Whether it was your college town, hometown, or just a special city you’ve fallen in love with, your heart might be set on getting married in a town you no longer live in or you’ve only visited before. The bustling city could be appealing, or maybe it’s the town’s remoteness and bright, twinkling stars at night, your romantic location can be the spot where you tie the knot! Planning a wedding with no local family in the area can sound ambitious. However, marrying the person of your dreams in this town you love is completely achievable!
Planning Your Out-of-Town Wedding with No Local Family
Make A Trip of It
If you’re able to, visit the destination three to ten months before the big day! Plan a special couple’s getaway with your fiance or grab the planning crew perhaps mom, siblings, the maid-of-honor, or other wedding party members. Make a weekend out of enjoying the city, meeting with vendors, and getting a better visual of your ceremony and reception venue, hotel, and rehearsal dinner locations. Stay near your wedding venue or stay at the hotel you suggest for guests to familiarize yourself with the area. You might find a few places, like coffee shops, salons, bars, or restaurants, that would be great to utilize on the big day or night.
When planning this weekend well in advance, you should be able to give your vendors enough notice to plan for a meeting while you’re there. This way, you can knock out a ton of planning in one long weekend! If you are doing a weekend trip, you may want to arrive early on Thursday or stay through Monday. This way, you can meet with vendors when they’re not working other weekend events.
Consider a Coordinator
When planning a wedding with no local family or friends in the area, a wedding coordinator will soon feel like family! A local wedding coordinator is going to help you (and save you time) in ways you may never realize. And it’s worth it! The coordinator will tour the venue and organize all your vendors (plus give you stellar referrals they’ve vetted). You can trust them with your must-have list. If you’re unable to make a trip to your location before the wedding, a coordinator can also be the perfect solution to have some boots on the ground fighting for your wedding day vision!
Offer Transportation
Keeping your wedding rehearsal, ceremony, and reception close in proximity to each other might be easier said than done. However, if your out-of-town guests are having to travel across town for your wedding events, it might be a great perk to offer them transportation.
While booking transportation can be an extra cost, you can save costs by using the same bus or shuttle for multiple trips. This is especially true if your ceremony and reception are in the same location (or at least within walking distance). The transportation can take guests to the ceremony (perhaps in multiple waves) and, afterward, take you and your wedding party to a special location to take wedding photos during a cocktail hour. Then, finally, it can take everyone back to the hotel at the end of the event.
Destination Wedding Locations Ideas
Wedding destination locations have out-of-towners plan their wedding from afar. Therefore, their venue teams are prepared for it! Here are some awesome cities (outside of the U.S.’s top 20 largest) with gorgeous scenery or open plains and accommodations fit for everyone that may deserve to be on your location list.
- St. Pete Beach, FL
- Waco, TX
- New Orleans, LA
- Sedona, AZ
- Las Vegas, NV
- Orange County, CA
- Palm Springs, CA
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Rapid City, SD
- Andrews, NC
- Lancaster, PA
- Charleston, SC
- Isle of Palms, SC
- Albuquerque, NM
Multiple Services to Make it Easy
Does fewer calls and contacts (plus more savings and services) sound splendid? Complete Weddings + Events offers multiple services to make it easy when wedding planning from near or far! View our locations at completewedo.com/locations and contact complete for information on our event services for your special day.