How to plan destination wedding: A practical guide
Planning a destination wedding isn't just about one day; it's about crafting an entire travel experience for you and your favourite people. It all breaks down into a few key phases: dreaming up your vision, setting a realistic budget, choosing that perfect spot, and then bringing together a team of pros to make it happen.
The secret? Give yourself a generous head start. I always recommend beginning the process 12 to 18 months before your ideal date. This gives you first pick of the best venues and vendors and, just as importantly, gives your guests plenty of time to get excited and plan their trip.
Starting Your Destination Wedding Journey
The biggest mindset shift from a local wedding to a destination one is moving from planning a single event to curating a multi-day adventure. You're blending the celebration of your marriage with the thrill of travel. This guide is built to be your roadmap, walking you through every step so you feel confident and genuinely excited, not stressed out by the details.
It all starts with letting yourself dream, but then gently bringing those dreams back down to earth. Before you set your heart on a cliffside villa in Italy or a sandy-floored palapa in Mexico, you need to nail down the foundational pieces that will guide every other choice you make.
The Core Phases of Planning
Getting started is all about setting the stage. While we'll dive deep into the nitty-gritty later, let's first look at the big-picture milestones that get the ball rolling.
Your Vision and Your Budget: First things first, what does this celebration feel like? Are you picturing an intimate, barefoot-on-the-beach vibe, or a lavish, multi-day party? Your vision will directly shape what you need to budget for.
Picking the Place: The destination is the main character in your wedding story. It sets the tone, dictates travel costs for your guests, and influences the style of vendors you’ll be working with.
Crafting the Guest List: Destination weddings naturally lead to a more intimate guest list. Deciding early on who you absolutely need there will help you figure out the right size for your venue and get a handle on your budget.
The Legal Side: This is a big one. You need to look into the marriage requirements of your chosen country. A popular and much simpler route many couples take is to do the official legal paperwork at home and have a symbolic ceremony at their destination.
The best destination weddings I’ve photographed feel completely true to the couple and the place they've chosen. Instead of trying to import a theme, they let the local culture and natural beauty guide their choices in food, decor, and activities. That's what creates a truly immersive and unforgettable experience.
To give you a clearer snapshot of what lies ahead, here’s a high-level look at the major planning stages.
Destination Wedding Planning at a Glance
1. The Foundation (12–18 months out)
Define your overall vision, set a realistic budget, and finalize your guest list.
2. Location & Venue (9–12 months out)
Research destinations, tour venues (virtually or in person), and lock in your wedding date.
3. Building Your Team (8–11 months out)
Hire key vendors like your planner and photographer, and send out save-the-dates.
4. The Details (4–7 months out)
Plan menus, design décor, book guest accommodations, and arrange travel.
5. Final Touches (1–3 months out)
Send invitations, confirm final details with all vendors, and create your day-of timeline.
This table maps out the journey, but remember that the experience is what matters most.
Think of these early steps as laying the foundation for an incredible structure. Get them right, and the rest of the process becomes so much smoother. You're not just throwing a party; you're playing host for an amazing trip. A great way to find inspiration is to see how other couples have told their stories; browsing through destination wedding galleries can help you zero in on the exact mood and style you're hoping to create, whether you're planning for the mountains of British Columbia or a beach far from home. When you focus on the experience first, the logistics have a way of falling into place.
Defining Your Vision and Budget
Before you find yourself lost in a sea of stunning venues on Instagram, let's pull back for a moment. The very first—and most important—step is to ground your destination wedding dreams in reality. This comes down to getting incredibly clear on two things that are completely intertwined: your vision and your budget.
Are you picturing a chill, barefoot ceremony on a Tofino beach, or are you dreaming of a lavish, multi-day celebration in a Tuscan villa? The vibe you're chasing will directly shape every single cost that follows. A casual welcome BBQ is a world away from a formal rehearsal dinner, and believe me, those choices add up fast. Nailing down your vision first gives you a clear roadmap for where your money should go.
First Things First: What Is Your Wedding Vision?
Your vision is so much more than a colour scheme or a theme—it’s about the feeling you want to create for yourselves and your guests. Start by asking some big-picture questions. Do you want the day to feel intimate and cozy, or more like an epic party that everyone will talk about for years?
Try to see it from your guests' perspective. Would they be more comfortable at a relaxed, all-inclusive resort where everything is taken care of, or would they love exploring a historic European city between wedding events? Answering this will help you narrow down not just the location, but the specific type of venue you’ll eventually look for.
A few key things to decide on together:
Guest Count: An intimate gathering of 25 has a completely different energy (and price tag) than a celebration with 75 of your nearest and dearest.
Formality: Is your style more "black-tie optional" or "sandals required"? The level of formality dictates everything from what people wear to your catering costs.
Pacing: Are you thinking of a single, amazing wedding day, or a long weekend packed with fun activities like a welcome cocktail party and a farewell brunch?
Building a Realistic Destination Wedding Budget
Once you have a better feel for the vibe, you can start putting some numbers together. One of the most common mistakes I see is couples only budgeting for the main event. Destination weddings come with a unique set of costs that just don't apply to a wedding at home.
Beyond the usual suspects like the venue and food, you have to account for expenses that are specific to getting married away from home. I'm talking about things like travel fees if you're flying in your favourite photographer, currency exchange rates that can change without warning, and local taxes or service charges that might be way higher than you're used to.
Remember, you're not just budgeting for a party—you're budgeting for a travel experience. Hidden costs often pop up in the travel and logistics categories, so it's smart to set aside a contingency fund of at least 10-15% of your total budget for those just-in-case moments.
The location itself is the single biggest factor that will influence your total spend. Costs can be wildly different, not just between countries, but even between cities in the same region. For instance, planning a destination wedding in California requires a serious budget—the average cost is around $39,170, but that number can easily jump to $74,000-$159,000 in a place like the Bay Area. On the flip side, a simple beach ceremony permit might only set you back $100-$500. It just goes to show how every choice impacts the bottom line. You can explore the details of California wedding costs and how to save to get a better sense of how location truly shapes your budget.
Uncovering Hidden Costs and Priorities
To avoid any nasty surprises down the road, it’s time to list out every single potential expense you can think of. This exercise does more than just prepare you financially; it forces you and your partner to figure out what's really important to you. Is having incredible, authentic local food a non-negotiable? Or is the photography the one area where you're willing to go all out?
Here are some common line items people often forget:
Your Own Travel and Accommodation: Don't forget to budget for your own flights, your entire stay, and getting around.
Vendor Travel Fees: If you hire anyone from outside the local area (like a photographer or planner), you'll almost always cover their flights, lodging, and a daily expense allowance (per diem).
Shipping and Baggage Fees: Planning on bringing your own decor, welcome bag goodies, or your wedding attire with you? Those extra suitcases can add up quickly.
Welcome Parties and Farewell Brunches: Hosting multiple events is a fantastic way to thank your guests for travelling, but each one adds a significant cost.
Marriage Licence and Legal Fees: Look into the costs and legal requirements in your chosen destination, including any fees for translating documents.
Knowing your priorities is everything. Maybe you decide to skip the elaborate floral arrangements so you can afford that amazing live band you’ve been dreaming of. Figuring out where to invest your money is crucial, especially when it comes to capturing the memories. To see how photographers structure their services, it can be helpful to look at detailed breakdowns like this one on Vancouver wedding photography pricing. This kind of transparency helps you make smart decisions that perfectly align with your vision.
Your Month-by-Month Planning Timeline
Planning a destination wedding isn’t like planning one at home—it runs on a completely different clock. You need a bit more lead time, a little more foresight, to give yourselves and your guests enough runway to prepare without the stress.
Think of this timeline less as a rigid set of rules and more as a strategic roadmap. It’s designed to break the whole process down into manageable chunks, so you always know what to focus on and when. Let's start from the beginning, more than a year out from the big day.
These early, foundational pieces—your vision, your budget, your initial research—are the building blocks for every single decision you'll make from here on out.
The Big Picture Phase (12-18 Months Out)
This is the dreaming stage. Right now, your main job is to sit down together and figure out the non-negotiables that will shape your entire wedding. The choices you make in these early months will have a ripple effect on everything else.
Your core goals are to get crystal clear on your vision, hammer out a realistic budget, and sketch out a preliminary guest list. That last one is especially crucial for a destination wedding, as your guest count directly impacts your venue options and your bottom line. This is also the perfect time to bring on a wedding planner, especially one who’s an expert in your chosen region. Trust me, their local knowledge is worth its weight in gold.
A few key actions for this period:
Define Your Vision: Talk about the style, the vibe, the level of formality. How do you want the entire weekend to feel?
Set Your Budget: Create a detailed budget and be sure to include a contingency fund for those inevitable surprise costs.
Draft Your Guest List: Make a realistic list of your absolute must-haves. This will help you understand the scale of the event you're planning.
Hire a Planner: A great planner can save you countless hours and steer you away from expensive mistakes.
Locking In The Essentials (10-12 Months Out)
With your foundation in place, it’s time to make some big commitments. This phase is all about securing your location and grabbing the key vendors who book up a year or more in advance. If you haven't already, now is the moment to officially decide on your destination country and, more specifically, the city or region you love.
Once you know where you’re going, the venue hunt begins. This is one of the most exciting parts, but you have to be ready to act decisively. The most sought-after destination venues, from Okanagan wineries to Mexican resorts, can book up 18 months or more in advance. Right after you’ve locked in your venue and date, your next call should be to your photographer.
A great destination wedding photographer does so much more than just take beautiful photos—they often help shape the flow and feeling of your day. Booking them early ensures you get someone whose artistic style you adore and who you genuinely connect with. That personal connection makes all the difference in your final images.
Communicating And Assembling Your Team (7-9 Months Out)
Okay, now your wedding starts to feel real for your guests. With the date and location officially set, it's time to get the word out so everyone can start planning their travel. Send out your save-the-dates and get your wedding website live. That website is about to become your best friend—a central hub for everything from accommodation recommendations to the weekend itinerary.
At the same time, you'll be continuing to build your vendor dream team. This is when you’ll be booking your florist, caterer (if they aren’t tied to your venue), entertainment, and hair and makeup artists. It’s amazing how quickly the team grows; in places like California, for example, couples hire an average of nine different vendors. This just goes to show how crucial it is to stay organized. It's no wonder that 90% of couples now rely on digital planning tools. You can learn more about the trends shaping modern destination weddings to see how your own plans fit into the bigger picture.
Refining The Details (4-6 Months Out)
The heavy logistical lifting is mostly behind you. Now, you get to focus on the fun, creative, and personal elements that make the day uniquely yours. You’ll be working closely with your vendors to bring your vision to life—think cake tastings, menu finalizations, and hashing out the designs for your floral arrangements and decor.
This is also a critical window for handling some important logistics for both you and your guests.
Legal Paperwork: It's time to seriously research and start the process for obtaining a marriage licence in your destination.
Guest Accommodations: If you haven’t already, now is the time to secure a block of hotel rooms to make booking easier for your guests.
Plan Your Travel: Go ahead and book your own flights and accommodations for the wedding week.
Order Invitations: Finalize the design and wording for your official invitations so they're ready to go.
The Final Countdown (1-3 Months Out)
The last few months are all about confirmations, final payments, and pulling all the little details together. Get your official wedding invitations in the mail at the three-month mark, with an RSVP deadline set for about six to eight weeks before the wedding.
You’ll be busy confirming final guest numbers with your venue and caterer, creating a detailed day-of timeline with your planner, and putting the final puzzle pieces of your seating chart together. This is also the time for those last-minute purchases, like wedding favours or items for guest welcome bags. After months of planning, this is when you finally see it all come together into one cohesive, beautiful plan.
Making It Official: Legalities and Guest Travel
Let's get into the nitty-gritty. Planning a destination wedding is a balancing act between two major components: the legal side of getting married somewhere new, and making sure your guests have an incredible, stress-free trip. If you can nail both of these, you’re setting yourself up for a seamless celebration.
The legal side of things can often feel like the most intimidating part. Every country has its own set of rules, and they can be surprisingly specific—think residency requirements, specific documents, or even mandatory blood tests. It’s a game of details, but absolutely manageable when you know what to look for.
Understanding Marriage Laws Abroad
Before you can have that beautiful ceremony, you need to know what it takes to make it legally binding in your chosen destination. This isn't just a box to tick; it determines if your marriage will be recognized when you get back home to Canada.
Here are a few common hurdles you might encounter:
Residency Rules: Some places, like France, have strict rules requiring at least one of you to live there for a certain period—often 30 to 40 days—before the wedding. For most couples, that's just not feasible.
The Paper Trail: You'll almost always need passports, birth certificates, and official proof that you're both single and free to marry. Depending on the location, the list can get longer.
Translations & Authentications: It's common for documents to need an official translation. You might also hear the term "apostille," which is basically an international seal of approval that authenticates your documents.
Here's a pro tip that saves so many couples a massive headache: get legally married at your local city hall before you go. This completely separates the legal paperwork from the destination celebration. Your ceremony abroad can then be purely symbolic, focused on your vows and the moment, without any bureaucratic stress. It's truly the best of both worlds.
Crafting a Flawless Guest Experience
Once the legal details are sorted, your focus can shift to your favourite people. Your guests are investing their vacation time and money to celebrate with you, so making their experience as smooth as possible is everything. A happy, well-informed guest is one who can relax and have a great time.
Think of your wedding website as your central command. It's the one place where guests can find every single detail they need, so keep it clear, user-friendly, and up-to-date.
Here’s what your website absolutely needs:
Travel & Transport: Suggest the best airports, explain local transportation (is a rental car necessary, or are shuttles better?), and provide crystal-clear directions to the venue and hotels.
Accommodation: Share all the info on your hotel block, including the discount code and booking deadline. It's also a thoughtful touch to suggest a couple of other options at different price points.
The Itinerary: Lay out the entire schedule of events—welcome drinks, the ceremony, the reception, a farewell brunch—with times and locations. No one should be guessing where they need to be and when.
Local Favourites: A curated list of your favourite cafes, restaurants, and must-see spots is a fantastic way to help your guests feel like locals and make the most of their trip.
Welcoming Your Guests in Style
Little touches go a long way in showing your guests how much you appreciate them making the journey. Hosting a casual welcome party the night before the wedding is one of the best things you can do. It breaks the ice, lets everyone mingle in a low-pressure setting, and gets the celebration started early.
There's a reason places like California have become so popular for destination weddings—they offer an incredible experience for guests. In fact, research shows that 78% of couples prioritize guest activities when picking a location. The state’s sheer variety of things to do makes it easy to turn your wedding into a mini-vacation for everyone.
The U.S. destination wedding market is booming, expected to hit $6.8 billion by 2035, and California’s popularity is a huge piece of that puzzle. If you want to see what's driving this trend, you can explore more insights into the destination wedding market and see what makes certain locations stand out.
Assembling Your Perfect Vendor Team from Afar
Think of your vendors as your on-the-ground experts—the hands and hearts bringing your vision to life from thousands of kilometres away. Putting together this dream team requires a smart approach, especially since you probably won’t meet most of them in person until the wedding week.
This isn’t just about finding talented people; it’s about finding the right people you can trust completely. Your goal is to build a cohesive team that communicates well and just gets your style, whether you hire local talent or fly in a favourite from home.
Local Experts vs. Flying in Favourites
One of the first big decisions you'll make is whether to hire vendors based in your destination or bring someone like your photographer from home. Honestly, there are solid arguments for both, and the best choice really depends on what you value most.
Hiring local vendors gives you invaluable on-the-ground knowledge. A local planner, for instance, will have deep-rooted relationships with the best florists and caterers, understand the quirks of your venue, and know exactly how to navigate any regional challenges. They’re your insiders.
On the flip side, flying someone in—especially your photographer—means you get to work with an artist whose style you already know and love. There's a huge comfort in that established connection, ensuring your photos will perfectly match your aesthetic without any guesswork.
Trust is the cornerstone of planning from afar. Your vendors are your eyes and ears. Focus on building genuine connections during your video calls. A team that understands you as people—not just as clients—will go above and beyond to execute your vision flawlessly.
Sourcing and Vetting Your Dream Team
Finding incredible vendors in another country can feel a bit overwhelming, but there are a few reliable ways to uncover top-tier talent. If you’ve hired a planner, their little black book of recommendations is your absolute best starting point. They've already vetted these pros for quality and reliability.
Beyond a planner’s network, social media—especially Instagram—is an amazing tool. You can search by location-specific hashtags (think #TofinoWeddingFlorist) or check out who your venue has tagged in their own posts. This lets you see real-world examples of their work in the exact setting you’ve chosen.
Once you have a shortlist, the real vetting begins. Here’s what I always tell my couples to focus on:
Deep Dive into Portfolios: Look for consistency. Does their work maintain a high quality across different weddings and in various lighting conditions? A strong portfolio shows more than just a few highlight moments.
Schedule Video Calls: An email can only tell you so much. A video call lets you gauge their personality, communication style, and passion for their work. It's all about the chemistry.
Check Reviews and References: Look for detailed reviews that talk about a vendor's professionalism, flexibility, and how they handled challenges. Don't ever feel shy about asking for references from past couples.
Connecting with your photographer before the big day can make a huge difference, especially if you're feeling a bit camera-shy. You can learn more about the benefits in the ultimate guide to engagement sessions, which can be a great way to build that easy rapport.
Decoding Contracts and Logistics
Your vendor contracts are your safety net. When you're planning a destination wedding, these documents are even more critical because they spell out expectations across borders. Don’t just skim them; read every single line.
Pay close attention to clauses specific to destination events. Travel fees should be clearly detailed—does their quote include flights, accommodation, transportation, and a per diem for meals? Any ambiguity here can lead to surprise costs down the line.
Also, look for their contingency plan. What happens if a flight is cancelled or the vendor has a personal emergency? A true professional will have a clear backup plan outlined in their contract, like having a trusted and equally skilled associate ready to step in. That foresight is the mark of an expert and gives you essential peace of mind.
The Final Countdown to Your Wedding Day
The big decisions are behind you. Now, in the final weeks before you fly out, it's all about the details. Your role is gracefully shifting from a meticulous planner to the guest of honour. The entire point of this last stretch is to tie up every loose end so you can step off that plane feeling present, excited, and ready to soak it all in.
Think of this as your final logistics lap. You'll want to run through your master checklist one last time, confirming arrival times and the day-of timeline with every single vendor. Yes, that means everyone from your photographer to the shuttle bus driver. And when it comes to packing, be methodical: all your essential documents, wedding attire, and—of course—the rings should be in your carry-on, no exceptions.
Last-Minute Logistics and Letting Go
This is where the art of delegation truly shines. If you've hired a planner, they are about to become your hero, fielding last-minute calls and smoothing out any unexpected bumps in the road. If you're managing things yourself, now's the time to lean on your most trusted friends or family members. Task them with things like putting together the welcome bags or acting as a friendly point of contact for guest questions.
Letting go of the planning reins is often the hardest part, but it's the most crucial. You've spent months creating this beautiful experience; now you must give yourself permission to live in it. Trust the team you hired to execute your vision.
The morning of your wedding should feel like a celebration, not a frantic race to the finish line. Build plenty of buffer time into your schedule. You want to have a slow, leisurely breakfast and actually enjoy those precious moments with your closest people. This calm, happy energy will set the tone for the entire day.
Your coordinator is there to be the on-the-ground director. They’ll manage the vendors as they set up, keep the day flowing on schedule, and put out any little fires before you even have a chance to know they exist. Your only job? To be completely present and enjoy every single detail of the incredible day you worked so hard to create.
Answering Your Big Destination Wedding Questions
Even with the perfect checklist, a few key questions always pop up when couples start diving into the planning. Getting these sorted out early on brings so much clarity for both you and your guests, making the whole adventure feel a lot less daunting.
How Far in Advance Should We Start Planning?
Honestly, the sooner, the better. I always recommend giving yourselves a good 12 to 18 months. This isn't just about avoiding stress; this generous timeline is your single biggest advantage.
Think about it: the best venues and vendors in sought-after locations get snapped up incredibly fast. That extra time means you're more likely to book your dream team without having to compromise.
It’s also a massive courtesy to your loved ones. They’ll have plenty of time to ask for vacation days, tuck away some savings, and find great deals on flights and hotels. Nobody likes a last-minute scramble.
Is a Destination Wedding Actually Cheaper?
It can be, but it’s not a guarantee. The biggest potential for savings comes from one simple fact: a shorter guest list. Hosting an intimate gathering for 40 people in a beautiful location will almost certainly cost less than throwing a traditional wedding for 150 back home.
But you have to account for the other side of the coin. Your budget needs to include your own flights and accommodation, plus travel fees for any vendors you’re bringing with you, like your photographer. These expenses can sometimes offset the savings from a smaller guest count, so it's all about finding that balance.
The real shift isn't just about saving money; it's about reallocating it. You're moving your budget from a 'cost-per-guest' model to a 'cost-for-experience' one. Instead of paying for more plates of food, you're investing in a truly memorable, multi-day celebration with your closest circle.
Who Is Supposed to Pay for Guests?
This is a classic! The standard etiquette is pretty clear: you, the couple, are the hosts. That means you cover the wedding-related events, like a welcome dinner, the ceremony itself, and the reception.
Your guests, on the other hand, are generally expected to cover their own flights and accommodation. A really thoughtful touch is to do some of the legwork for them. You can often negotiate a discounted block of rooms at a hotel, which not only saves them money but also makes their planning a whole lot easier. Just be sure to communicate this clearly and kindly on your wedding website so everyone knows what to expect right from the get-go.
At Eight Two Four, we believe the best wedding photos come from being fully present in the moment, not from endless posing. Our candid, editorial approach captures the real feeling of your day, whether you're in Vancouver, Toronto, or celebrating in a dream destination. See how we can tell your story.