Planning a Destination Wedding

Kelsey Lessick • July 26, 2023
A simple white floor-length wedding dress hangs on a hanger suspended in front of lush, green palm fronds.

Are you planning  a destination wedding?

All the details that go into planning a wedding can be overwhelming at best and thinking about doing it from afar can seem a bit intimidating. The One Bridal Salon, real bride, Jeri breaks down for you how she and her now husband went about planning their destination wedding. Read along for her words of advice.

A couple embraces in front of a grid of lit candles in an off-white stone room. The bride wears a long, lace-trimmed veil.
From the bride:

I had always dreamed about my wedding, the dress, the flowers and all the details, but I also knew I did not want the stress of planning it all. My fiancé and I weighed the pros and cons of a traditional wedding versus a destination wedding keeping all factors in mind, but focusing mainly on the venue and the cost. Once we realized the expense of a traditional wedding, we quickly decided on a destination wedding. We knew the people that meant the most to us would be there and would also enjoy having a vacation as well. So, the next step was to pick our location.

A couple smiles while embracing in wedding attire, standing before a wall with recessed shelves.

Start Researching

The first thing we focused on was finding a company that specialized in organizing destination weddings. After a lot of googling companies, I ran across Blue Suns Vacation. They were very responsive, responding quickly to our inquiry and setting up a call within a week. We were able to discuss with the wedding coordinator our vision and a full list of our wants and needs.

A person in a wedding dress and veil holding a bouquet, looking over their shoulder in front of white cubby shelves.

 

The Results

Our top destination locations were Mexico, Bali, Dominican Republic, Hawaii and the Bahamas. The wedding planner gave us a few recommendations for each location and we did our own research as well. My husband and I put the top locations in a hat to narrow it down to 2 locations. We chose Mexico and the Dominican Republic. After researching resorts in each location, Mexico was the winner. We had never been to Mexico together and had always wanted to visit Cabo, so that became our destination.

Wedding reception setup on a white terrace overlooking the ocean, featuring round tables with gold chairs and flowers.

We narrowed our resort search down to the Paradisus Resort for many reasons. It came highly recommended by our wedding planner, it had great reviews, several different dining options for guests, it was both family friendly as well as having restricted adult only areas. It had everything we were looking for, all with a classic and luxurious aesthetic, which was important to us.

A table set for two at an outdoor wedding reception overlooking the ocean, featuring white flowers and gold-trimmed plates.

Setting up the wedding was a breeze. We were able to pick the best wedding package for us and we were given the option to use their wedding vendors (such as photographer, videographer, entertainment) or we could search our own. We were happy to use their photographer because their portfolio was amazing. Once everything was set up. We just watched it unfold!

A couple in wedding attire shares a dance on a terrace by a pool, observed by guests seated at outdoor tables.

 

The Perfect Day

Our wedding day was just perfect. It was wonderful to share such an intimate day with our close friends and family and have ever detail taken care of by the wonderful resort staff.

A couple embraces while standing on a balcony overlooking the ocean in a black-and-white photo.

Overall, I would highly recommend a destination wedding. It was exactly what we wanted, without it being too expensive. I would recommend doing your homework, asking a lot of questions and make sure what ever package you agree to, it has everything in it that you want. Then just relax and enjoy your day.

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