What actually is a destination wedding? and how do I plan an intimate destination wedding remotely?
Ok, let me clear something up. You don’t have to travel half way across the world for it to be a destination wedding. Yep, I said it. In fact, you don’t even have to leave the country.
A destination wedding is a wedding where you and your guests need to book overnight accommodation as you can’t return home after the evening reception.
So… Cornwall, right? It’s basically the Caribbean over here anyway! We have some gorgeous beach locations, incredibly unique venues that are perfect for small, intimate weddings and some of the best hotels in the country for mini-moons, sounds perfect to me. If I wasn’t already married, Cornwall is the place I would want to get married. But, how do you plan a wedding when you don’t live there?
Here are 11 tips I hope will help!
1. Hire a wedding planner!
Obviously, I would say this, but honestly, it is the best option. Hire someone you trust, get on with, have things in common with and someone you know will design, create and plan the day you have always dreamed of.
2. Add travel into your budget
I’m sorry if you’re half way through planning already when you find this blog and most of your budget has been spent… but, I highly recommend adding a travel part to your budget, and no I don’t mean for buses to and from the church and venue, I mean travel to and from home to the location where you are getting married. Even if it is just for one trip (if it is just once make sure you have a long list of questions to ask the venue and suppliers and make sure you take so many photos!).
3. Cut your guest list, but go virtual
Ouch. I know, pretty harsh to great aunt Veronica, but, the smaller the guest list, the less you have to worry about. Intimate weddings are great for cutting costs, details and allowing you to focus on the things you want rather than feeding hundreds of guests. And, let’s be realistic, will your older relatives really want to travel that far? Make sure they are set up with a way to watch the day before you leave and create them a photo album for Christmas. I know it’s not quite the same, but in the current climate, it’s keeping them safe and not making them travel for one day.
4. Pick your vendors in person
If you can, pick your vendors in person. Set up meetings before you get there and if you can only visit once, like said above, make sure you have a long list of questions to ask them. If you can’t pick them in person ask your already booked suppliers for recommendations. You might find hidden talent, or even new talent?
5. Pinterest is amazing
Create a Pinterest board and share it with your suppliers. It’s hard to tell people what you want over the phone, or via emails, so show them. It is no secret that people in the wedding industry love Pinterest!
6. Arrive early!
It’s a good excuse for a pre wedding holiday, it give you time to make the most of the hidden gems in Cornwall, but it also time to prepare for the big day before you feel like you have to socialise.
7. Stay longer!
No matter how much prep you have done, I’m afraid to say it, but you will be stressed before your wedding, so stay longer and enjoy the destination you’ve just got married at. Have a post wedding holiday! Cornwall has some beautiful hotels for mini-moons! (Can you tell I like holidays?)
8. Try not to do too much DIY.
This is me sharing from a brides point of view and not from a wedding planner point of view, but trying to DIY where you live is hard enough, I did not think we had that much to take to our venue… 4 full cars and an extra trip later, everything had arrived. Imagine doing that remotely?
9. Use the location to your advantage
You’ve picked that destination for a reason, right? Whether it's overlooking a stunning sunset, or its the rooftop over looking your favourite city, take advantage of that and keep it simple, as that is what your guests will remember.
10. Think about how much luggage you have
If you are going early and leaving late you will need holiday clothes, so think about that when you’re choosing your wedding dress. You may not have the space for that corseted ballgown you saw on Pinterest.
11. Remember what it’s actually about!
Don’t stress over it. When you’re trying to organise everything remotely and it’s all just getting a bit too much, remember why you picked that location, remember why you’re getting married and take a second to breathe.