They say life is a journey, not a destination. If not a destination, wedding certainly is an important milestone in a person’s life. Wedding in itself opens up an entirely new chapter in a man’s life and throws up new experiences, unthought-of before. A destination wedding only increases the enormity of the occasion by putting a veil across the unexplored potential of the wedding venue.

In addition to creating a memorable experience on the big day, a destination wedding allows the bride and the groom, a much needed break from the maddening rush of professional life and away from the glare of distant family members and friends, in order to essay the new chapter of their married lives with a honeymoon period. Planning for a destination wedding and backing it up with a honeymoon stay at the venue allows both of you to know and understand each other not just as lovers, but as spouses. It makes perfect sense for both of you to ease into your new roles of husband and wife, set your first goal as a family and start taking the first step together towards a shared future. Does it sound too good to be true?
Let’s get started with exploring some of the best destinations for your big day, the honeymoon and some cool hacks that can ease off the pressure of planning the destination wedding off the shoulders of both of you.

Do the Number Crunching for Your Wedding Budget

Let’s get this right. Wedding is a milestone and so is a destination wedding as well. The journey starts from the day after the wedding, when the world at large starts looking up to you both as one, a family, i.e. a social enterprise. Marriages are made in heaven, true; but happen right here on earth. Be realistic. Take a look at the total outlay that both of you can afford individually or with the help of your parents. Sticking to strict fiscal discipline is not a spoilsport, but a reality check that serves you well once you start paying the bills and start planning for bigger things in life, like your first home, first child and first off shore property. Set a wedding budget and stay put on the numbers to decide on everything else.

Explore Destinations for Your Big Day and Back it with Meticulous Research

Once you have decided your budget, talk to your family members on both the sides to know their availability, comfort level and work commitments to ink their participation in the grand affair that you are planning and explore destinations for your big day. Seek the advice of your parents on the legends and love stories associated with each of the places. Explore local options in different countries and figure out factors like the likely weather at the suggested time of your wedding, local wedding laws, foreign travel regulations, travel documentation and payment modes.
Now, let’s talk of the grandeur of the venue. If you enjoy the bricked roads soaked in ancient history, monuments and huge portals of Gothic architecture and want to have the flair of European renaissance at your wedding, Rome in Italy can be a great option. If you love the aqua blue colour reflected by sparkling ocean waters and the sight of chains of islands inhabited by small populations, try the Maldives as a wedding venue. If you are looking to explore Portuguese finesse of art, architecture and music in South Asia dating back to the colonial era, Goa in India offers a fabulous option to host your destination wedding.
Imagine hosting the nuptials on a beautifully lit and embellished house boat on the Mandovi river bank, with a Goa carnival like gala of music, dance and revelry. You can plan to stay back for a holiday that will help you in understanding your partner better then be it the magnum opus opera show in Rome or a surf in the Maldives or the gazing sunset on the Arossim beach in Goa that would provide a dream start to your married life.

Choose Your Wedding Dress to Make the Day a Truly Majestic Occasion

What is the first thing that friends and family talk about after attending a wedding? It is the dress code of the bride and the groom. Men will always be men and while there are style geeks among men, but it is better not to rely completely on the aesthetic sense that men have. It is in the best interest of both of you to rely on the opinion and wisdom of the bride rather than falling back on the groom. Synchronize the wedding dress code with the venue that you choose, the ambience within and the weather that is likely to prevail.
Explore using immersive technologies like virtual reality to check the fit, size and the small details of the dress code like the wrinkle that you don’t want, the extra button that you want and the avant grade shoes to complete the look of both of you for the big day. Try a new fashion statement with the jewellery and the wrist gear.
Take your siblings along to the showroom of your choicest premium brands of wrist gear and spend a weekend deciding on the dresses of the parents of both the bride and the groom. And yes, do not forget to carry your wedding dress to the wedding destination on the wedding day.

Decide on a Fitting Banquet to Invoke the Gods of Great Food

Is there anything that stays imprinted in the memories of guests, family and friends long after the wedding? When planning for a destination wedding, think through the menu of food meticulously. It is the first thing people will remember long after they and you have turned old. Explore the local options of food. Research on the delicacies that the place offers, the best chefs in town and arrange for the best caterers that can manage the food and drinks while maintaining the best quality.
On the other hand you can decide to go for a composite menu by incorporating flavours, aromas and tastes of a truly global cuisine. Consider the food habits and cultures of the guests that you have invited. Mexican food offers a great deal of spicy and piquant items that can raise the mercury a few notches higher than other cuisines. Vintage Portuguese recipes from Goa in India like the “pork vindaloo” that offer a rich spicy and tangy taste can spice up your wedding menu. Serving Swiss chocolates can really bring in the fun element for kids.
What good are men if they do not share a drink or two with the family? An American destination wedding can come alive with Jack Daniels. French red wine can be a great option for health conscious people. If you have a large proportion of German friends in your guest list, let the streams of beer flow freely and allow them to recreate the magic of the Oktoberfest. The world is one big eating bowl. Just dive and think through.

Visit Your Wedding Destination Well in Advance of Your Wedding

If possible visit the wedding destination to curate the planning process to perfection. A “hands –on” approach to experiencing things live before embarking on a huge occasion like a wedding is always advisable. While, it may not be possible to visit the wedding destination owing to work commitments, paucity of time and other engagements in the family, try to reach the foreign locale for your wedding before the guests arrive. Enquire thoroughly about the tourist visa and passport clearance procedures. Soak the weather and talk to locals on the best time for weddings as per their local calendar. Look for a truly gifted photographer that can not only click photographs but create magic in the marriage album.
Save your date and begin communications with the respective vendors as early as possible to streamline things and avoid last minute rush.Life is short and all good things must come to an end. Any show may be life like but there is no show like life itself and a destination wedding can ink the love legend of both of you in mineral on foreign shores and back in your country of origin. Life only gives one chance but many choices.
Choose your wedding destination with care and plan the destination wedding process from the scratch. Let the wedding bells ring! Good wishes to the bride and the groom!