{via Craig Paulson Photography}
Showing posts with label destination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label destination. Show all posts
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday Musings
We had so much fun at Kristin and Jarret's wedding in June in Southampton and it looks like they did as well:
{via Craig Paulson Photography}
{via Craig Paulson Photography}
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wediquette: Destination Wedding Do's and Don'ts
When having a destination wedding, there are simple ideas that you should definitely include and some ideas that you should definitely stay away from. Here's a short list to keep your wedding planning smooth and ensure that both you AND your guests have a magical experience:
Do: Get references from your venue from previous couples regarding the in-house wedding coordinator. If the reviews aren't stellar, hire your own - it may just be the factor that saves your wedding weekend from chaos.
Don't: Assume that the Preferred Vendor list provided by a hotel / venue is full of quality vendors. Those companies pay to be on the Preferred Vendor list - do background research on how quality their services are.
Do: Create welcome bags and itineraries for your guests. They've traveled from afar and would like to know where and when to be as well as have a small snack!
Don't: Skimp on decor or design simply because you either need the money to afford the venue fee's or you feel the place has enough going on. If you need to make a last minute switch to a different location, you want to make sure it looks just as good as your original space.
Do: Have a concrete rain plan in place in case of inclement weather. Make sure that you are 100% comfortable with the rain plan, you may need it and you don't want to be unhappy with your secondary choice.
Don't: Get upset if you wind up having less guests than you expected. Everyone's financial situation is different and you have to respect that if someone you thought was coming can't afford to.
Do: Show your appreciate for everyone who traveled to your wedding. Acknowledge their effort and tell them repeatedly how much you appreciate it.
Don't: Forget the sunscreen. If you head down to the destination early, wear tons of sunblock before the wedding day - red and white candy strips are probably not what you want to go with your dress!
Happy Planning!
Do: Get references from your venue from previous couples regarding the in-house wedding coordinator. If the reviews aren't stellar, hire your own - it may just be the factor that saves your wedding weekend from chaos.
Don't: Assume that the Preferred Vendor list provided by a hotel / venue is full of quality vendors. Those companies pay to be on the Preferred Vendor list - do background research on how quality their services are.
Do: Create welcome bags and itineraries for your guests. They've traveled from afar and would like to know where and when to be as well as have a small snack!
Don't: Skimp on decor or design simply because you either need the money to afford the venue fee's or you feel the place has enough going on. If you need to make a last minute switch to a different location, you want to make sure it looks just as good as your original space.
Do: Have a concrete rain plan in place in case of inclement weather. Make sure that you are 100% comfortable with the rain plan, you may need it and you don't want to be unhappy with your secondary choice.
Don't: Get upset if you wind up having less guests than you expected. Everyone's financial situation is different and you have to respect that if someone you thought was coming can't afford to.
Do: Show your appreciate for everyone who traveled to your wedding. Acknowledge their effort and tell them repeatedly how much you appreciate it.
Don't: Forget the sunscreen. If you head down to the destination early, wear tons of sunblock before the wedding day - red and white candy strips are probably not what you want to go with your dress!
Happy Planning!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Destination Weddings
Very good friends of ours are getting married this weekend in Riviera Maya, Mexico ~ so once again we're off to celebrate their relationship and enjoy the sun! Before they got engaged, they knew that they would be having a destination wedding. One of their favorites things to do is travel and they wanted to incorporate that into their special day. After many trips around Mexico, the Caribbean and Florida, they chose the Fairmont Mayakoba.
For all of those interested in a destination wedding, here are some questions to think about before you chose your locale:
1. How easy is this destination for your guests to travel to?
2. Besides the costs that you'll spend on the wedding - what is the financial commitment that you're asking your guests to make?
3. What is your realistic guest list size? {And keep in mind that some guests may not be able to come for financial reasons - don't hold that against them}
4. What part of the year are you getting married? Make sure that your locale isn't meant to have hurricanes, high winds or other foul weather
5. Seriously seriously seriously consider hiring a wedding coordinator. Someone who knows the ins and outs of the logistics surrounding destination weddings and can take care of them for you. Destination weddings don't need to be a logistical nightmare but you want to ensure that your vendors {if local especially} have a very clear picture of what your vision is.
6. Make sure that you and your fiance have time and money to make a few trips to explore various places to have your wedding and after you've chosen your destination to finalize details and take care of things.
I would also suggest purchasing The Destination Wedding Planner by Alison Hotchkiss ~ its thoughtfully laid out and chock full of very valuable information!
We'll be here celebrating our friends wedding on Saturday!
{via bridalguide.com}
For all of those interested in a destination wedding, here are some questions to think about before you chose your locale:
1. How easy is this destination for your guests to travel to?
2. Besides the costs that you'll spend on the wedding - what is the financial commitment that you're asking your guests to make?
3. What is your realistic guest list size? {And keep in mind that some guests may not be able to come for financial reasons - don't hold that against them}
4. What part of the year are you getting married? Make sure that your locale isn't meant to have hurricanes, high winds or other foul weather
5. Seriously seriously seriously consider hiring a wedding coordinator. Someone who knows the ins and outs of the logistics surrounding destination weddings and can take care of them for you. Destination weddings don't need to be a logistical nightmare but you want to ensure that your vendors {if local especially} have a very clear picture of what your vision is.
6. Make sure that you and your fiance have time and money to make a few trips to explore various places to have your wedding and after you've chosen your destination to finalize details and take care of things.
I would also suggest purchasing The Destination Wedding Planner by Alison Hotchkiss ~ its thoughtfully laid out and chock full of very valuable information!
We'll be here celebrating our friends wedding on Saturday!
{via bridalguide.com}
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Destination-wise ...
Friends of ours recently got engaged! They are planning a destination wedding and it got me thinking. What wedding these days doesn't count as a destination wedding? In this day and age, when guests are attending multiple weddings per year - it seems like everyone is having to travel in from somewhere. A few years ago, a destination wedding was when the couple picked a warm place and a resort to get married, now it can be Los Angeles, New York City, The Hamptons or even Grand Rapids, Michigan - if at least 20% of your guests have to travel, I'd consider it a destination wedding.
What does a destination wedding mean planning wise? I would say the first and main element is - the location of the destination and your location. How many times are you able to travel to your destination to go over planning & details? You have to be able to travel there at least once before the wedding to make sure that your expectations are being met. For me, this is a non-negotiable. After that, with the internet and email, you can work with your coordinator (also, for me, a necessary - if there isn't a person on-site at the venue or resort, hire someone who will travel there for your wedding weekend, even if just for peace of mind) to finalize all other details.
Also, keep in mind that not all of your invited guests will be able to travel to your destination. It doesn't mean that they don't want to celebrate with you, it just means that financially or work wise, they can't afford it. Just accept their congratulations and move on.
Finally, think about why at the heart of your wedding, is a destination right for you as a couple? Perhaps the place holds lots of sentimental value, perhaps the place is where you fell in love - make sure your guests know why they are traveling to x,y and z location. Since it is important to you, it should be important to your guests. Keep them in the know!
As an aside - we had a destination wedding ourselves ... in East Hampton, NY. most guests didn't need to fly in (although some did) but we did have to keep in mind that everyone is on a different budget and that we had to offer something for everyone. We originally wanted to have our wedding in South Africa (where I am from), but quickly realized that most of our friends probably wouldn't want to give up precious vacation days and money to spend a week with us ... plus, we'd have to become travel agents and organize a lot of activities (which, I still think would have been fun, but that's just me!). Perhaps in a few years we can renew our vows in one of these amazing South African locations:
What does a destination wedding mean planning wise? I would say the first and main element is - the location of the destination and your location. How many times are you able to travel to your destination to go over planning & details? You have to be able to travel there at least once before the wedding to make sure that your expectations are being met. For me, this is a non-negotiable. After that, with the internet and email, you can work with your coordinator (also, for me, a necessary - if there isn't a person on-site at the venue or resort, hire someone who will travel there for your wedding weekend, even if just for peace of mind) to finalize all other details.
Also, keep in mind that not all of your invited guests will be able to travel to your destination. It doesn't mean that they don't want to celebrate with you, it just means that financially or work wise, they can't afford it. Just accept their congratulations and move on.
Finally, think about why at the heart of your wedding, is a destination right for you as a couple? Perhaps the place holds lots of sentimental value, perhaps the place is where you fell in love - make sure your guests know why they are traveling to x,y and z location. Since it is important to you, it should be important to your guests. Keep them in the know!
As an aside - we had a destination wedding ourselves ... in East Hampton, NY. most guests didn't need to fly in (although some did) but we did have to keep in mind that everyone is on a different budget and that we had to offer something for everyone. We originally wanted to have our wedding in South Africa (where I am from), but quickly realized that most of our friends probably wouldn't want to give up precious vacation days and money to spend a week with us ... plus, we'd have to become travel agents and organize a lot of activities (which, I still think would have been fun, but that's just me!). Perhaps in a few years we can renew our vows in one of these amazing South African locations:
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