It would be fair to say that there has been a surge in destination weddings over the last few years. Once regarded as something of a fad, now they are all the rage and they are commonplace all over the world.

However, something else that is also fair to say is that they bring a lot more questions. This isn’t simply a case of popping down to your local church and exchanging vows. A lot more pre-planning is required – although the results can often be exquisite.

4 Things to think about when planning your destination wedding

In truth, you could write a whole dissertation on exactly what’s needed to plan a wedding of this ilk. To give you an idea of what is required, we have listed the following four considerations if you and your significant other are thinking about a destination wedding and walking down the aisle in a foreign country.

The moral issues

One only has to take a look at these Niagara Falls wedding venues to see how picturesque the scene can be. At the same time, there will be people who might not want to trail across the globe.

Unfortunately, this is something that you just have to accept. Destination weddings are still quite a new trend and for older guests especially, they can be difficult to get their head around.

Understand that you will get more people declining the invitation than normal, but this isn’t a representation of you. It can be hard to make such exuberant travel plans, but it’s worth remembering that it’s all worth it once it comes to the big day.

The legal implications

From a practical perspective, you need to think about the legal implications of getting married elsewhere. Marriage laws tend to vary between countries and in some cases, you might need a courthouse ceremony at home before travelling to your end destination.

The regulations in relation to this can be an absolute minefield, and they can even change between states. As such, do your homework before travelling.

It’s not just about the venue

Sure, the wedding venue itself will be your main consideration initially, but don’t forget about the smaller details. By this, we mean professionals related to hair and makeup. These tend to be booked well in advance when your wedding is at home, so it stands to reason that you need to think about them in a similar vein when you are travelling elsewhere.

It’s at this point that a little more due diligence is required. Referrals from friends are unlikely to be available; it’s all about researching and probably reading reviews on the internet.

Think about everyone else’s accommodation

At a typical wedding at home, you generally just have to think about where you and your other half are going to stay for the night. For a destination wedding, you suddenly have everyone else’s accommodation needs to take into account.

Considering the fact that there could be tens or hundreds of people attending, this can complicate matters. Again, it’s all about foreseeing this, and looking around early enough so you can ensure that everyone is based in one place. This one-location factor is something that can truly make a destination wedding.