When you decide to plan a destination wedding, there’s a lot that goes into it. From the venue to airfare, and everything in between, it can be easy to exceed from the wedding budget when it comes to the planning process. To avoid overspending and draining your bank accounts before you even say “I do”, follow these tips when planning your destination wedding!
The most important part of planning any wedding, especially a destination wedding, is setting a realistic wedding budget that works with your personal finances. You’ll want to go over your savings accounts, debt, and bills before committing to anything. Figure out how much you have to spend so that you can stick to that dollar limit throughout the planning process. In order to avoid going over what you can afford, you can consider utilizing a low-interest loan to keep you in check and give you some wiggle room if needed.
With all of the moving parts of a destination wedding, try to cut costs by booking an all-inclusive plan. If you can find a bundle for you and your partner that covers your flights, hotel stay, and excursions around the resort, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of money. Encourage your family and friends who are attending to do the same so they can more easily afford your trip and increase their chances of coming.
Both a blessing and a curse of a destination wedding is that everyone won’t be able to make the trip. While it will be a bit of a bummer to not have everyone you’ve ever met at your wedding, you’ll be able to save a lot of money by only inviting your closest friends and family. Keep your guest list as small as you can. You might still get “RSVP no”s from a couple of your guests, which will only shorten the list further. Check out this article for more tips on how to cut down your invite list.
There will likely be popular dates at the venue you choose for your destination wedding where the price is a lot higher than usual. Pick a less acquired date to save a big chunk of money. Instead of getting married on the usual Saturday, get married on a weekday to get a discount on your venue. If your schedule allows it, plan a wedding for a Monday or Tuesday.
A huge plus of destination weddings is that the beautiful location pays for itself! With a destination like Hawaii or Tuscany, your ceremony and reception will be decorated by nature. You won’t need to spend your money on decor or clever signs. All you need for a gorgeous wedding is the backdrop before you, so you won’t need all of those extra details most weddings do. For a fall wedding in tuscany, you could use leaves as your backdrop and decor to create a beautiful scene.
Take advantage of the beautiful location you get married in, and continue your trip right into your honeymoon. You’ll cut down on costs by not having to fly elsewhere after your wedding, and you could inquire with your resort location to see if they give discounts on hotel stay or excursions when you book your wedding with them. Take the time to research unique activities or events in the area. Since you won’t have to travel to another location for your honeymoon, be spontaneous and leave the venue your wedding took place at to explore the location even more!
Photo credits Livio Lacurre
For most brides, that long road from the moment he pops the question to the moment you both start planning your tuscan wedding can seem like a never ending one that’s full of tulle, peonies, countless vendors and deadlines. The planning process can be daunting to some and downright horrifying to the procrastinators. This is why the team at Adorn invitations have put together a comprehensive wedding timeline to make your planning just that little bit smoother so keep reading to find out their favourite tips and tricks. You’re welcome girls.
Sort out your budget in the early days and not just your overall figure. Do your research and know how much of your money you want to allocate to every service and vendor. This will be a huge help down the road and ensure that you still have some cash left at the end of all this. Follow this formula for an easy guide –
48 to 50 percent of total budget to reception
8 to 10 percent for flowers
8 to 10 percent for attire
8 to 10 percent for entertainment/music
10 to 12 percent for photo/video
2 to 3 percent for invites; 2 to 3 percent for gifts
8 percent for miscellaneous items like a wedding coordinator.
Keep an extra 5-10% of your budget tucked away for any extra expenses like reprinting additional invites.
Put your beauty on trial.
Hair, makeup, nails and especially fake tan are important to trial. Not only will trials make sure you’re happy with the final look but it also gives you a chance to experiment with different hair styles, lip colours etc. This will also help you to avoid looking like a tangerine on your wedding day (go easy on the tan.)
Have some fun with your appointments following the wedding timeline.
Over the year – you’re going to be swimming in appointments. Whether it’s to decide what flavored filling you’ll have in your cake, tours of potential venues or whether to have fish or chicken – make sure you go into these appointments and have fun! Make a day of it and enjoy the occasions.
