Plan Your Dream Wedding: When To Start Booking Your Destination

Destination weddings can be planned and booked anywhere from 10-18 months in advance. 10-14 months is a sweet spot for booking, as it gives you first choice of resort, wedding date and location and enough time for your guests to save up and book time off work. However, booking more than 14 months in advance can be hard for guests to commit and keep up the excitement for the trip.

10-14 months is a sweet spot for booking a destination wedding

10-18 months in advance is a good time to book your destination wedding. This is because it gives you enough time to plan and book your wedding, while also allowing your guests to save up and book time off work.

If you book more than 14 months in advance, you will have first choice of resort, wedding date, and wedding location. However, it can be hard for guests to commit and keep up the excitement for the trip if you book too far in advance.

If you book closer to the date, you may have less choice of resort, wedding date, and wedding location. However, it can be hard for guests to commit and keep up the excitement for the trip if you book too close to the date.

It is recommended that you see your venue once before booking and three to four months before the wedding to finalise details. If a second trip isn't possible, arrive at least five days early to make those decisions and have your hair and makeup trials.

10-18 months in advance is recommended for destination weddings

If you are booking more than 14 months in advance, you are going to have first choice of resort, wedding date and wedding location (if the resort has more than one) most of the time. You would be surprised how far in advance some of the more popular resorts book up! If you have a “vanity date” in mind (Feb 20, 2020 was a big one this year!!), you are going to want to book farther in advance. Now for the cons that you probably haven’t considered! It is HARD for guests to commit farther in advance.

Arons recommends slashing your budget by incorporating local blooms (think olive branches in Tuscany or exotic flowers in the tropics) and serving local specialties (like conch fritters in the Bahamas or carnitas in Cabo) to cut costs. This also creates an immersive experience in the very environment that captured your heart. You're shelling out big for this destination, so you might as well fully embrace everything it has to offer. Ideally, you'll see your venue once before booking and three to four months before the wedding to finalize details. If a second trip isn't possible, arrive at least five days early to make those decisions and have your hair and makeup trials.

Less than 10 months may not give enough time for guests to save up

10-14 months is a sweet spot for booking a destination wedding. If you are booking more than 14 months in advance, you are going to have first choice of resort, wedding date and wedding location (if the resort has more than one) most of the time. You can book closer to the date or even farther ahead (up to three years sometimes!).

Arons recommends slashing your budget by incorporating local blooms (think olive branches in Tuscany or exotic flowers in the tropics) and serving local specialties (like conch fritters in the Bahamas or carnitas in Cabo) to cut costs. This also creates an immersive experience in the very environment that captured your heart. You're shelling out big for this destination, so you might as well fully embrace everything it has to offer. Ideally, you'll see your venue once before booking and three to four months before the wedding to finalize details. If a second trip isn't possible, arrive at least five days early to make those decisions and have your hair and makeup trials.

Give LOTS of Notice! I recommend booking your destination wedding anywhere from 10-18 months in advance. You can book farther in advance (up to three years sometimes!). Whether or not you give 12 months of 24 months, for the most part people can either afford to attend or they can’t. Again, we are talking MAJORITY here, you know your guests best. We have met some master budgeters in our time. You really don’t need more time to plan. Destination wedding planning can make even the most calm brides a bit crazy.

14 months or more in advance gives first choice of resort, date, and location

Booking your destination wedding 14 months or more in advance will give you first choice of resort, date, and location. This is because popular resorts book up far in advance and more date and location availability will be available to you.

If you have a "vanity date" in mind, you will want to book farther in advance.

However, it is hard for guests to commit farther in advance. 10-14 months is a sweet spot for booking your destination wedding.

Destination wedding planning can make even the most calm brides a bit crazy. You know your guests best!

More than 14 months in advance will give you first choice of resort, wedding date and wedding location (if the resort has more than one) most of the time.

5 days before the wedding is ideal for venue visits and hair/makeup trials

Destination wedding planning can make even the most calm brides a bit crazy. However, destination weddings are big and costly, so you might as well fully embrace everything it has to offer. Give lots of notice! I recommend booking your destination wedding anywhere from 10-18 months in advance. You can book closer to the date or even farther ahead (up to three years sometimes!). You know your guests best! But less than ten months doesn’t give very much time for your guests to save up or book time off work. Alternatively, a lot of people don’t know where they are going to be two or three years from now. It can be hard to get them to commit and keep up the excitement for the trip. Make sure your Save the Dates give enough information on how to book and are designed to get your guests excited for their trip!

If you are booking more than 14 months in advance, you are going to have first choice of resort, wedding date and wedding location (if the resort has more than one) most of the time. You would be surprised how far in advance some of the more popular resorts book up! If you have a “vanity date” in mind (Feb 20, 2020 was a big one this year!!), you are going to want to book farther in advance. Now for the cons that you probably haven’t considered! It is HARD for guests to commit farther in advance.

Arons recommends slashing your budget by incorporating local blooms (think olive branches in Tuscany or exotic flowers in the tropics) and serving local specialties (like conch fritters in the Bahamas or carnitas in Cabo) to cut costs. This also creates an immersive experience in the very environment that captured your heart. Ideally, you'll see your venue once before booking and three to four months before the wedding to finalize details. If a second trip isn't possible, arrive at least five days early to make those decisions and have your hair and makeup trials.

Whether or not you give 12 months of 24 months, for the most part people can either afford to attend or they can’t. Again, we are talking MAJORITY here, you know your guests best. We have met some master budgeters in our time. You really don’t need more time to plan. Destination wedding planning can make even the most calm brides a bit crazy.

10-14 months is a sweet spot!

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