There are plenty of things that can be appealing about planning an overseas, destination wedding. A destination wedding gives you the opportunity to keep the event small and intimate, and everyone gets to travel to an amazing location.
Traveling somewhere for your wedding can make it truly memorable. Even though there are plenty of logistics involved, it can end up being easier in many ways because you can cut out a lot of the things you might have to plan or spend money on if you threw a traditional wedding in your hometown or close to where you live. For example, if you throw a destination wedding on a beach, you’re not going to need much décor because the backdrop is pretty much going to do the work for you.
So what should you know about the logistics of planning an overseas wedding?
Paying Vendors
This is a technicality of planning a destination wedding that a lot of people don’t think about, but how do you plan to pay vendors? The most common way to make payments is by credit card. However, you may end up paying a lot in credit card international transaction fees.
Sometimes a better option is to do a direct transfer. Some services will offer no fees when the transfers are over a certain amount, and since the costs of a wedding are usually fairly expensive, you may easily meet this threshold. For example, services like Remitly offer no fees on transfers of more than $500 and express funding options with transfers that take less than four banking hours.
When it comes to making payments to vendors, you also need to consider exchange rates. If you’re having your wedding somewhere there’s even a small difference in exchange rates, it can add up to thousands of dollars you either spend or save. When you’re choosing a money transfer service, be aware of the current currency exchange rates, and also keep an eye on it since it can change frequently.
If you choose a low-cost service, such as a vendor that provides tablecloth linens, that’s secure and efficient, you’ll keep your vendors happy, and you can ensure that your wedding planning stays on track.
Legality
Another technical element you need to consider when planning a wedding abroad is legality. There are variances in wedding laws between countries, so you need to make sure that your wedding will be recognized when you get back to your home country.
Some countries, like France, require residency of a certain period before you can get married, just as an example.
If you find there are legal complications that could keep you from getting married in the place you’ve selected, you can do a legal wedding where you live and then have a ceremony overseas.
Hire a Local Wedding Planner
Having a local wedding planner who’s on the ground at your destination and is taking care of the details is going to be a good use of money for you.
If you choose a location where they often hold destination weddings, they probably have someone who works for the company and can fill the role of wedding planner.
When you have a local expert, they’re going to be able to help you source what you need regarding vendors, and make sure everything is moving along smoothly. When you have a local wedding planner at your destination, you don’t have to worry about things that can create obstacles, such as language barriers.
How Hard Is It Going To Be For Your Guests?
Finally, having a destination wedding is going to create some level of logistical challenges for your guests, but most will welcome the chance to celebrate in another country.
However, you need to think about how hard it’s going to be overall for your guests to get to your destination. Are there certain visa requirements or even things like vaccinations they’ll have to think about? Is your location so remote that it’s going to require multiple forms of transportation? Is it so adventurous that it’s going to turn some of your potential guests off to participate in your wedding?
Once they get there, what is the local food like? Is your destination so exotic that guests are going to feel like they’re going without conveniences of home?
That’s not to say that you can’t be adventurous with your destination wedding, but you should warn your invitees ahead of time, and this may be something that you keep in mind as your creating your guest list.
