Choosing the Venue for Your Destination Wedding

Bride and groom in front of waterfall at Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort, Poipu , Kauai - Photo courtesy of Grand Hyatt Kauai

Where do you start when it comes to selecting a venue for your destination wedding? The very first thing you want to do is to plan a theme. Once you have decided on that, then you want to select your gown. Once those two things are done, begin to figure out where you want to hold your wedding making sure the location matches with your theme, your dress, and your budget. David Tutura brought this point home on his weekly TV show, My Fair Wedding. In one of his shows, a New York City bride was telling him that she loved frogs so she wanted her wedding to take place in a swamp. She had chosen a feminine, princess-style wedding dress and his comment was that her formal ball gown did not match with a “swamp” theme. Obviously he convinced her to change the dress and moved the reception to a huge tent with beautiful, lush tropical plants draping from the ceiling.

Grand Lawn Gazebo at Gtand Hyatt Kauai - Photo courtesy of Grand Hyatt Kauai

There are so many different choices it’s hard to decide where you want this memorable event to take place. Many resorts and smaller hotels throughout the world have appealed to the wedding market by offering beautiful sites for exchanging your vows and providing numerous options for the reception whether it‘s on the beach or in one of their restaurants. Choosing a site that can be used for both the ceremony and the reception can help eliminate some of the cost and save time. With the busy lifestyle of the modern day bride and groom, many couples are seeking sensible and practical solutions when planning their wedding while decreasing stress and making things more manageable.

Seaside Wedding Chapel at Grand Wailea, Maui - Photo courtesy of Muriel MacRae

More and more couples are choosing sites where they can have the ceremony and the reception in the one location for a number of reasons:

Flexibility: Most guests don’t want to wait for hours between the ceremony and the reception. If you are having your wedding at a resort, the ceremony time can be much more flexible. In fact, you might want to have you reception immediately after your ceremony. Your guests will definitely appreciate that they do not have to wait around for a long time between the two events.

Wedding reception at Shipwreck Lagoon at Grand Hyatt Kauai - Photo courtesy of Grand Hyatt Kauai

Weather: If you plan your wedding outside at a beach or a garden, you definitely want to have a back-up plan in case of inclement weather. Most resorts will have an indoor back-up room reserved for you just in case, so you have one less thing to worry about.

Covered area for weddngs at Kauai Marriott Resort - Photo courtesy of Muriel MacRae

Timing: When travelling from one event to another, you never know what the traffic will be like. In fact, many of your guests who are not familiar with the area may get lost and be late for the event. A delay for yourself can also cause you to be late so you have less time for pictures or to visit with your guests during your wedding.

Fairmont Kea Lani seaside wedding venue, Wailea, Maui - Photo courtesy of Muriel MacRae

Savings: It is often cheaper to rent one venue for both your ceremony and your reception as opposed to paying for two different ones. Many hotels offer a price-saving advantage by including both the ceremony and the reception in their wedding packages. Vendors such as florists and event designers often charge more for traveling and transporting items from one location to another. By having your wedding at one location, you can eliminate these costs as well as save money on transportation and parking fees.

Ceremony location at Kauai Marriott - Photo courtesy of Muriel MacRae

More relaxing: Couples who have their ceremony and reception in one location are noticeably more relaxed and enjoy their wedding more than those who spend time travelling from one location to the other. Guests also enjoy not having the hassle of going from one site to the next and are less stressed when they do not have to figure out how to get to another location or how they will spend the next few hours waiting for the reception to begin.

Wedding gazebo on grounds of Grand Wailea Resort, Wailea, Maui - Photo courtersy of Muriel MacRae

With so many decisions to make when planning your wedding, you may want to hire a destination wedding planner/travel agent who is familiar with the various locations. Not only can this person help you find the “perfect” location but guide and assist you with your wedding plans, bringing your dreams to reality. In addition, the same person can coordinate travel arrangements for your guests attending your wedding. That way you and your true love can relax and enjoy the process! Happy wedding planning!

Newlyweds just married at Grand Wailea, Wailea, Maui - Photo couretesy of Muriel MacRae

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Muriel MacRae, owner of Creative Weddings and Occasions and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant and wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings and romantic getaways to tropical areas. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your destination wedding or romantic getaway, please contact her at info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.