Whether it was your college town, hometown, or just a special city you’ve fallen in love with (like Fort Myers), 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, getting married in this town you love is completely achievable!
Planning Your Out-of-Town Wedding with No Local Family
Get Referrals from Local Vendors
While preparing to reserve your wedding vendors, gather as much advice as you can from them. Pick their brain on any questions about the area you may have. Get local vendors’ suggestions on other wedding vendors they’ve worked well with that offer services you haven’t booked yet. These venue managers, photographers, caterers, decorators, and DJs most likely work multiple events in the area each month and can help give you tips or a perspective you might not find from searching online.
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) immensely 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) while 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!
Keep Venues & Accommodations in One Area
Having a hotel block or two close to the venue will be essential for out-of-town weddings! But you’ll also save you and guests some hassle if you can book your rehearsal dinner location, wedding venue, and hotel block all within walking distance or ideally the same area of town. If your hotel has a shuttle to the airport, even better! This will cut down on taxi, Uber, or Lyft costs for everyone!
Offer Transportation
Keeping your wedding rehearsal, ceremony, and reception close in proximity to each other might be easier said than done. 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, especially if your ceremony and reception are in the same location (or at least 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
Many wedding destination locations are used to having out-of-towners plan their wedding from afar, and 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
- Tampa, FL
- Sarasota, 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.