“To those who can dream, there is no such place as faraway.” – Author Unknown

While no one knows how many engaged couples envision their wedding ceremony gracing an exotic locale in a distant land, as many as one in six of your clients will want to make their destination wedding fantasy a real life planning challenge. For the Certified Wedding Planner new to the fastest growing segment of wedding planning, the opportunity can be exhilarating and intimidating.

The decision to take the show on the road can be frightening for your client as well. In the early stages, your job is to help them weigh the advantages and disadvantages of nuptials on the road. While they can save money and reduce stress with weddingmoon packages and smaller guest lists, they may not enjoy navigating foreign legal requirements and missing family and friends.

With leading wedding destinations ranging from Las Vegas, Hawaii, and the Caribbean to South America, Europe and the Far East, and everywhere in between, it is vital to develop a basic game plan before attempting to service the travelling bride and groom.

Lisa Light, expert wedding planner and author of the best-selling book, Destination Bride, details five phases the Certified Wedding Planner must follow to turn a client’s destination wedding dream into reality.

Phase One: Organize your client’s thoughts, desires, priorities, finances, and other resources.

Phase Two: Perform due diligence on your client’s chosen destination beyond location to include specific venues.

Phase Three: Research and determine the services and service providers you will use including travel, accommodations, guest considerations, wardrobe, menu, and décor.

Phase Four: Confirm and reconfirm all the details to insure a flawless event.

Phase Five: Coordinate all the elements you have designed to ensure everything goes as planned and your client is able to relax and thoroughly enjoy their wedding celebration.

Even more so than with planning a local event, a destination wedding’s success is in the details. Additional logistics for including children in the ceremony, booking an exclusive venue, or arranging travel for the wedding party and guests can quickly become overwhelming without extensive forethought, research, and planning.

When time and resources allow, it is always best to visit venues and vendors prior to contracting their services. When time and resources are short, you should work to develop a relationship with a Certified Wedding Planner local to your destination who can provide referrals and testimonials on wedding service providers.

Destination weddings can be the most romantic, prestigious, and exotic events you will ever plan. How often you get to create your art amidst foreign ambience depends on your commitment to preparation and your aptitude for implementation.

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, and penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou

Tags: Certified Wedding Planner, Destination Weddings

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