The following checklist will help you and your spouse-to-be cover all the
bases of your destination wedding. Keep in mind that these are general
recommendations and may need to be adjusted to fit your particular plans.
SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING
Decide on a budget.
Determine the style (formal, informal), size
(wedding party, guests), and setting (church, garden, beach) for the ceremony.
Target a wedding date.
Select a destination—check the Internet or
contact a travel agent.
Create a file for contracts, notes of
conversations, and other wedding-related information.
Research the marriage license requirements of
the island. If possible, request an application ahead of time from the foreign
consulate, chamber of commerce, or tourism department.
Call or send for information on wedding sites;
wedding-package details from hotels, chapels, consulates, and tourism
departments; and consultants who can assist in legal matters and coordinate the
ceremony site, officiant, flowers, music, and other details.
Evaluate wedding packages and select a wedding
service or consultant who can assist you with long-distance arrangements.
Choose a maid of honor, best man, and other
attendants.
Develop an invitation list, then send a
save-the-date note.
Select wedding attire.
Sign up with a bridal registry and select
gifts.
FOUR TO SIX MONTHS BEFORE
Negotiate and finalize ceremony and reception
details with your wedding service providers, independent consultant, or on-site
coordinator, communicating any items that will personalize your wedding.
Make sure to collect signed contracts that
confirm the arrangements.
Finalize your guest list.
Order wedding invitations, announcements, and
thank-you cards.
Negotiate and arrange air, hotel, and ground
transportation for the wedding party. Make additional arrangements for the
honeymoon.
Confirm your arrangements with the
photographer and videographer.
Buy wedding rings and have them engraved.
TWO TO FOUR MONTHS BEFORE
Obtain necessary legal documents, including
passports and/or visas if traveling to a foreign destination.
Get any necessary inoculations.
Choose gifts for the maid of honor, best man,
and other attendants.
Address and mail invitations.
Begin composing your vows (if you want to
write your own).
ONE TO TWO MONTHS BEFORE
Have your final dress and headpiece fittings.
Have a formal wedding portrait taken.
Send a wedding announcement and picture to
your hometown newspapers.
Shop for your travel wardrobe.
Consult with a professional shipper if you are
shipping your wedding dress.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE
Contact necessary offices for name change
forms (driver’s license, social security, etc.).
Confirm travel and wedding arrangements.
ONE WEEK BEFORE
Review final details with the hotel,
photographer, videographer, florist, musicians, and others involved in the
wedding.
Arrange to meet with your officiant before the
ceremony.
Make sure everyone’s wedding attire is in
order.
Plan guest seating if needed.
UPON ARRIVAL
Visit with your consultant and/or officiant.
Apply for the marriage license.
Visit the ceremony site.
THE WEDDING DAY
Concentrate on the important things—each
other—and be flexible about everything else.
