Image by Marine Blanchard Photographie
Destination wedding planning: Should you book a local or a destination wedding planner/photographer/etc?
Tying the knot in an exotic or romantic destination far from home is a dream come true for many couples. However, destination wedding planning comes with many extra tasks that can lead to a significant amount of stress and headache. When you see photographs of these foreign celebrations, everything looks like a fairytale. But what you don’t see is the ‘behind-the-scenes,’ so hiring someone to help you during the planning process to make your event run smoothly is essential.
Many couples believe hiring a local wedding planner or photographer will resolve all their issues. While this may be the case sometimes, you cannot really rely on someone who you do not know. Choosing people to be involved in your planning process is hard because you need someone you trust.
Therefore, before you pick your wedding planner or photographer, let’s look at the things you need to consider first. You do not want to mess up your big day, so it is wise to explore all of your options!
Image by Henrique Seruca
Do you really need a wedding planner?
Having someone help you manage all of the tasks in the lead-up to the big day is a good idea. Because hosting a wedding without the right assistance can be overwhelming, after all, you will be dealing with unfamiliar territory, and trying to communicate with vendors and your venue from a different time zone will be stressful and time-consuming. So, let an expert handle all the communicating and organizing so that you’re shielded from the stress.
But that does not necessarily need to be a wedding planner. If you have a tight budget, why not consider a coordinator? These individuals will focus on the logistic of your big day only and not the entire planning process. The wedding coordinator is on-hand to ensure everything runs perfectly the day you say your “I do’s.” And, they are more cost-effective!
Local wedding planner vs destination wedding planner?
If you have decided on a destination wedding, you are probably wondering whether you need to hire a local or a destination wedding planner. The truth is, you can do it with either of them, and your celebration will still run smoothly!
If you do not have the time to deal with all tasks of destination wedding planning, then you need to book a wedding planner. A destination wedding planner will definitely have more experience in organizing a destination nuptial, while a local one will be more familiarized with the local venues, vendors, etc.
Nonetheless, you have to bear in mind that the person you will trust with your big day needs to be someone you feel comfortable with. They need to listen to you and understand you, so they can deliver exactly what you want.
Therefore, you should go with a wedding planner that suits your needs, someone who feels like a close friend. The same goes for your photographer!
You can also consider hiring a wedding travel agent who will deal with the traveling expenses for everyone and find you the best discounts. However, have in mind that some advisors in the States offer their services for free because they make a commission from the sales they make; but most of the higher-end travel advisors in Europe charge quite a high admin fee.
Did these tips help? We hope they did because we want you to have a magical celebration. Destination wedding planning can be easy only if you know the right way to do it. If you need advice for your special day, do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help you create the wedding you deserve!