You finally have the gorgeous rock on your finger and the man of your dreams that you have always wanted. You have decided that a destination wedding will fit your personalities and ideas for your big day the best. To your dismay, your aunt is upset that she will have to pay to get herself to your destination, your future mother-in-law is complaining about paying for food for everyone at the rehearsal dinner, and your fiancé’s friend says you didn’t send your save-the-date cards with enough time for him to plan accordingly.
Weddings can be a delicate balance between pleasing your family and guests and doing what you want for your big day. This balance can sometimes be even harder to achieve with a destination wedding. Certain etiquette rules go along with having a destination wedding. Keeping these etiquette tips in mind can help you get what you want, stay sane, and please your guests at the same time.
Who Pays for What
As with an at-home wedding, it is proper etiquette for the bride and groom to pay for the wedding ceremony and all of the reception including entertainment, decorations, and food and beverages. With destination weddings, guests are traditionally supposed to pay for their travel arrangements including hotel. Although, many couples decide to host additional events to feed their guests and make them feel welcome. Examples are dinner the night prior to the wedding and brunch the morning after.
Save-the-Date Announcements
Sending save-the-date announcements is always important for any significant event and even more so for destination weddings. This is because your guests will need to make their travel arrangements and will often need to request more time off of work to attend your nuptials.
The sooner the better, but, in general, your save-the-date announcements for a destination wedding should be mailed out approximately nine to 12 months in advance. It is good etiquette to include information on your announcement about where your wedding will be so that guests can begin to make travel plans. Many couples even include a website where they can quickly and easily communicate with their guests and disseminate important information.
The Engagement Party
The rules of destination wedding etiquette say that only guests who are invited to your wedding should be invited to the engagement party. The one exception to this rule is if your destination wedding will be a small affair. If you are only inviting immediate family to your destination wedding, then it is okay to have a larger engagement party at home to include other family, friends, coworkers and the like. It is also good etiquette to remind guests that they are not on the hook to bring a gift to your engagement party.
Abiding by these destination wedding etiquette tips can make your wedding planning less stressful and more enjoyable. If someone becomes upset with what you are doing, they may be less upset if you explain that you are following the proper etiquette for your type of wedding. At the end of the day, remember that you cannot always please everyone, so do what feels right for you. Feel free to contact Lover’s Key Beach Weddings with any questions or if you need advice!’
Lover’s Key Weddings
(239)-765-7788
8700 Estero Blvd,
Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931
