Organising an international wedding can be a complicated process. While no one has ever claimed planning a domestic wedding was easy, destination weddings have a unique set of difficulties that need to be taken into account. In this blog, we’ll give you some top tips on planning a wedding abroad…
Let’s get the obvious bit out of the way first – there are many reasons why you might want to find out how to plan a destination wedding on a small budget (or a larger one!). From guaranteeing the perfect weather for your big day to visiting a destination with special memories, there are many great reasons to hold your wedding abroad.
Use the following top tips to help navigate the planning process and remember that clear and concise communication with all parties is usually the key to an event running smoothly.
Top tips for organising an international wedding
1. Have a (flexible) checklist
To many, this will seem an obvious first step. However, it is definitely one of the most crucial!
Having a checklist of what needs to be/ has been done is a vital part of planning and organising the tasks involved with your big day.
There is no catch-all “planning a wedding abroad checklist” as every big day is different. However, there is some specialist software (like AllSeated) that you can use to keep track of things. Alternatively, general task management software (like Asana or Trello) can also work well.
Create tasks and distribute them amongst the relevant parties, such as the bride, groom, groomsmen or bridesmaids.
For example, you could create the task “finish the seating plan” and assign it to your partner!
Failing that, you can always resort to a good old fashioned pen and paper stuck to the front of the fridge.
2. Use an event supplier directory
If you’re looking to book your entertainment, photographer, or any other services for your wedding day, using an international directory such as Gig Heaven will help you find wedding suppliers that are local to your venue to help cut down on cost.
You can always read more on how to use Gig Heaven.
Some handy links if you are looking to hire:
3. Consider using a local wedding planner
If you’re getting married abroad, using a domestic wedding planner probably doesn’t make much sense.
There may be some that handle international clients, but it will likely be better to hire someone who knows the area (and preferably venue!) that you are getting married in very well.
A wedding planner isn’t for everyone, but their experience and contacts can bring tremendous added value to the organisation of your big day. They will have encountered problems that you might not have even considered and will know exactly how to solve them.
It is also possible to speak to destination wedding travel agents to help coordinate travel plans.
4. Speak to your wedding venue (about EVERYTHING)
If you’re planning on hiring a space that advertises itself as a wedding venue (as opposed to hiring a villa or other property), you must communicate with them about all your plans.
For instance, if you’re bringing in outside suppliers, you may not know what the health and safety or risk assessment situation are in your destination country, but your venue will be able to help you with this.
Your venue contact will probably have a checklist of information that they will need from you, but remember that it is always better to share any details with them, no matter how small – It will help make for a smoother running schedule.
5. Have backup plans prepared
As any event organiser will know, there will sometimes be problems that crop up that you simply cannot account for, no matter how hard you try, and this is often made worse if your wedding is taking place in another country.
However, there are a few simple contingency plans that you can put in place for your big day that could prove to be lifesaving if the worst does come to pass.
Try and think about some of the possible disruptions and plan to mitigate them.
For example, what will you do if the airline loses your luggage? Do you have a number for a local wedding dress/ suit supplier? Do you have your insurance numbers written down?
You will never be able to account for every possible eventuality but do your research into common problems. Simply having a phone number written down on a piece of paper can prove to be very reassuring and good for the last-minute nerves.
Remember that you can always look up local suppliers on the Gig Heaven directory.
Do you have any top tips that you wished you had known when organising your international wedding? Please share them in the comments below!
