Written by: Jade Robinson

Destination weddings have quickly become a growing trend and rightfully so. There’s nothing more perfect than grabbing family, friends, and loved ones and whisking them away to a beautiful location to witness you marry the person of your dreams.

While destination weddings are great, they leave so many unanswered questions, for both the couple and the attendee. Should I have my honeymoon at the same location? Should I pick a destination that works for everyone? Will people actually show up?

For the soon married couple, I know there are a million tasks running through your head. The most important decision would be picking your location and putting together your guest list. During this process, you might even consider picking a location based on your guests’ budget, Right?

For some insight, I combined polls from social media and advice from couples who have successfully executed a destination wedding. According to a survey I conducted on Twitter, 59% of the voters said that they would not take their friends and family’s budget into consideration when planning their dream destination wedding. Answering simply, “It’s MY dream wedding.”

I also spoke with Stacy, a soon-to-be bride who will be having her wedding in her home country of Trinidad & Tobago. I asked her to share the process for planning her wedding and any challenges she’s had so far.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Have you set a date?

Stacy: Thank you! The wedding seems far away to some people but seems like tomorrow to me. It’s happening on June 1, 2020.

That’s going to be a peak time, right? Did everyone you invite RSVP?

Stacy: Peak time for sure. Only 30 out of my 65 invites have been confirmed as attending.

How do you feel about that?

Stacy: I sent out an invite to people because I would love for them to be in attendance, but I feel like I knew some people weren’t going to be able to make it. Still, my vision was to get married at home. I’m grateful for the people who can join me, welcome me back home, and support my union.

Do you have any advice for future couples who are planning to have a destination wedding?

Stacey: BOOK EARLY! You really have no idea how many dates were sold out before we got to this one. Speak with the hotel/venue and try to get a discounted rate (it really helps). Lastly, remember everyone is not going to be able to make it. This is you and your partner’s dream, whoever shows up is just the extra sprinkle on top.

As a future guest of a destination wedding myself, Stacy had me thinking about what I could do to be the perfect guest. Remember to RSVP on time while also sending a note expressing your gratitude/excitement for the couple. Always keep the host or couple up to date with your plus one status and most of all, remember to show your love for the union you will soon witness.