Sometimes, choosing to have a destination wedding makes it easier on everyone. For Maria and Mark, Marble Falls, Texas near Austin was a central location for their families that would also give them the chance to have the outdoor, country wedding they dreamed of. 

Luckily, pretty much every guest was on board. “They met our decision with a lot of excitement, which seemed to elevate expectations of the food and attire,” the couple says.

During the planning experience, the two relied heavily on the vendors in the area to provide all of the expertise. All Maria and Mark had to focus on was the travel back-and-forth for in-person meetings with vendors. Even though their preferred coordination was through email to have a paper trail, the two felt it was important to build visits into their free weekends. Ultimately, it forced them to hit planning milestones quicker.

The couple also collaborated with their planner using Google Sheets to create a day-of timeline a month before the ceremony date. “This helped us contact vendors about specific timing, which really helped everyone be accountable for this coordinated effort. We did provide the timeline to our guests and wedding party in a nice little infographic, which helped prep them on what to expect,” Maria says. 

To eliminate any possible confusion, the two provided directions to the ranch and rough estimates of how long it would take to travel from their recommended hotel to the church and/ or venue.

Guests were welcomed to the Texas wedding with gifts, which were distributed at the hotels, along with the wedding day timeline. “The welcome gifts were a great way to disseminate information and provide small ‘thank you’ treats to all our guests who could make the trip,” the bride says.

When it was all said and done, choosing a destination wedding helped the couple hone-in on their desired country theme in the rolling hills of Texas. Mark and Maria say it’s really all about creating an organized experience unique to you and your guests.

The two highly suggest arriving a week before the wedding, if possible, and spreading out meetings with vendors to get everyone on board before the big day.

“It’s a monumental task to organize an event and there will be some unexpected issues come up, but if you have a solid foundation and organization of the event, you’ll have confidence on how to address them,” the couple says.

Texas ended up being the perfect location, aside from their home in New York City, not only for their desired theme, but also to be able to have 200 guests attend at a lower cost to everyone. Ultimately, a destination wedding could end up being the perfect compromise for you, just like it did for this lovely pair.

Vendors: Photographer: Eureka Photography, Ceremony: St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Reception Site: Twisted Ranch Weddings, Florist: The Gala Gal Floral & Event Design – Cheri Grant, Stationery: Basic Invite, Cake: Austin Cakeball, Dress Designer: Pronovias Flagship Store, Hair and Makeup: Adore Makeup Boutique, Groom’s Clothing Designer: TheBlackTux, Music: Innovative DJ Entertainment, Videography: JR Digital Video, Transportation: ExecuTesla, Uptown Valet & Austin Charter Services and Photo Booth: Say Cheese Photo Booths