Have you ever thought of having a destination wedding but had no idea where to start? All you know is you want to say, “I do” in a beautiful destination among your closest family and friends. And perhaps enjoy a beach side margarita or two.
Well, girlfriend today is your lucky day because on today’s Wedding Tip Tuesday my amiga, Jessica Upton of Uptown Events & Travel is here to share with you 5 Planning the Perfect Location for your Destination Wedding!
Jessica has a talented craft for not only planning beautiful weddings in Austin, TX but the ability to plan and design gorgeous weddings remotely for couples wanting to experience an island oasis on their big day.
Jessica Upton, Uptown Events & Travel
“Woohoo! You’ve decided you want to go the route of a destination wedding, which I totally recommend by the way! And now you’re probably a little stumped on where to start with planning. Well let me start out by saying that planning a destination wedding can be a very different process than a traditional wedding. So if you’ve helped a friend, sister, etc. with their wedding planning, expect your process to be different. Not necessarily more difficult, just different.
I’m going to focus this article on the first step- Picking the Perfect Destination Wedding Location.”
5 Tips for Planning your Destination Wedding
#1 Determine Your Guests Travel Duration
Jessica Upton, Uptown Events & Travel
Determine the maximum amount of time you want your guests to have to travel, and look at destinations that have flights within that designated amount of time. Consider if nonstop/direct flights are must. Keep in mind on average most guests will want to stay 3-4 nights, so you don’t want half that time spent on a plane.
#2 Selecting the Season
“Consider the season you prefer and what the weather will be like in the destinations you’re looking at.
Jessica Upton, Uptown Events & Travel
Will it be hurricane season in the Caribbean? Or rainy season? These are things you have absolutely no control over. So although pricing for these times of year can be a bargain, you’re also taking a huge risk. Choose wisely!”
#3 Evaluate the Flight Costs for Guests
“Rule out destinations that are out of budget solely based on flights. Flight costs are pretty set. Sure they can fluctuate a bit… But you want to keep in mind all your guests aren’t going to book their flights at the same time, and you don’t want them to have to stock flight pricing to save a little because the flight pricing is just so expensive they may not be able to attend without getting a great deal. “
Jessica Upton, Uptown Events
#4 Hotel or All Inclusive Resort ?
“Decide if you prefer a traditional hotel or an all inclusive resort.
Jessica Upton, Uptown Events & Travel
All inclusive resorts are very popular for destination weddings because they make things easier for guests. It’s nice for your guests to arrive at your destination with everything already paid for, and not having to worry with additional expenses while there. However there are only a handful of destinations that even offer all inclusive resorts. Hawaii for example has no all inclusive resorts.”
#5 Work with a Travel Advisor
Jessica Upton, Uptown Events & Travel
“Once you’ve made it through these 4 steps, the next best decision is to work with a travel advisor. They can help you sourcing the ideal hotel/resort in your perfect destination. Your travel advisor can also guide you through the process of contracting a room block for your wedding guests. There are a lot of contractual stipulations that can be complicated and confusing to navigate, so they can help you through this process. “
Y’all isn’t this information incredible! I have had the honor of photographing a styled shoot on the Embark Photography Workshop where Jessica completed all of the travel arrangements and to say we were in good hands is an understatement!
Uptown Events & Travel goes above and beyond to answer and plan all questions, especially those that I had for on my last trip and she is amazing. If you are even just thinking about a Destination Wedding, Jess is your girl!
Be sure to give Jess and the amazing girls of Uptown Events a Follow on Instagram @uptowneventstravel and check out more information on all things wedding and travel on their website at www.uptowneventstravel.com
If y’all are loving these posts please comment below or feel free to share more on social media! It means the world to have you here and hope to bring to you guys another “Wedding Tip Tuesday” post next week.
Until then! Adios!
My fiance and I would like to celebrate our wedding in an exotic place, which is why we have decided to start looking for an elopement wedding package. I guess you’re right that we must consider the amount of time our guests are willing to travel. Thank you for also suggesting here that we should check the weather on our chosen season.
Beautiful article. We cannot agree more with all the advice given. Weddings are all about being personal and emotional. It was a great read. I enjoyed reading and of course, I shared it for everybody to see.