Planner Post: Destination Wedding

Sitting back reminiscing about my honey moon in Italy that we took a few weeks ago, I’m remembering how much I wanted to have a destination wedding in Tuscany. The rolling hills, the wine, the food, the relaxed attitude, the wine (yes it deserves to be mentioned twice). When I was planning my wedding, it just seemed too overwhelming. What if no one came? What if something screwed up with the travel arrangements? If I knew what I knew now- just how easy and stress free a destination wedding could be- I would have gone for it. Don’t let the daunting task of a Tuscan wedding (or anywhere!) scare you. Following some basic guidelines will keep you focused on what’s important.

1. GET HELP. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are those few crazy people (ehm, us here at Pop the Cork) that actually LOVE all this wedding stress and endless planning. Your event coordinator will make sure all your travel arrangements are in order and coordinate everything with your hotel. That means researching local marriage rules and regulations for you, taking care of all your decor/little amazing details, finding and recommending vendors, etc. So easy.

2. Pick the destination that is right for you. Do you want to go out of the country? Do you want your guests to have to deal with getting a passport? Do you want to be caught in tourist season? There are a whole plethora of details you and your fiancé need to consider. Also, make sure you’ve actually been to your destination (or at least plan a little get away there before the wedding). There’s nothing like arriving in France and finding out you hate crepes.

3. Start everything early. Yes, you will need to start planning everything a little early. Your friends and family will want to know exactly when they have to purchase their tickets, plus you get better prices the earlier you book. While it’s entirely possibly to travel with your big ol’ ball gown to your French chateau, some people just might not feel like lugging one around on a Caribbean island in the sand. Start your wedding gown search long before you leave- remember it takes 4-6 months for the gown to even arrive. Your alterations should take 1-2 months. And since we’re on the subject of wedding dresses…NEVER CHECK YOUR GOWN. For obvious reasons. If you call your airline ahead of time, they will usually accommodate you with an available coat closet in first class.

Below are some absolutely adorbs destination wedding favors/accessories.

❤️Check out these custom wedding stamps from Paper Sushi. These stamps are perfect for customizing favors, save the dates… Anything really. Plus it’s something you can keep and use forever. Sweet!

❤️This customizable guest book is picture perfect from Marshmallow Ink. Display in you home after the wedding.

❤️To me, the invitations set the tone for the whole wedding. Check out Momental Designs for all your paper needs. Kristy Rice is amazing She did the invites, programs, and place cards for my wedding and Jessica Simpsons.

To sum it all up, don’t be afraid like I was. Plan the wedding of your dreams, to the man of your dreams, in the destination of your dreams (see what I did there?).

XOXO

Stacey