Planning Tips, Wedding Planning Tips, Your Event Career
Pros & Cons: Destination Weddings During the Holiday Season
Planning your client’s destination wedding can be a dream come true! Just picture planning a romantic wedding on a white-sand beach or in a historic city. But there’s a few things to consider before diving into those dreamy wedding plans…
You need to ask the right questions—who can attend? What will the price be for guests? Will the wedding interrupt other holiday plans? To help you out, we’ve narrowed down the pros and cons of planning a destination wedding during the holiday season.
Weighing the location options is difficult at best. It’s important to know your client’s needs for the wedding day before deciding on a faraway location.
Be sure not to overlook these details for both your client and their guests this holiday!
The Pros:
Planning a Getaway
Let me start by saying that, although your clients are there to marry the love of their life, great weather is a huge advantage of destination weddings.
Whether they’re staying there for the honeymoon or jet-setting to a new location post-ceremony, the wedding spot is like a mini-vacation. Your client can enjoy the time away from home!
Especially during a harsh or rainy winter, it’s exciting to get away from your everyday surroundings for the holidays. Your clients will be captivated by the countless activities they’ll get to plan!
Family Gathering
The opportunity to bring family together is a significant pro for planning a destination wedding during the holiday season. Your client’s family can relax, unwind, and celebrate the marriage altogether!
Hosting a wedding over the holidays also promotes family values, like the importance of spending time together. Plus, it lets both families get to know each other. A perfect chance for everyone to spend time together as one big family!
A Picturesque Background
A big draw in planning destination weddings is the opportunity to take stunning photographs. Even the best wedding photographer can’t replicate a Venetian sunset or an adventurous photo on the Cliffs of Dover.
Heading to your client’s dream location will satisfy that travel bug. As many people travel during the holidays anyways, it can gives their guests a new site to explore. And hey, they’ll probably make an awesome holiday card from the photos!
An Intimate Wedding
It’s no lie that destination weddings generally have a lower guest turnout, and the holiday season could impact your list in a positive or negative way.
For now, we’ll look at the pros of a smaller holiday ceremony:
- More face-to-face time as newlyweds
- Less nerves!
- More time to socialize with each guest
- Less costly—although this can’t be guaranteed!
There are a lot more advantages to a smaller wedding. Keeping the guest list short is tricky, but it will relieve the stress of big wedding plans, especially during this busy season!
The Cons:
Weather Patterns
Whether your clients are dreaming of a quaint winter-themed wedding or a sunny outdoor ceremony, be sure to check the weather patterns!
You need to be prepared and, unfortunately, Mother Nature isn’t always the most forgiving force. Storm season does exist. You don’t want guests showing up to the reception drenched to the bone!
A downside of destination weddings is the fact that weather is unpredictable. A small shift in the wind can take a toll on your plans!
For weather patterns in other countries, the World Meteorological Organization shows trends on a monthly basis. Have a look at past weather in your possible locations. It might hinder you from planning a wedding during this time of the year!
Leaving People Behind
The holidays can be tough—even more so for family members who can’t make it to the wedding!
Not only will they be missing one of the most important days of your clients’ lives, but they’ll feel left out and let down. If a lot of guests can’t attend, advise your clients to nix their destination plans and hold the wedding closer to home during the holidays.
Think of it this way: planning a honeymoon is an added benefit of getting married. Don’t let clients be too broken-hearted if their destination wedding flops…send them to their dream location after the big day!
Wedding Party Worry
Choosing the wedding party is one of the most important decisions for your client’s big day. But what do you do when their childhood best friend can’t get time off work? Or their siblings can’t afford to take a vacation?
We know, we know—it’s your client’s day and they have the final say. But be mindful that their loved ones want to be there! And, as we’ve said before, the holidays are tough!
Even for a wedding at home, assuming the bridesmaids can all attend causes tension and stress for everyone. Proper planning and notice might be able to lessen that anxiety. Still, faraway plans can put the wedding party between a rock and a hard place.
So before finalizing those holiday wedding plans, make sure the date and location are accessible. Don’t make guests choose between family and friends!
Expenses
We all feel a pinch in our wallets around the holidays, but giving gifts is something we look forward to! So don’t expect guests to put their holiday budget aside just to attend your client’s wedding.
The cost of attending a wedding can add up. Between travel, accommodations, formal wear, and a thoughtful wedding gift you’re looking at a big investment! On top of all that, there’s much more for your clients and your guests to sort out to attend a wedding in a different country.
You need to be mindful of how costly the holiday season can be. It might be easier for guests to send well wishes rather than shelling out to attend!
And if none of these factors put a dent in your client’s destination dreams, then have at it! We want you to plan the wedding your client has always imagined. After all, the big day is about them! They’ll have plenty of holidays to come with the new family!
More determined than ever? Check out these planning tips that will inspire your next destination wedding!
