Destination Wedding Itinerary, What to do?

Hands down the best thing about destination weddings is that your wedding is the cornerstone of one of the best weekend long parties-reunions you can imagine. You and your guests will feel like they are on vacation! I like to say that destination weddings are experiences, not an "event".  

With that being said, if you haven't been to a destination wedding then you wouldn't really know what you should or could plan for your guests.  One thing to keep in mind when planning your weekend is that the wedding should always be at the forefront.  Everything else is just an extra that adds to the experience.

Based on what we have received the best feedback on from our clients and their guests, here is the ultimate Destination Wedding Weekend Itinerary.  I've also added in whether or not to hire photography, videography or music (this part I am answering based on what our clients have told us after the wedding what they were most glad about or had regrets about) :

Day One:
A Family dinner.  Let everyone arrive and get settled, then have a very intimate dinner with just bride & groom and both sets of parents.  If siblings are in town, you can always invite them as well. This should be hosted by the bride & groom.
Photography: Not necessary
Videography: Not necessary
Hired Music: Not necessary

Day Two:
The Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner with just the bride & groom, both sets of parents & grandparents, siblings, and the wedding party (and their plus one's). This is traditionally hosted by the Grooms family.
Photography: Yes
Videography: Yes
Hired Music: Consider

Day Three:
A Pool day or Beach Day for everyone.  Don't plan anything formal for this, but do let everyone know where the bride and groom will be available for hello's for the afternoon as guests check in.  I highly suggest renting a cabana or two at the pool if possible.
Photography: Consider
Videography: No
Music: Not necessary
The Welcome reception. This should begin as late into the evening as possible, to make sure that as many guests as possible have time to arrive and check in before the event begins. A 1.5 to 2 hour reception is a good length. If you're not hosting dinner at the reception, make sure this starts late enough so that everyone has time to get dinner prior to. This can be hosted by anyone, but typically its hosted by the wedding hosts. Expect that anyone who has arrived to town will attend.
Photography: Yes
Videography: Yes
Music: Yes

Day Four:
Wedding Day Lunch or Brunch. While it isn't necessary to plan anything on wedding day other than the wedding, it is nice to offer a very casual and optional lunch for the guests at the host hotel if you are having an evening ceremony & reception. This can be hosted by anyone, but most often we see it offered by the wedding hosts. Typically the wedding party would not attend as they are busy preparing for the wedding. Expect that 90% of guests staying on site will attend.
Photography: Not necessary
Videography: Not necessary
Music: Consider

Day Five:
A Farewell Brunch. All invited and out of town guests should be invited to a this event before they begin their travels home.  Typically the brunch is a buffet or serving stations and offers a couple hours to attend.  Most often we aim for 9:0-11:00, but consider flight times if many of your guests are leaving on early or late flights. Expect that 85% of guests staying on site will attend.
Photography: Not necessary
Videography: Not necessary
Music: Consider

Ripped from the pages of Brides magazine

I still read wedding magazines.  Don't get me wrong, I love blogs and pinterest and photographers websites, but there is something to be said for what is in print.  If you haven't picked up an issue of Brides magazine since its relaunch this spring ... it is time.

Word down the aisle is that the already spiffy website may be getting some upgrades later this year too.

Here is one of my favorite pages.  It's the wedding style page created by Cyd Converse over at The Sweetest Occasion.  Hello Style. Cyd has a garden wedding down like nobodys business. One of each please.

Another thing about print to consider; often the editors will save their favorite weddings exclusively for the print issue and then release it to the online world later. In other words, you haven't seen what is in print 40 times already.  It is fresh and new and fabulous.

A rather perfect reply card

A few months ago I wrote about what should be included on a response card.  Your guests reply makes all the difference in both the final planning that you'll do.  It is also guaranteed to either increase or decrease your stress level those last weeks before your wedding.

This week one of our clients sent us their wedding invitation.  I could not have been more thrilled by what I found and just had to share them with you. 

These pictures are just taken with my iphone, so please be forgiving!

What's right about the below response card? Oh let me count the ways...

1. The response date is at least 6 weeks prior to the wedding date.  This gives us enough time to track down the people who don't return their cards, plan exact transportation schedules for the guest guides, plan seating at the wedding dinner and to order the appropriate number of stationery & welcome bag items. Trust me, there's never time to spare with this part.
2. A double name line.  This means we'll know the first and last name of each guest.  This is important particularly if you're doing welcome bags and the +1 has the room reserved under their name.  Finally for accuracy on escort & place cards. I don't know about you, but & guest on an escort card never made me feel special.
3. Number attending each event.  This will enable us to give exact head counts for the pre and post wedding events so that we don't end up paying for guests who may not even be in town.
4. Initialing the entree selections. Heavens to Betsy; this is the biggest relief ever.  How else would we know who has the chicken and who has the beef?  Trust me, its very impressive when the proper meal just magically gets set in front of you.

1. Clarifying that there will be event transportation well in advance will help your guests with making their ground transportation.
2. Letting your guests know that transportation is limited to certain locations could help influence your guests to stay at the host hotels.
3. Knowing of any guests planning on using their own vehicles will allow us to reserve just what we need and not have a bunch of empty shuttles (waste of money!).
4. Arrival, hotel and reservation name information makes welcome bag delivery as simple as it should be.  Its truly the only way we can give the host hotels a perfect list that will be easy for them to follow and make sure that every single invitee receives their welcome bag when they arrive (and not 2 days later or never).

Lace Wedding Dresses: Little or alot?

This morning I woke up to the most beautiful wedding dresses on Pinterest courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings.  Are you a little bit of lace or a cover me in lace kind of girl?
Amsale and Monique Lhuillier seen below. PS, I love the necklace with the Amsale Dress!:

Source: marthastewartweddings.com via Martha Stewart Weddings on Pinterest

Source: marthastewartweddings.com via Martha Stewart Weddings on Pinterest

A great idea for the party on the dance floor

If you're having the best band ever at your wedding and you have that great group of friends who love to party, would totally jump on stage with the band (bands typically hate this by the way), love to sing along - here is a fun idea.

Photo Credit: Impressions Photography

When the song comes on that everyone loves to sing along to (really loud), when they've had a few cocktails and are having an amazing time... pass these out to everyone.

Yes, it is a plastic Microphone and its bound to bring great fun and hilarious pictures & video.

Want to give a hint for the fun to come? Update your wedding website with the lyrics to the microphone song(s) - but don't say why.  You can also print the lyrics on the back of your dinner menus.

Great sing along songs:

Living on a prayer, Bon Jovi

Don't stop believin, Journey

Brown eyed girl, Van Morrison

Benny and the Jets, Elton John

The hot new sing a long song: We are young, Fun

Quick Tip: Always make sure your photographer and videographer are prepared in advance for this kind of surprise because this, you will want to see again.