Destination weddings are hotter than ever for 2024 and 2025 weddings and lucky for you, they are also our forte. While your wedding is your time to shine, your destination wedding weekend is also an epic trip for your guests who have traveled to be by your side for your big day. Accordingly, you’ll want them to feel special and incorporate ways in which to make their experience unforgettable. While there are many meticulous details that go into the behind the scenes of planning a destination wedding for you and your guests, here are our top six destination wedding tips to elevating your guests’ experience.
Offer a Hotel Booking Concierge
Your guests’ journey to joining you on your wedding day begins from the moment they first receive your Save the Date invitation. While it’s a service that is highly customized and can be labor intensive depending on your guest count, offering a hotel room booking concierge service through your wedding planner can greatly enhance your guests’ experience and ensure a seamless transition from their home to your wedding destination. Just make sure to check with your planner first to see if they are set up to take your guests’ emails or calls regarding travel. If handled correctly, this service can be invaluable to your guests, removing language barriers, providing direct access to hotel reservation staff, and assisting with travel details such as accommodations and local transportation. The net result will ensure every guest feels cared for and stress-free as they make their travel arrangements. It’s a gesture that speaks volumes about your consideration for their comfort and convenience.
Gift a Welcome Basket
Wedding welcome gifts are a small but significant touch that can go a long way to letting your guests know how much they mean to you for attending your wedding! Imagine your guests’ delight upon finding a carefully curated welcome basket in their hotel room. This basket (or bag or box!) brimming with local goodies, drinks and custom treats, maps, travel necessities, a schedule of the weekend’s events, and a heartfelt welcome note, sets the tone for the festivities to come. Take things to the next level by keeping your welcome bags on theme, incorporating your own unique wedding aesthetic and branding. We guarantee your guests will be delighted from the minute they touch down in paradise. Bottom line: a welcome gift is not just a gesture; it’s a warm welcome, a small slice of the local culture, and a personal touch that will elevate your wedding from ordinary to extraordinary.
Add an Immersive Local Experience
One of the best things about a destination wedding is it’s not just about a day; it’s about a whole weekend experience. Arranging a group excursion for your guests to bond over shared adventures somewhere new and exciting can significantly enhance their overall experience and give them an opportunity to enjoy local sights and sounds beyond just attending your wedding. Whether it’s a wine-tasting tour in Tuscany or a sunset catamaran ride in the Caribbean, these activities offer a chance for guests to connect, create shared memories, and truly immerse themselves in the beauty of the destination.
Incorporate Thoughtful Amenities into Your Ceremony
Outdoor ceremonies are picturesque but often come with their own set of challenges that are not just weather related. Providing thoughtful amenities like parasols and fans for a sun-drenched afternoon, or cozy pashminas and hand warmers for a cooler evening, or a shoe station for discarded footwear for your beachside nuptials, can make all the difference to your guests’ comfort. Including sunscreen, bug spray or lemon-scented cold hand towels can also be a considerate touch that ensures everyone can focus on the joy of the occasion rather than the elements.
Add a Late-Night Indulgence
Nobody wants to be hangry! As the evening progresses, a selection of post-dinner snacks can be a welcome surprise for your guests. Miniature versions of comfort foods, like cheeseburgers and fries, alongside sweet treats, offer a playful and satisfying way to keep the energy up, especially for those who might already have danced off their dinner!
Prioritize your After Party Comfort
As the late night party kicks into high gear, consider offering a change of footwear, such as ballet slippers or flip-flops, to keep the dance floor alive. Party props such as party wands or glow-in-the-dark accessories are sure to amp up the fun. And, when it’s finally time to say goodbye, a farewell goodie bag filled with thoughtful items like bedtime tea, a hangover patch, and a pack of Tums can be the perfect parting gesture that your guests will forever remember.
Your guests’ experience at your wedding is of the utmost importance to us – from the moment they are invited to join you on your journey to the aisle to the moment they leave to return home. Adding carefully thought through touches to the planning of your destination wedding will ensure an unforgettable experience that will have your guests wanting to relive your wedding again, and again.
Looking for a destination wedding planner that will prioritize your vision of your big day? Drop us a line or give us a call to talk about planning your destination wedding weekend!