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12-18 months

  • Decide if a destination wedding is right for you. Take our fun quiz!
  • Announce engagement to family and friends. Tell them about the wonderful adventure of your destination wedding plans.
  • Discuss “who is paying for what”
  • Set your wedding budget
  • Set your destination wedding window (date)
  • Determine your guest list
  • Determine your destination wedding style
  • § Begin researching destination possibilities
  • Contact the travel and destination wedding specialist of Precious Nuptials to help you navigate the possibilities!
  • § Research destination wedding residency requirements for the destinations you are considering
  • Decide on a destination
  • § Research destination wedding locations
  • § Select a destination wedding host location – can be the site of all your ceremony and reception or a host hotel/resort for weddings outside of resort settings
  • Decide on legal or symbolic destination wedding ceremony
  • § If the budget allows, plan and go on a site visit 
  • § Research honeymoon options — same location, destination hop or location hop
  • § Get solo or group travel rates
  • § Make notes of all the terms and conditions of travel for you and your guests
  • § Consider purchasing wedding insurance (before laying down non-refundable deposits)
  • Confirm wedding date and book travel
  • Request this time off from work
  • § Begin researching vendors for ideas, services and pricing
  • Choose your wedding attendants
  • Create a wedding website
  • Mail Save the Dates (6-12 months ahead of wedding date)
  • Research wedding dress and veil styles
  • § Research and decide on wedding planner

8-10 months

  • § Make sure guests understand travel requirements and have a seamless solution for booking travel and attending your wedding
  • Choose bridal party attire
  • § Research and book wedding vendors
  • § Determine ways to make your destination wedding extra special
  • Purchase wedding dress
  • Establish a fitness routine

6-8 months

  • § Research and order Invitations
  • § Have your guests began booking travel?
  • Apply for a passport and visa if necessary
  • § Ensure guests apply for passports and/or visas
  • Register at three national retailers and/or create a honeymoon registry
  • § Choose cake style and menu
  • § Reserve unique add on details
  • § Research and book group excursions and land transportation
  • Mail Save the Dates (if you haven’t already)
  • Order wedding bands

4-6 months

  • § Make sure all vendors are finalized
  • § Book beauty and hair appointments
  • § Make honeymoon reservations – if outside of group travel arrangements
  • Research wedding day hairstyle
  • Choose groomsmen attire
  • § Finalize Favors and Reception Items
  • § Plan welcome baskets for OOT guests
  • § Make and book rehearsal dinner and group activity plans
  • § How many guests are confirmed for travel?

3 months

  • Mail formal wedding invitations
  • Plan ceremony and reception seating arrangements
  • Experiment with hair and veil with stylist
  • Purchase guestbook (or DIY), toasting flutes, serving pieces, flower basket and ring-bearer pillow
  • Decide on packing and transporting personal wedding items to your destination
    • § Get hotel or resort shipping guidelines
    • § Know custom regulations
  • Decide on your actual guest count estimate
  • Complete your destination pre-marriage residency requirements

2 months

  • Begin writing vows
  • Review and confirm ceremony details with officiate
  • Purchase gifts for attendants
  • First dress fitting
  • § Submit wedding announcement to newspaper
  • § Finalize transportation arrangements
  • Finalize seating arrangements
  • Finalize playlists
  • § Create, copy, and send wedding day schedules to vendors, wedding party, parents and officiate
  • Create contact info sheet for your loved ones while you’re on honeymoon
  • § Confirm group travel and proper ticketing of all reservations
  • Confirm that wedding party and parents have their fittings and attire complete

1 month

  • § Call vendors and confirm dates, times, and locations
  • Ensure all final payments are made
  • Final dress fitting
  • § Reconfirm reservations
  • Pick up wedding rings
  • Pack for honeymoon
  • Write Thank You notes as gifts are received
  • Apply for marriage license locally and plan your local nuptials if you’re having a symbolic ceremony
  • Pick up your marriage license and order 2-3 extra copies
  • § Order wedding programs
  • § Reconfirm guest list. Do you have any last minute travelers?

2 weeks

  • § Give final count to caterer
  • Update registries
  • Begin breaking in wedding shoes
  • Make necessary arrangements for when on honeymoon: pets, mail…
  • Final haircut and color
  • § Get your playlists to DJ/Musicians
  • Delegate wedding day duties: gift table, guestbook attendant, etc.
  • § Delegate someone to return tuxes and other rental items
  • § Send wedding week/weekend itinerary to necessary vendors
  • § Create wedding week/weekend itinerary for gift bags
  • Ship supplies that are not traveling with you
  • Begin packing and prepare to depart!

1 week

  • Lay out wedding clothes to make sure you have everything
  • § Prepare wedding day emergency kit
  • Give your readers their scripts
  • Spa treatments
  • § Give photographer and videographer request(s) for shots and moments you want captured
  • § Reconfirm vendors and guests list
  • Before you depart – Mail wedding announcements to extended friends, family, and colleagues (optional)

Upon Arrival

  • § Final/First walk through – tasting for first walk through couples
  • § Inspect ceremony, reception and activity sites
  • § Confirm ceremony details
  • § Apply for marriage license – destination legal ceremonies
  • § Assemble welcome bags and arrange for guests delivery
  • § Confirm and meet with local vendors
  • § Have wedding day attire steamed
  • § Confirm all group activities
  • § Welcome guests!

The Day Before

  • Mani/Pedi
  • Massage
  • Wedding Rehearsal
  • Rehearsal dinner
  • Get to bed at a decent hour!

Day of the Wedding

  • Eat a good breakfast!
  • Allow yourself plenty of time to relax and get ready
  • Don’t forget the rings and hankie!
  • Congratulations! ENJOY the Day!

After the Honeymoon

  • Send Thank You Cards as soon as possible
  • Enjoy your Marriage!

 § = Tasks that your destination wedding planner or destination wedding travel specialist may be contracted to take care of.

Our wedding planner checklist (not the couple’s version) consist of more than one-hundred and fifty items.  Therefore, when retaining our wedding planning services, we stream down your task and free up time for you to enjoy the planning process.  Contact us for a no obligation proposal of services!
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We can be reached by snail mail at 16516 El Camino Real, Suite 211; Houston, Texas 77062.

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