Destination Wedding Planning: I recently returned home from 10 days in the Greek Islands, more specifically, Skiathos and Skopelos, where Mamma Mia was filmed! Staying in our hotel was a lovely young family who were in Greece to tie the knot in true Mamma Mia fashion, at the church where Meryl Streep climbed the hundreds of steps up a cliff face, singing the winner takes it all (which I can now say after climbing those steps, she is truly superhuman to be able to do that).
Everything seemed perfect for this young couple. The sun was shining, the Mamma Mia church was ready and their tans were topped up ready for their intimate Greek wedding on the top of a cliff.
It wasn’t until we bumped into the family later on that evening that we realised that their dream Mamma Mia wedding was overshadowed with stress, with their sweet children overtired and screaming, and after a few wines and too much sunshine, the bliss of the day had gotten the better of them.
“She told me she wish she’d chosen a Wedding Planner for her day…”
Walking back to our room, we felt for the couple and I wondered how I could have perhaps helped them to have the day they dreamed of. It’s true that you can take the planner out of the country on holiday but you can’t take the planner out of the girl…
Their destination wedding was perfectly planned on paper, but not in reality. Here are some things to consider if you are planning a destination wedding;
Consider your guests as you choose your location
The first problem this family encountered is that the location did not suit the wedding party. This intimate wedding was made up of young children and elderly parents. The location was on the top of a cliff. While Meryl Streep may have been seen to run up the steps approaching the church, it’s unlikely that young children and elderly guests would have been able to comfortably.
When choosing a location and venue, consider the guests that you are inviting.
Is the venue accessible?
Is there accommodation for those who might need more help booking somewhere to stay?
Is the location too warm at certain points in the year for some guests?
While you do not need to tailor every aspect of your day to your guests, happy guests contribute to a wonderful wedding day.
Photography by Alexander James Photography.
Consider your timings
This is especially important if you are getting married in a hotter climate. In warmer weather, ceremonies often do not start until late afternoon or early evening. Evening receptions will then usually run into the early hours of the morning.
Most destination wedding venues accommodate well for this, offering packages that start at 5:00pm and finish at 4:00am, however, if these timings don’t appeal to you, consider getting married in a cooler climate, perhaps in Spring or Autumn.
Consider extra costs
Getting married abroad does sometimes come with extra costs that may not be considered if you were getting married within the UK, for example, notarisation and translation of legal documents, extra luggage to bring over wedding dresses, decorations and extra items for the wedding weekend, as well as increased transport costs.
However, while there may be extra costs in some areas, you may be able to save in others. For example, many French venues all you to bring your own alcohol with no corkage fee. Additionally, some family members may contribute towards the accommodation cost if you are getting married at a venue with rooms on site. Both of these can really help to bring costs down.
Consider a Wedding Planner
When speaking with our Mamma Mia Bride after the wedding, she told me she wish she’d chosen a Wedding Planner for her day, not only for the running of the day itself, but to aid understanding different processes for planning weddings in other countries, as well as holding all the communication between suppliers and herself.
Destination weddings can be logistically more tricky than UK based weddings, however, with the right team around you, they need not be stressful. Find out more about Full Wedding Planning services, including destination weddings here.
I am a Wedding Planner that helps you to find peace in your planning process. Want to find out more? Read some of my story.
