Brittany and Don knew a hometown wedding would mean a large guest list and they craved a smaller, more intimate wedding where they could have quality time with their guests. A Barbados destination wedding was a perfect solution that was different and special.

From the bride’s experience as an event coordinator at a private country club in Burlington, Vermont she had seen her fair share of weddings and often witnessed brides and grooms spend the majority of the reception making rounds to all of the tables to speak with their guests. The couple discussed this and knew it was not how they wanted to spend their wedding reception.

Instead, the couple wanted a smaller guest list and their destination wedding gave them a minimum of three evenings to visit with all 30 of their guests. They were able to connect with each guest in the Barbados and had much more meaningful and in-depth moments with each of their friends and family members who attended the wedding.

The couple admits deciding on a destination wedding was a difficult choice to make. They knew if they went with a destination wedding some family members, such as their grandparents, wouldn’t be able to attend. However, after speaking with those family members, they encouraged them to do what made them happy.

When it came to picking the location, the Barbados was a unique destination that they and their friends and family had never been too. It helped that the couple’s travel agent recommended the destination because of its beautiful turquoise water, white sand beaches, friendly locals and a new all-inclusive resort.

Once they chose their location, they visited the resort in November and were able to meet with their wedding coordinators. Also, they were able to see the resort in advance and choose locations for the welcome party, wedding reception and farewell brunch.

Once they returned home they were still able to plan from afar with their travel agent who acted as their liaison between the couple and the resort.

From there, everything else fell into place. With friendly locals and a safe location, the couple was able to plan exciting events off the resort so their guests could experience the culture and tradition of the island. These events included a private catamaran charter and a visit to a local fish fry.

For the bride who works as an event coordinator, it was difficult to let go of some control. However, in the end she had a positive planning experience and is sad it is over.

One thing that made the planning experience easier was the help of a travel agent. The travel agent the couple used not only coordinated the flight and accommodation, but all of the plans, details and requests for the on-resort and off-resort activities.

Also, the guests booked their trip through the same travel agent who ensured that everyone had as smooth a trip as possible.

One non-controllable situation the couple ran into was the second heaviest snowfall in over 100 years in Vermont: Storm Stella. To make sure they arrived safely to their destination without getting caught by the storm, the couple flew to the Barbados two days early. Luckily, the guests arrived as scheduled.

The couple knows if they had their wedding in their hometown, everything would have been different. They say there is no comparison between the two locations.

Vendors: Photographer: Amy Bennett Photography, Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations, Gown Designer: Lovers + Friends Slip Dress, Veil: Grace Loves Lace, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Coppley Italian Linene custom-made through Michael Kehoe, LTD