Kripa Singh gives you the Dos and Don’ts from a Wedding Planner.

Destination weddings are exciting. The chance to take your pheras with the ocean as your backdrop is alluring. But before you start day-dreaming of different locations, it’s important to know the proper etiquette required for hosting your far-flung wedding celebrations.

As a wedding planner, I’ve witnessed the dos and don’ts in planning a destination wedding, and these key insights will help you keep your guests happy while helping you to stay true to your vision.

Trim and Slim your Guest List

The reality is not all your guests will be enthusiastic about your destination wedding. Maybe the location is inconvenient for some, or they simply can’t take enough time off from work. Hence some guests may choose to decline your invitation. By choosing to host a destination wedding, you need to be prepared to trim down your guest list.

It is perfectly acceptable to curate a more intimate guest list for your far-flung nuptials. But if your third cousin wonders why they aren’t on your guest list, you need to be prepared to explain that you have chosen to have an intimate celebration.

Share Enough Information

Creating a wedding website is an effective way to share information with all your guests. Make sure to include accommodation options for your guests (unless you are hosting the stay for them). Providing enough information will support your guests with their travel planning and enable them to prepare ahead of time.

Organise Transport

An effective way to extend your hospitality and make guests feel welcome is by arranging transport to the wedding venue. Arrange for a pick up for all your guests, and in the case that they are staying outside the wedding venue, it is an extra-hospitable gesture to provide a shuttle service to the wedding venue.

Prepare Gifts and Hampers

Little gestures matter in a destination wedding. Preparing hampers for your wedding guests is a kind touch. By offering a handful of local and comforting snacks, you can make your guests feel happy and valued.

Appreciate the Gift of Presence

It is likely your guests will need to spend more for your destination wedding than they would for a regular wedding. Considering the time and financial investment required to attend a destination wedding, it might be a good idea to have a ‘no-gifting’ policy.

Instead, tell your guests that their presence is the most valuable gift. Try to make sure you interact with each of your guests and express your gratitude to them for making the effort to be present. Your guests have taken the time and energy to be there for your far-flung nuptials, so be sure to acknowledge their presence by taking the time to engage with everyone. The extra warmth will make your destination wedding a celebration to remember.

Kripa Singh is a wedding decor designer and aesthete with a love for good books, dogs and a cup of tea.