A Little Advice for Planning Your Destination Weddings
We can all agree, that destination weddings are just different. More romantic, more exotic, more exciting and let’s be honest, your wedding pictures just look much cooler.
Weddings are constrained with must-haves, traditions, and stress of course. This feeling can vanish when thinking about beach, light breeze in your hair, sun and sea.
Unfortunately the equation doesn’t work without a bit of stress and lots work though. But who said it should be the bride having months-long heart attack when organizing remotely?
Ramo pequeño de lavanda….What?
First of all let’s mention the obvious. Language barrier. If you’re born Spanish, jump to my next point, but I’m sure there are other readers whose knowledge of Spanish vocabulary consists of ‘hola’ only. Similar thing applies to lack of local knowledge and customs. For instance imagine explaining to a local supplier living in the middle of the island for his whole life, what is ‘contemporary and stylish‘ or trying to get hold of someone at 3:25pm when the whole island’s having “so much needed” siesta. So my first advice is definitely to invest in a person who will help you overcome these difficulties and knows how it works there.
Start today!
My second advice is to prepare in advance. The best venues and private villas get booked up months in advance, especially during peak periods. Moreover you have to think about finding flights for you and your guests, visas in some cases, accommodation, issue invitations and allow your guests enough time to book time off, find babysitters etc.
Go for a holiday
Visits! In order to feel absolutely comfortable and satisfied without any doubts you should check everything by yourself even if you trust your wedding planner. You need to feel good with everything organized and this is very difficult to judge from distance. Plan a few days to see the venue/villa, surroundings, accommodation facility for your guest, the overall atmosphere and the island. Moreover you can taste your menu and cake, remember what sounds delicious on paper might taste horribly or perhaps the real presentation is far from what proposed.
Legality
You have to determine the desired type of ceremony, since there are different conditions and the legal validity varies in each case as well. Civil ceremonies are possible for residents of Spain (at least one of the couple) that have been living in Spain for at least 2 years. Catholic church ceremony is possible if at least one of the couple is Catholic. Keep in mind the additional paperwork done in your home country. This option requires more time, as you need to book the church in advance and liaise directly with the priest. Another way is to have Anglican church ceremony if neither of you is Catholic, but you still prefer a traditional church wedding. You get a marriage certificate, although not binding you legally. The most popular in destination weddings are spiritual ceremonies offering absolutely freedom and flexibility in terms of style, location and celebrant performing the ceremony. This last option is not legally valid.
Time of your life!
I would recommend thinking about spring or fall wedding. Not only it will be easier to book tables, venues etc, but you’ll also feel like this is your time to shine, as the island won’t be so crowded and you get the special attention form everyone everywhere. Plus, a very important note, no sweat marks! (well, in some cases it’s inevitable I guess..)
Hot or Cold?
Regarding the weather situation, even though it’s such a nice location, one has to stay cautious. On a hot day: prepare parasols, shades and fans, a cooling stations are very nice idea, guests can have cold drinks, access ice and chilled facial towels. On a cold one: pashminas, blankets, waterproof materials and hot drinks will do the charm.
Get into the local spirit
One of the nice things about destination weddings is the possibility of embracing local culture and traditions without looking weird and out of place. Not only will fish and seafood dishes taste better than in mainland, but bohemian touches can really turn your wedding to a special one. Take inspiration and turn it into your advantage or that extra detail no one expects. In Ibiza it could be the sea view, amazing paella creations, lots of cushions, white and boho look with vibrantly coloured touches. These small details will make your wedding unforgettable not only to you two, but to everyone invited.
Put your feet up
When having a wedding abroad, please don’t forget about all the necessary logistics. You and your guests must be looked after, starting from accommodation, transportation, food and entertainment. You don’t have to worry about laundry cleaning, make-up and hairstyle. This is time-consuming, expensive and stressful! Give a call to concierge and they will do anything to make you feel happy.
No compromise
Remember, it’s your special day. If you’re also such a princess with big dreams as I am (thanks god sarcasm helps me balance this weakness), you shouldn’t compromise on the details and have everything you’ve always wanted. The fact it’s in a foreign country on the island, shouldn’t stop you from your visions. Things can be sourced or shipped, so go for it!
Pamper your guests
A very nice thing to do is to prepare welcoming baskets for your guests. If you’re inviting them to a different country and especially to such a beautiful one, you should definitely give them opportunity to enjoy their time as much as possible. These should include essentials for the trip (sun lotion, map of Ibiza, guide of what is absolutely the best must-try on the island, welcome letter from bride and groom and goodies reminding them the setting such as native food samples or crafts of local art). Think also about providing something additional to your guests such as welcome meal before the wedding in a nice restaurant or a private villa and maybe a relaxed brunch or pool BBQ the day after.
I hope these tips will help you sort out your planning at least a little bit and you will use it as a little guide for you destination wedding. If you need any more tips (and trust me there are plus/minus thousands more of them, contact Bonder & Co Wedding Planner, we’ll help you reach your dream day without stress and hassle.
The most important thing though is, to feel happy through the whole process! And of course for the rest of your life 😉
XX
Your MISS GOSSIP