Wedding Wednesday: Destination Advice from a Bride

Are you considering a destination wedding?
Here's some thoughts and advice straight from Keezia, the bride we photographed last week.

Why do a destination wedding? Keezia explains, "We chose to have a destination wedding because travel is our passion. I was never the girl who dreamed about my wedding when I was little, so when Grant proposed, I didn't have any preset wedding vision other than incorporating travel."

Pick a place you love & be sure to visit before the wedding. Destination weddings are a great way of sharing somewhere that is special to you with your friends and family. For Keezia and Grant, they'd come to Sayulita with friends for a few years. Keezia also points out, "Since we visit Sayulita every year, we had the luxury to look at venues and interview coordinators the year prior." She makes a really good point.  It's really important to see a place in person before you arrive the week of your wedding. Pictures online can be deceiving. 

Be true to yourself. Keezia explains, "Many destination weddings are held at resorts, but we knew that wasn't for us." I completely agree with this one. It's so important to put your character and your style into your wedding! She goes on to say, "By having a destination wedding you inherently give up much of your control, so you have to be alright with that." Keezia is a self proclaimed control freak, so she actually enjoyed giving up the control on the areas that weren't overly important to her, freeing up her time to focus on the things that mattered most.

Find a great coordinator. Keezia and Grant hired a local coordinator. Keezia mentioned initially liking her because she was constantly quick at responding to email, something very important if that's the main way you'll be communicating throughout the process. It's also very important to fully trust your coordinator if they're going to be making a lot of the decisions for you.  I love Keezia's perspective on this, as it isn't something I would have thought of. She says, "I know that a coordinator is not in everyone's budget but Yazmin was worth every penny and paid for herself by negotiating prices with the local vendors that I wouldn't get on my own." 

One minor detail that I LOVED...Keezia and Grant gave their bridal party walkie talkies! What a great idea for keeping in touch with everyone staying along a beach in a foreign country. Great way to avoid crazy cell phone bills and to keep tabs on things. 

See more of Keezia & Grant's Wedding here...

Well, what do you think? I often imagine doing a destination wedding when Jason and I renew our 
vows...yep, pretty sure we will do that some day. We go to so many weddings and have so may great ideas, it's a must. 


Happy Wedding Wednesday!

Images via jkoephoto.com.