Planning Caribbean as Your Wedding Destination

Imaginative planning of a Caribbean destination wedding is the key to a fabulous wedding day that you will never forget. A destination wedding is frequently more difficult to plan than a home town wedding since you will normally be doing it from a distance, but with a bit of imagination and creativity then that can work to your advantage.

The fact you are not able to physically check up on the venues for the ceremony and the reception will give you more time to concentrate on what needs to be done from your end. If you take the option of employing a professional wedding planner to run things from the destination end, and you to deal with your end of the arrangements, then that is wedding planning at its best.

However, many brides prefer to do it all themselves, although a certain amount of local knowledge is generally needed. You could compromise and hire somebody to keep the legalities right and look after both the arrangements for the ceremony and reception venues, and also any tours or entertainment needed for your guests during the run-up to the big day itself

A Caribbean destination wedding is not too difficult to plan since most people understand the legal issues involved in getting married in most of the Caribbean countries. However, it is still wise to make sure of what is required before you can marry. There are many countries where you need a week or two of residence before you can be married, and it is always a good idea to make sure that no laws have been changed or amended since you last checked.

Imaginative planning, then, starts off by you deciding where in the Caribbean you want to be married, and then confirming the legal requirements of the country or island concerned. If you want a beach wedding you might or might not need permission, but now is the time to find out, not when you arrive there. You should then decide whether or not to employ a coordinator to help you.

The next step is whether you determine the number traveling with you before booking the reception venue, or take the conventional route and book the ceremony and reception venues first and then deciding on your invitation list. There is something to be said for each with a Caribbean destination wedding since you don’t want to book a large venue if only a few can travel to the Caribbean. A compromise could be a beach wedding that, in that part of the world, can be a truly fabulous experience. The beach can also accommodate as many or as few as you required.

If your family is wealthy then you will be able to invite whoever you want, but most young couples who want a Caribbean wedding cannot cover their guests traveling or accommodation costs. You will then only want to invite those that you know can attend, since otherwise you might be afraid of being seen as issuing invitations only to get wedding gifts.

You will likely be doing your family and friends a disservice by thinking that way, but it is difficult not to. Your family and true friends will buy you a present whether they can attend or not, but this is another thing you have to plan for. A good way out of this dilemma is to invite only your closest family and friends that you know will come with you to the Caribbean, and then have a celebration after the honeymoon, the invitations for which can be sent to everybody prior to the wedding.

Assuming that your venues have been decided and booked, and that you are aware of all of the legal obligations that you have to make prior to arriving at the resort or island of your choice, there is little left for you to do. However, a bit of imagination on your part could make the experience even better for your guests who have taken the trouble to travel all that way with you. If your guest list is very limited, provide them with a tour of the island, or a dinner or party the night before the ceremony as a ‘than you’ for joining you on your special day.

Planning a Caribbean destination wedding seems daunting at first, but these islands are so used to weddings that they practically run themselves. If you use your imagination you can provide yourself and your guests with a wedding to remember for ever.

Destination Wedding Planning to Remember

Good creative destination wedding planning can make the difference between an ordinary wedding and one that will remain in the memory of you and your new husband for ever.

If you have decided on a destination wedding, rather than being conventional and getting married in your home town or city, there is a lot that can go wrong and spoil the day. Not only that, but unless you are blessed with unlimited funds, it will be a wedding that is attended by relatively few guests and so a little creativity can go a long way towards making it a memorable occasion for them also.

Not everybody you would like to be there will be there, and creative planning is also necessary to handle that situation. Who do you invite, and not invite. If you invite everybody to that Paris wedding you have always promised yourself, you could be thought of as making invitations in order to receive gifts from as many as possible. If you fail to do so, then those not invited might feel slighted. This situation can be overcome diplomatically, but it takes creativity and good planning.

There are several steps involved in planning a destination wedding starting with that invitation list that is your first hurdle. You should inform everybody that you are planning a wedding outside your home town, whether it is in another county or state, depending on where you live, or even in another country. Popular destinations are the Paris previously mentioned, the Caribbean, several destinations in the USA, UK and Europe and cruise liners are becoming increasingly popular.

Some couples take the approach of asking friends and relatives if they would be able to attend such a wedding were it to be held, as a preliminary to drawing up a guest list. Others simply ask their parents, plus best friends as matron of honor or chief bridesmaid, and best man, and offer to pay their expenses if they are able to. You should never invite your friends to your wedding in an official capacity unless you know that money is not a problem to them, or you are able to offer to pay their costs. Many couples can pick up part of the tab, and provide their guests with a great few days, but for many more that is not possible.

Many couples have their dream wedding in the exotic location of their choice by themselves, and then have a blessing in their home church or chapel, followed by a full reception for their family and friends. That is creative destination wedding planning at its best for the ordinary couple that can afford their dream wedding and honeymoon, but are unable to pay the traveling and accommodation expenses of their guests. You should not deny yourself your dream just to keep others happy. A little imagination can formulate a way for you to have what you want and also provide your family and friends with what they want.

That is how your creativity can resolve one of the most difficult aspects of any destination wedding: how to keep everybody happy, including yourselves. The next planning stage is to get the actual venues booked. It is one thing deciding that you want married in a specific location, but another in organizing that. Creative planning will likely conclude that you need to hire somebody in the actual destination to handle the organizing at that end, although it is possible for you to handle it yourself.

For that you will need good communication with the local authorities of the town or city in which you intend to be married, so that you are aware of any legal restrictions such as whether or not you need a local marriage license, any local readings of Marriage Banns that vary throughout the Western world, any residential qualifications, blood tests and doctor’s certificates that might be required.

You will also need effective communication with the venues of your ceremony and reception, and also the accommodation of any guests. If you are planning to me married by yourselves, without guests until your reception back home, you will have to arrange a minister or judge for the ceremony, and probably the requisite number of witnesses. Many resorts or other destinations offer a complete package, including witnesses, a cake, photographer and champagne for the couple, including accommodation and even honeymoon facilities if needed.

That is why many opt to hire a wedding planner to look after all of this for them, so that you need only tend to your end of things. After all, there is little to plan once the invitations or home reception, destination venues and ceremony legalities, travel details and the honeymoon have been looked after.

Creative destination wedding planning can be used to give you the fabulous unforgettable wedding that you want, and also to keep all of your family and friends happy whether they can be with you or not. Forward planning is the crux, and whether or not you use the services of professionals to help with it is immaterial. It is the end result of your planning that counts. It is your wedding, and if you and your new husband are happy with your planning, then that is all that matters.