.

I got married at Our Lucaya in Freeport, Bahamas. That was 5 years ago, but they were so flexible about everything. Not sure about outside photography, but they were really great!!

I hear that if you stay so many nights at Sandals resorts, you get a free wedding, so that might work since you are combining your honeymoon and wedding.

Good luck with anything. Feel free to PM if you want to.

[DelSol]

I got married at a Sandals resort in Jamaica, 2 years ago. Our pictures turned out great. I look back now and say oh I wish I did that pose or got that picture taken but I love what we got.

They have since come out with a new package that looks fantastic, we didn't have digital prints but the new package looks as if you can get digital. It looks as if the use of a third party vendor is prohibited.

Weddings at Sandals Resorts (http://www.sandals.com/general/wedding.cfm)

Sandals Wedding Photography (http://www.sandals.com/general/wedding-photos.cfm)

I also knew someone who got married the week after me at a Sandals resort in St. Lucia and her pictures were all digital and she had a ton of them and they were gorgeous.

Adaya is correct if you stay 7 nights or longer the basic wedding package is free.

[akacharlotte]

Adaya and Del Sol Thanks so much! We have decided to do a cruise honeymoon and get married in St. Thomas while in port. We are waiting to book until January as we have to be sure FFIL can get off from work. I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed it will work out and that the photographer, coordinator and location we have chosen will still be available. I know we are pushing it regarding the timing but we want to be sure my future in-laws will attend. :)

[Adaya]

Adaya and Del Sol Thanks so much! We have decided to do a cruise honeymoon and get married in St. Thomas while in port. We are waiting to book until January as we have to be sure FFIL can get off from work. I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed it will work out and that the photographer, coordinator and location we have chosen will still be available. I know we are pushing it regarding the timing but we want to be sure my future in-laws will attend. :)

That sounds great!! That's so nice that some of your family will be able to go along as well. Congrats and best wishes! :)

[jeeplover]

Adaya and Del Sol Thanks so much! We have decided to do a cruise honeymoon and get married in St. Thomas while in port. We are waiting to book until January as we have to be sure FFIL can get off from work. I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed it will work out and that the photographer, coordinator and location we have chosen will still be available. I know we are pushing it regarding the timing but we want to be sure my future in-laws will attend. :)


My friends did a cruise as well and got married in St. Thomas in November 2005. They hired a local wedding planner on the island of St. Thomas. I wouldn't recommend her though because I was not impressed at all. I don't know what cruise company you are using but I know that Royal Caribbean has excellent wedding staff on board. If you want to know any more details about my friends' wedding just let me know and good luck with the planning!

[justHB]

Looks like you've already made your decisions, but for anyone else who reads this, I would STRONGLY encourage you to ask your WC for a timeline of propopsed activity on the day of the wedding (ie, how SHE thinks the day will go so that you can compare it with your own idea of how you want things to run) and also what her back up plan is in case of bad weather.

Had I done both of those things, I would have known in advance that our photography timeline was completely jacked up (one hour for pictures of just me before the ceremony, but only 30 minutes of pictures of both of us afterwards? Um, what?!). I also might not have had to run around the resort the day beforehand looking for ceremony locations while it was RAINING.