How to Plan a Last Minute Destination Wedding

Planning a Last Minute Destination Wedding

Many of the inquiries that are rolling in are for last minute destination weddings (these weddings will occur in the next six months). The trend that is going on is reflective of even less time in the planning process. Some couples are in the next month, next week, or can we fly in a few days and get married. Everyone is ready to hold hands, hug, dance, and celebrate. We are ready for freedom from our homes, our masks, of the last year and all of the fear and longing, and of course, everyone is ready to travel. This may be preemptive but we are seeing a huge increase in interest and more importantly signed contracts for future events.

What does this mean to those last minute people who want to plan their wedding in a week or two? It means – drum roll please - it is possible. It is all possible if you can get the flights, if borders are open, and if you are open to getting married on any day of the week. Now is your time. One of the hardest-hit sectors in all of the COVID crisis was the wedding industry. So many cancels, postponements, and just plain “I do not know what to doers”. So planning a last minute wedding is possible, but if you want to do this, you have to get a booking. The destination event space is coming back and will eventually be flooded so if you want to do this do it NOW.

I have current clients that were trying to hold an informal engagement dinner for 25 in the states and they could not find a venue. These clients were struggling with doing a destination wedding or trying to find the perfect venue in the US and to their dismay (and my luck) they realized they could not hold anything in the states until the end of 2022. Destination wedding it is!

Here are the steps to take for your last minute destination wedding:

1. Determine the place.

2. Find a great planner that can help with the details.

3. Work with the planner to pick a date and go over details.

4. Get a Pinterest page of ideas together (Or not).

5. Decide what are your key most important nonnegotiables. (Food, flowers, photography).

6. Be flexible.

7. Invite who you think can make it and who you want with you.

8. Use technical elements if some of your loved ones can not be there.

9. Finalize the details with your planner. Make it your own with details about you and your love.

10. Get a handle on testing, vaccinations, on-site rapid testing, and keeping with CDC guidelines (this will for the foreseeable future be a part of every event).

10. Book your ticket and make arrangements for St. Barth’s & BREATH!

There are still lots of small groups and families that want to do something last minute and are excited to have a planner quickly put it all together for them. Of course, no matter what type of destination wedding you are having, on the fly, big or small always hire a planner because there is no other way.

We like to say that anything is possible and really this is true. We can put together a last minute gorgeous celebration but if there is anything we have learned in the last year it is this, remain flexible. The other most important detail is who we are celebrating with. We are about cherishing the moment and being present wherever we end up, and also that life is short—so don’t wait. Jump in and live. We are here for you to bring together your wildest last minute destination wedding requests and always remember to enjoy the view.

Oh yes, and don’t forget to sanitize those hands.

Now let’s get planning.

XO

JJ