I’m not even married yet and I’m already thinking of what I would have done differently with regards to planning. And the biggest change I would make is the most important one, the destination, for more than one reason.
Flights
I would pick a different location because of the flights. We selected a location that could be accessible from all of the cities our family and friends were coming from, but even still, if I had it to do again I would pick a location that could be accessed from all of those locations…non-stop. It didn’t seem like such a big deal at the time, but now that the date is approaching, I’m realizing it’s not so convenient. We all have some rather lengthy layovers. The price was also great when we first sent out the invites, but considering that not everyone likes to plan travel well in advance like I enjoy doing, prices have changed. Both price and location have been a hindrance for a few guests, so I would definitely have considered other options if I had known. I wouldn’t necessarily have wanted to pick someplace common or popular, but easy to get to is pretty important.
Zika
As a frequent traveler who grew up just two hours away from Mexico, Mexico didn’t seem like that adventurous of a destination. That is until not one but two friends had to cancel because of doctor’s orders. As a non-pregnant woman, Zika hadn’t even crossed my mind, especially since we have Zika here in Singapore. But if your friends are going through the childbearing stage in their lives, pay attention to Zika. My doctor said the Latin American strain is particularly nasty. Zika should also factor into your decision if you plan on becoming pregnant within 6 months of your wedding.
Think of Every Natural Disaster Possible
It sounds grim, but it’s true. When planning for a wedding, you have to think of the weather, and hurricane season is some extreme weather. It’s part of why we ruled out Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean. I can’t even imagine what would have happened if I had found a venue I loved in Puerto Rico. Our wedding would have turned into a volunteer trip or would have been cancelled altogether. Hurricanes aside, we still didn’t think of everything. We are actually having two weddings, one in Huatulco, Mexico and another in Bali. If you’ve followed the news recently you know that Mexico has had 3 major earthquakes in the last month and a half or so (two of those three being in the same state as Huatulco) and Bali is bracing for a volcanic eruption. Now while you can’t predict some of this stuff, you can make sure you plan for cancellations. I handled group tickets for some of the guests to our wedding, and while a few complained that it was a more expensive ticket than the internet’s cheapest fair, when some of our guests decided that they no longer could make it, the tickets were more flexible than the budget alternatives. I was happy in that moment to have the flexibility of changing the names on the flights so they didn’t go to waste.
The Paperwork
Last but not least is the paperwork. I joked with my husband to be that I wanted to get married twice so he would have to work really hard if he ever wanted to divorce me. But the truth is, we won’t legally be married in either country we are “getting married in”. It turns out the paperwork is just too lengthy and requires too much documentation. So we are actually having a legal ceremony beforehand here in good old, organized Singapore. It’s not quite as romantic and probably would have impacted our decision if we had known beforehand. So if you are planning a destination wedding I highly suggest you ask about the necessary paperwork to complete the legalities of it all. The one positive in not having a legal ceremony though, is that friends of ours are able to officiate, making it a lot more personal.
Have you had a destination wedding? Would you have changed your destination? Comment below!
