1. Budget
Your budget will most likely be more for a destination wedding than for a traditional home based wedding. Can you afford this additional expense? Your guest’s budgets also need to be taken into consideration. Can they afford to travel to an overseas location? Ultimately you need to decide if the destination or the people are more important.
2. Language
Language in a foreign country can be a problem, especially if English isn’t the first language. You will need to make sure that your wedding planner has a fluent grasp of English to ensure that all the arrangements they are making will run smoothly. You will also need to budget for interpreters if you will be using local officiants for your service.
3. Wedding Planners
It is highly recommended that you get a wedding planner who is based in the country you wish to get married in. As accessible as everything and everybody is via the Internet, Social Media and Email, from experience we know that our brides reduced their stress significantly when they worked with local wedding planners. Speak to our very own Ornella Giuliano if you have any questions.
4. Traditions
Do not assume that all weddings are the same everywhere. In most cases they differ significantly from country to country. It is important to ask your wedding planner about these differences so that you can decide if you want to include them in your own plans or if you want to keep to your own cultural practices. If you choose to keep to your own traditions then you need to explain these to the people who are working with you to plan your day.
5. Accommodation
When weddings happen locally, accommodation is only a concern for those travelling from abroad. These guests are in the minority in most cases. When you have a destination wedding, it is the opposite. Everyone needs accommodation. Check that your Italian wedding venue can accommodate everyone or that there is accommodation in the nearby vicinity.
6. The Decor
DIY weddings are very popular nowadays and involve the transport and creation of a lot of very personalised wedding decor. Take into consideration how these will be transported to the destination or if they will be made on site. Both options have budget implications. Make sure that you can work within your budget.
7. The Dress
You will need to transport your wedding dress as well as all the clothing for the bridal party. These clothing items are generally fragile and need to be handled with care. Will this cost you more? Have you taken these costs into account. Consider using a wedding storage box.
8. A Civil Ceremony
Every country has it’s own wedding laws that need to be followed. Will your wedding be recognised in your own country once you return? Does it make sense to have a civil ceremony in a registry office in your home country to ensure the formalities are in place before heading abroad? Read up about civil ceremonies via Citizens Information and the Register Office to ensure that you know what is involved.
9. Have fun
There is something especially unique and beautiful about having a destination wedding. Soak up the surprises you discover along the way and don’t be too rigid in your planning. Allow the culture you find yourself in to surprise you.
{Image by Dimitra Tzanos.}
