Winter in South Florida basically consists of a few patches of rain here and there and a week or two of temperatures in the 60’s, so I can hardly complain!
If you are in other parts of the globe chances are you felt the after effects of the Blizzard of 2016 or you are just generally freezing your patootie off! In which case you may be day dreaming about a destination wedding or even your impeding honeymoon.
Planning a Destination Wedding?
I’ve never been invited to a destination wedding, sad right?! So I asked Shieka, destination wedding & honeymoon coordinator, and founder of Doctors Travel, to weigh in on the conversation. How far out should a bride start planning a destination wedding? “I like to tell my brides to start planning at least a year out. It is possible to plan with less time, but it limits options because popular resorts book quickly. I also like to have a longer amount of time to plan because lots of locations will allow payment plans, so my brides on a budget can work on paying for it all.” Sheika says, I also asked her the current ‘hot spots’ for destination weddings and honeymoons: “The most popular locations that I am seeing right now are Jamaica, Cancun, Aruba, Florida and New Orleans. Honeymoon locations that are popular right now include Bora Bora, Costa Rica ( I am planning a trip now for a couple there) and luxury cruises are really popular!!”
Wedding planning and coordinating is not for the faint of heart, I can’t imagine packing up your wedding and heading off to another country, so be extra critical of your packing process and checklists! Something that can easily be overlooked when traveling? Your mobile phone plan ! “Please make sure you check into getting an international plan for the time you will be gone. Look into one for your data too. You will be so thankful you did! I also like to tell travelers to leave a copy of your passport at home with someone who is not coming to the wedding”
If you are thinking of planning out your destination wedding on your own, I implore you to think twice about hiring a coordinator. Why is it important to work with a coordinator? “I am here to help take the stress out of things, I work at making and maintaining relationships with vendors and suppliers and so that I can make recommendations based on a brides needs. I also set up all guest travel from blocking out the hotel rooms to booking their flights and everything in between. I am also knowledgeable about what legal requirements are needed for the location the bride chooses”
Phew! Convinced that you need a coordinator now?
Questions for Shieka? Find her here:
Be Inspired
Most weddings hit the road for two major reasons, an adventure or for sentiment.
Do you plan on heading back to your hometown or a place of sentimental value?
Or is your intention to journey off to a faraway land?
