Where the sun meets the sea is where you will find us! Here at Couture Events, we love the idea of destination weddings that can just be enjoyed and soaked up. It doesn’t matter if you are getting married in Cabo or Lake Como, we have seen our fair share of stressed out brides and grooms and we believe it doesn’t need to be that way! When you decide you want a destination wedding, you are wanting to leaving stress behind, long to enjoy every moment and bask in the love and excitement of your day. Whether you elope or bring 100 guests to the destination, we want you to enjoy every second of it!

5 Tips to Fully Enjoy Your Destination Wedding:

1. Arrive early and stay late!

If you are having guests and are able to arrive before them you will be able to get settled, calm your own nerves and feel comfortable before they arrive. Even if it’s just two days before, it will give you time to feel grounded before you welcome the element of guests, their questions and their opinions. If you are eloping we still suggest arriving early to your destination so you don’t feel rushed…you want to be able to soak it in. After the wedding stay later – you chose this destination for a reason. Instead of rushing out to go on a honeymoon, we suggest making your destination part of your honeymoon. Stay a while, linger, say farewell to your guests, and enjoy some time in this special place as a couple.

2. Take advantage of this time and take extra photos!

You are already looking and feeling your best. We suggest doing a bridal styled shoot the morning of your wedding (in a pretty robe or sweet lingerie). It will get you comfortable with your photographer, make you feel confident, sexy and ready to see your soon-to-be spouse. We love creating and styling these for our brides, as these photos will make for special memories. We believe the more photos and fun, the better. It should be a fun and exciting experience. We also suggest doing a first look so you can get more photos with your betrothed, especially right after the bridal session, it only elevates the actual walk down the aisle.

3. Don’t worry, be happy!

Words of wisdom from Bob Marley! No, but seriously, if you are worried about things like your set up, vendors or guests, you will only stress yourself out. It will not add anything special to your wedding. You have to be able to trust everyone involved, so that is why we emphasize hiring a planner you can trust! You will also have guests texting you or calling you with questions. You have to let that go. They will figure things out on their own…they are grown adults and can get themselves to and through the wedding day. I sometimes wish I could just take a bride or groom’s phone away on their wedding day. You don’t need Uncle Ted asking if he can wear his tropical print shirt or Aunt Susie asking about where she can get a snack before the wedding. Many times guests feel like they are helping by telling you things that you might be missing or needing. You have to let that roll off your back and seriously just be happy! If you enjoy your day, your friends, family and guests will too. If you show that you are worried, they will be too!

4. Have a weather back-up plan!

There can be a chance of rain even in the most desirable destinations. Make sure you have a “plan B” in place! We always encourage our couples to find a destination that has an incredible plan A (outdoor space) and plan B (indoor space), just in case. Ideally, you want to be just as happy with plan B as you would be with plan A. We have seen weather ruin days because the couple is upset…don’t let this happen. Plan it out! It is possible to find a place that has wonderful options for both.

5. Hire Professionals!

Yes, we obviously believe you should have a professional planner. The coordinator at the hotel or location is there for the location first-and-foremost, not exclusively for you. We as an outside planner are there for you and to make sure things get set up and flow correctly for your day. We also believe you should hire a professional travel agent or consultant. The wedding planner is there to plan the events for the wedding, but it’s also nice to have someone thinking about transportation, room blocks and experiences outside of the wedding. If you hire a professional wedding planner and travel consultant, the rest will fall into place as they will be able to find you local vendors or destination vendors to bring in to make the entire wedding weekend and experience spectacular.

Photo Shoot Vendors: Coordination & Design: Couture Events, Venue: Esperanza Resort, Photography: The Grovers, Event Rentals: Main Event Cabo, Floral Design: Main Event Floristry, Stationery: Be BrandSpired, Hair & Makeup: Los Cabos Makeup, Gown: Hayley Paige, Ring: Shel Couture & Model: Violeta Canales