Your Destination Wedding Guide

Pack it in

It’s one thing to suddenly realize that you need a needle and thread to repair a hem when your wedding is in your own town—but quite another if you’re on an isle in the South Pacific. So make a very detailed list, and check off every item, from tweezers to tiaras, as you pack. As for your dress: Depending on what sort of attire you’ve chosen, you can pack it in a garment bag and carry it onto the plane (airline personnel, alerted in advance, can make room for it). This is one item—your rings and other special jewelry, plus any essential wedding-related paperwork, are others—that you will want with you at all times.

Five Things You May Not Have Considered (But Should)

Don’t let these factors get overlooked in all the excitement.

1. Travel issues. Are there plenty of choices of times, airports and carriers available for the location you’ve picked? Think about jet lag, too: If you’re flying across time zones, be sure to allow enough time to adjust when you get there.

2. Weather concerns. You picked a beautiful southern location for your wedding after visiting there in January, but you’re getting married in July. Can you say humidity? Also consider hurricane season in the Caribbean, usually from July through October, and the fact that some countries in Europe can be cold and rainy in the late winter and spring.

3. Guest comfort. You may love the idea of hiking out to a rocky promontory on the Maine coast to exchange vows or skiing to your ceremony locale in Aspen—but is Aunt Sue up to the challenge? What about your sister and her three small children? Plan a beautiful ceremony, but be realistic about the needs of your guests.

4. Privacy matters. At lots of beachy locations, like hotels and resorts in popular vacation spots, the resort’s other guests will be a presence, so consider whether it’s a problem for you if your ceremony at the romantic wedding gazebo is in full view of the beach.

5. Pro choices. Depending on location, you may not have a multitude of options for the services of hair stylists, florists, musicians and so on. For some brides, that’s a boon (less choice equals easier choice), but if you’re picky, choose your location carefully so that you don’t end up feeling shortchanged.

To Be or Not To Be…Alone

Once everyone has arrived, try to strike a balance between participating in the activities you’ve planned for your guests (a cocktail party the night they arrive, an afternoon at the spa, a snorkeling trip for the adventurous ones) and finding time for just the two of you. Tip: If you know that guests are staying on for vacation time of their own, you might want to plan to move to a different hotel or resort for your honeymoon. Everyone understands that newlyweds want time alone together to kick off married life—and to get some well-deserved rest!