Destination Weddings –
The 10 Tips Guide for the Brides and Grooms
Destination Weddings – When you have traveled to many destination weddings and officiate ceremonies you learn an array of information. Mostly, how quickly a wedding day timetable can change up to two days before and or on the actual wedding day. It could be the weather, an airline delay, a forgotten bridesmaid dress, and other important elements. A bridal couple can plan everything well in advance, but once the week of their wedding arrives, that is when plans can suddenly change.
The dream to have a beachside wedding with white sandy beaches is no longer a dream. Dreams really do come true. With many wedding venues, a beachside wedding ceremony can take place locally and on an island. The crystal blue water indeed glitters in the background. The sun setting does create an intimate setting. The 10 Tips Guide is written with you in mind, the brides and grooms.
The last-minute weather forecast can change the outdoor Ketubah signing to the indoors. The sun shines the entire day, then suddenly the sky is gray. The good news, all your family and friends arrived a day or two before your wedding day. How about the location where your wedding ceremony is to take place? The Chuppah? How to manage all with only a few days until your big day?
One important, calming element you can count on is your venue. When the venue has hosted weddings for many years, they are equipped with all the ‘What ifs!” Before you worry or panic, check with your venue. Your wedding day will take place! A few, possible modifications may be needed, but always remember, the two of you will make it work out nicely. All you need is to plan for the unexpected and you will be able to manage it calmly. Let’s begin…
10 Tips Guide for Wedding Destinations
1. Officiant: Is there a Rabbi Wedding Officiant located at your destination venue or the local area? If not, all couples will need to secure their ceremony officiant in the city which they live and plan to provide travel and lodging accommodations. This will need to be added to the budget. There are benefits to having a local officiant in regards to the wedding meetings and pre-planning guidance. Online technology such as FaceTime does offer the benefit to meet your officiant located near your venue. It will reduce the extra costs, but remember, you will be meeting that officiant in person a day or two before your wedding day. If you are comfortable with those arrangements, then all is good. Remember, it is very important you have a good rapport with your officiant.
Note: Destination Weddings are no longer the ones that are reachable by airline and shuttle services. If a wedding location is within a 2-6 hour drive, its best to not assume that an officiant will travel by car in one day preside over their ceremony. Make appropriate accommodations in your budget to include hotel and travel for your officiant.
2. Wedding Planner:
Destination wedding venues will often have a wedding liaison on the premises. Wedding couples believe that the liaison is assigned to take care of every detail leading up to and on their wedding day. Always check what services are included. Remember, this liaison works for the venue. Will they oversee all the vendors, the timelines, the arrival, departures, clean up and everything in-between? A wedding planner will do just that for each couple. To take care of all the details assuring a wedding couple to truly be brides and grooms on their wedding day.
3. Plan B:
A wedding couple cannot plan the weather. Always have a Plan B in place. Always know if the Chuppah Canopy can be moved from the outdoors to the indoors or have a Plan B with a second Chuppah in place.
A beach-side four corner freestanding Chuppah Canopy will be buried into the sand for stability. The staff at the resort begins this process early in the afternoon. The same staff also adds planks of wood covered with sand. It creates a solid surface for guests to walk to their seats and the wedding party to the Chuppah. This does make it difficult to move it indoors. If only one chuppah structure is available, request if it can be above the sand in case it needs to be moved indoors. If not, speak in advance with your florist about a hand-held Chuppah. It can be put together the week of a couple’s wedding. Natural branches, a canopy attached, and any added embellishments from your freestanding Chuppah can be added. Discuss all the details in advance and how the costs will balance out when the outdoor ceremony needs to be moved indoors.
Beachside wedding ceremonies with water will add the element of wind. Take that into consideration when choosing and discussing the proper Chuppah structure. Request how it can be secure in case those wind gusts suddenly arrive.
4. Airline Travel:
The first flight out to your destination wedding that requires air travel is best. If there are any delays, the flights will eventually fly out that same day. If advance wedding forecasts make you feel uneasy, have your key family members, wedding party and officiant fly out a day or two earlier. When planning a destination wedding that does require air travel, the extra costs for the change of flight reservations can be discussed in advance. Some airlines may offer one free flight change due to weather concerns.
5. Transportation for your Guests:
The transportation company provides you a service, to transport your guests. However, the chance that the driver will get lost, arrive late is a strong possibility. Ceremonies will begin late when the guests have not arrived. Create a realistic timeline for your guests to arrive to cover for any possible problems that could occur. When hiring a Wedding Planner, and they have a team that can assist with the transportation logistics and ensures it goes smooth.
6. Wedding Elements:
Assign a specific space in your home for all your wedding elements. Organize them where they are expected to be used. Ceremony; Cocktail Hour; Reception. Create a checklist of all those items to collect at the end of your wedding day. The grooms breaking glass in the pull string bag has been known to go missing. It is important for some couples, as their breaking glass will be made into a memorable wedding keepsake.
7. Wedding Attire Mishaps:
Always pack an emergency kit. To name a few items: sewing kit, mending tape, glue, safety pins, laundry detergent, stain solution, liquid band-aids. If a mishap happens, you are prepared.
Always pack a First Aid Kit before you travel with all the items that could assist you if you become sick even if it is minor. Headaches, sour stomachs, cuts, bruises, minor sprains. Over the counter products will keep you calm when you have it on hand. The items you choose are the ones you trust because you may have had to use them in the past. Don’t forget to pick up bottled water.
8. Ketubah Necessities:
A ketubah needs to be protected once it is unrolled and out of its protected case. The size of your ketubah will determine all you need to pack to protect it. A ketubah artist may have a plastic envelope for the Ketubah to be inserted and protected on your wedding day. It is usually a thicker weight type plastic envelope.
Note: Your Ketubah will be displayed during your wedding ceremony. If you want it to look nice in your ceremony photos, plan what products is needed to frame it for presentation.
When traveling by car, a ketubah can be pre-framed as long as there is no glass. Best to have a Plexi-type of fake glass or an acetate covering. If there is a chance for the ketubah in its frame could be damaged in the car, apply cardboard on both sides of the frame.
In fact, avoid glass when choosing a frame for your ketubah. It often cracks soon after the pre-wedding ketubah signing.
For beachside wedding ceremonies, there are Canvas style Ketubot (plural for Ketubah) that is treated to protect it. This makes handling it with no worries. The treatment protects it from sand and the ocean water mist. Color matching binder clips and a solid backing will be needed for displaying it during the wedding ceremony when not using a temporary picture frame.
Canvas material is not only for beach-side weddings. Couples that like the museum-style where it is wrapped around the wood framing is a personal preference. Knowing it has that extra layer of protection for displaying in your home is an added benefit.
Ribbon and or fishing wire offers an extra security element. A gust of wind can make a Ketubah fall to the ground. A picture frame is not always heavy enough for a gust of wind. Pack ribbon, fishing wire, or white rope along with a roll of duct tape. It will secure it onto the easel that will display it during the ceremony.
9. Wedding and Travel Insurance:
Wedding Insurance does exist and can assist when non-refundable deposits are required, and the wedding service company suddenly closes without notice. The Prospect Park’s Boathouse in Brooklyn had an exclusive Caterer that suddenly vanished! It left bridal couples with unspeakable wedding day stress. A bridal gown shop suddenly closes and a bride is without her dress. It has happened and news stations report on it. Wedding insurance can certainly offer that peace of mind.
Travel Insurance can be purchased when you make reservations and after you, they are already confirmed. Most travel-related company policies are limited. Travel experts advise you to assess your risks when deciding to purchase travel insurance.
10. Safety at your Destinations:
When your hotel does not offer an in-room safe, you now have other options. I am not a spokesperson for these products, but they certainly provide a solution. Review products, Aquavault, and Flexsafe. They protect your personal items that you can leave in your hotel room or when you are enjoying leisure time activities with your guests. No longer leaving your smartphones unattended or other items you need with you like a credit card, cash, room key, and other items. Enjoy socializing with your guests and without worry.