I have created an Excel chart that is a good starter for organizing your destination wedding. See attached: Excel Chart for Destination Weddings. Please send me your thoughts, comments, questions and suggestions!
Happy planning!
Courtney Mara
P.S. The packing list is information I collected from other brides on BestDestinationWedding.com.
So, you want to have a destination wedding…
Here’s how to begin:
(1) Work on your budget. How much do you have to spend on your wedding? Talk to your family to see if they are willing to help and, if so, how much, for what, and how do they want to pay (e.g., directly to the vendor, give you a check, etc.).
(2) Join BestDestinationWedding.com. It is the best resource for brides considering, planning, and returning from their destination weddings.
(3) Find a few different travel agents. Get their opinion on locations if you haven’t picked one.
(4) Pick a location (city/state/country). To figure out your location, answer a few questions. What feel do you want the wedding to have? Do you want warm weather or cold weather? Do you want a mountain, garden, indoor, beach or cliff side wedding? Are you getting legally married in that location? If so, make sure to check the country’s marriage restrictions and whether you can abide by the laws/regulations to get legally married there. Some countries even require blood tests or have in-country stay requirements. Also, are you fine with a marriage certificate in another language? If not, make sure to choose an English-speaking location or find out if they have the option of having the certificate in English. Finally, how far are your guests willing to travel?
(5) Once you pick the destination, pick the resort and/or location for the ceremony/reception. Ask travel agents for their recommendations for weddings in that particular city/state/country. Then check the pricing of the resorts to see which ones are affordable for your guests. Also, check reviews of the resort on TripAdvisor, BestDestinationWedding.com, and other websites. Finally, make sure to find out the cost of a wedding at the resorts/locations that you are looking at. Pricing can really differ at the resorts and also ask if you can use outside vendors if you have particular vendors you want to work with.
(6) Talk to the resort/location and get a date locked down.
(7) Get price quotes from a few travel agents and pick whichever travel agent gives you the best quote, mixed with the one that you work well with (are they easy to get ahold of?), and that gives you good benefits (e.g., free stay for the wedding couple, champagne in the room, etc.). Sign a group booking contract with your travel agent.
(8) Once you have your particular location of the wedding weekend, see if your travel agent has any past brides that you can talk to. Also, look for the forums for your location on BestDestinationWedding.com and if there are any on Facebook. For example, Iberostar Rose Hall Suites, the resort where my wedding was held, has three forums on Facebook and a few on BestDestinationWedding.com. These forums can be very helpful since it can be hard to reach wedding coordinators at popular resorts.
(9) Talk to vendors. Read their reviews. Check WeddingWire, Facebook, Google, and BestDestinationWedding.com. Find out if their price point fits your budget. Book them early. 10 months prior to my wedding, a lot of vendors were already booked. Really talk to vendors early and book them!
(10) Make a thorough Excel chart with (a) vendors, (b) guests, (c) gifts, (d) budget, (e) tables (place cards), (f) wedding songs, (g) schedule, (h) wedding tasks, (i) packing list, and (j) miscellaneous. Get organized early on!
(11) Lastly, tell your guests early on about your plans to have a destination wedding. Send out save the dates, create a wedding website, and get your guests in touch with your travel agent.
Stay tuned to CourtneyMara.com for more wedding and travel planning advice…
Arrival/Check In – B
We never got a welcome drink! We also arrived at 1pm and were not able to check in until 3pm. This is one of the few times where a resort really has not allowed us to check in before the designated check in time. However, you are allowed to enjoy the resort (including the restaurants) until check in time. You just leave your luggage at the front door with the bell hop.
Resort – A
Beautiful grounds, beach was beautiful, lazy river is super lazy, but still a ton of fun to go around with a big group, the pools were awesome, there were always activities going on from dancing next to the pool, volleyball on the beach, volleyball in one of the pools, etc. The lobby and other areas inside the resort are very classy.
Room (Oceanfront) – A
The beds were comfortable, the balcony was huge and had a gorgeous view. I only turned on the TV once but was able to find our home baseball game on and the show “Friends.” The shower and tub are big.
Nightclub – A
Best all inclusive night club I have ever been too. Good music, fun lights, big bar.
Breakfast Buffet – A
Lots of choices and really good. Great fruit, bacon is crisp, and LOTS of fresh juice choices.
Lunch Buffet at Aunt Rubys – B+
Food was good, just not so many choices. Although, my brother was able to get a huge turkey sandwich one day, which I don’t think is that common at all-inclusive resorts. Convenient location (next to beach).
Dinner at Aunt Rubys – B
My pork was ok. My husband and his mom didn’t like the tenderloin. Most everyone else seemed to order the rib eye and really enjoyed it (it was HUGE). Plus, the dessert was the best for any of the restaurants. I LOVED the apple pie.
Dinner at Calabash Gourmet Restaurant – C
My husband’s steak was really good. The lamb was only ok. The appetizer of asparagus soup was really good and so was the salad they gave us. My husband who is the pickiest eater and doesn’t like to try new things even liked the asparagus soup. The dessert they gave us was some chocolate soft thing – it was terrible.
Dinner at the Mexican Restaurant – A-
Loved the special tacos. The appetizer bar is really good with a lot of Mexican and non-Mexican options that I almost didn’t need to eat the meal. The dessert table was really lacking. Nothing I wanted to eat.
Dinner at Iberostar Rose Hall Beach’s Japanese Hibachi Restaurant – B
The atmosphere and experience deserve an A, but the actual food deserves a C. The chicken was really good, but the rice was burnt and the steak was terrible. 
Pool Bar – A
The drinks were great. I recommend the Dirty Banana.
Beach – B
Beautiful. I just wish there was more room to swim out and around. There are a lot of parts with seaweed or maybe it was coral – but where you couldn’t swim too easily. Lying on the beach is awesome though. Lots of shade and sun areas.
Pool – A
Multiple pools. Lots of activities. The pools really made my husband and me into pool people.
Water Activities – B
The kayaking is fun and relaxing. Just reserve it in the morning for your afternoon time. Parasailing was $120 per couple. Our friends liked the sailing which was free.
Spa: A
Get a long massage! I had the best massage I have ever had and I tend to be picky about massages. Plus, the atmosphere they have in the room and rest of the spa makes you feel that you are at a five-star spa. Also, they have spa pools that are free to use. Check them out.
Fitness Center: C
We didn’t use it because I like to run with a TV and they didn’t have it set up so you can do that. I remember there being one TV, but either you couldn’t see it from the treadmills or there was no noise.
Spring 2012 (1 year + to wedding):
Set up account on bestdestinationwedding.com
Pick location
Pick date
Find travel coordinator
Book block of rooms
Book photographer
Book officiant
June 2012 (11 months):
Registry
Wedding budget
July 2012 (10 months):
Find a wedding dress
Buy wedding dress
August 2012 (9 months):
Birth certificates
Find out about travel documents, visas and vaccinations
Tell bridesmaids about their dresses
September 2012 (8 months):
Book catamaran cruise
Research photo shots & talk to photographer
Videographer
Hair/Makeup
October 2012 (7 months):
Book hotel rooms & flights
Notarize copies of birth certificates and passport
Order invitations
Get travel insurance
November 2012 (6 months):
Mail invitations
December 2012 (5 months):
Buy yamukle and glass for breaking
Get our wedding rings
Book a DJ
January 2013 (4 months):
Mail required documents to resort
Start to get dress altered
Look at groomsmen outfits
Buy bikinis
Pick up groomsmen and grooms outfit
Pick up rings
Call people who haven’t RSVPed
February 2013 (3 months):
Plan table decor
Call floral shop
Dress alteration
Order sky lanterns
Attendant’s gifts
Grooms outfit altered
Give out groomsmen outfits
Send final list to resort
March 2013 (2 months):
Organize a slideshow of pictures & order equipment – if want
Plan first dance
Finish ceremony programs
Write welcome letter
Check resort has required documents
Music list
Wedding toasts
Finalize escort cards
Complete welcome bags
Email guests: itinerary, food requests, etc.
Finalize trip schedule including wedding party day of itinerary
Reserve a tent, curtains, dance floor, and lights (beach reception)
April 2013 (1 month):
Pick up any prescriptions or travel stuff need from CVS
Write vows
Call credit cards
Make photo copies of credit cards and passports
Choose all music
Make thank you cards for family
Pick up dress
Email photographer: final payment, itinerary, confirmation, list of shots want
Pay photographer
Email videographer: confirmation, itinerary
Email DJ: confirmation, payment, music list
Pay DJ
Email officiant: confirmation, itinerary, payment
Email Makeup/Hair: confirmation, itinerary
Email florist: confirmation, itinerary
Email tent vendor: confirmation, itinerary
Email resort with finalized list
May 2013 (THE MONTH):
WEDDING
Check insurance policies, health benefits, etc.
Sell extra stuff on BDW
Finish honeymoon plans
June 2013 (-1 month):
July 2013 (-2 months):
Wedding photo book for self and family
Check on wedding certificate
August 2013 (-3 months):
Make an appointment at travel clinic for honeymoon prep
September 2013 (-4 months):
October 2013 (-5 months):
November 2013 (-6 months):
HONEYMOON!
December 2013 (-7 months):
Start name change –> New passport, driver’s license, SS card, etc.
Note: Over the next few months, I will be posting some helpful tips and information that can hopefully help brides planning destination and U.S. weddings. I will also post this information on http://courtneymara.com/wedding/. If you have any questions, suggestions, or tips, please send them my way by emailing MsCourtneyMara@gmail.com or posting in the comments section.
Matt and I spent Thanksgiving in Minot, North Dakota. We spent most of our time just relaxing, but we were still able to see a few attractions. Below is a list of some of the attractions in Minot, ND.
For a listing of more attractions in Minot, ND, go to TripAdvisor.com.
Enjoy Minot!
In November of 2012, Matt and I spent 8 days in Italy. I have already posted our recommended TO DOs for each city (Rome, Venice, Florence, Tuscany), but below is our detailed itinerary. I hope that it shows that you can really see a lot in Italy in just 8 days!
Friday: We had a 9:05pm flight to Rome.
Saturday: We arrived around 2pm in Rome. We took the train from the airport to the main train station. We walked straight to the hotel (Hotel de Monti) and dropped off our luggage. We then changed into running clothes and ran around the town to explore. In particular, we ran to the Colosseum and Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II. Afterwards, we got dressed up and decided to walk around more on the way to get dinner. We walked to the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and then got dinner on the way to the Pantheon. After dinner we walked to the Pantheon and then back over to the Colosseum. Seeing the Colosseum at night is a MUST.
Sunday: We ran in the morning and then went inside the Pantheon. Afterwards, we had our scheduled Colosseum tour. Our tickets included admission to the Roman Forum and Palantine Hill. We then had gelato at Giolitti and then went to the hotel and rested. Later that evening we went to dinner at the best pizza place I have ever been to, Pizzeria Baffetto, and then went to an Irish pub, Scholars Lounge, to watch American football.
Monday: We had a morning Vatican tour. Afterwards, we had pizza and gelato outside the Vatican wall. The gelato place is a MUST and is called Old Bridge. It was so good and cheap(er)! At night, we had dinner outside the Pantheon at Scusati il Ritardo. Great food and amazing view! After dinner we went to visit the Trevi Fountain again since it is just so magical.
Tuesday. We spent our last day in Rome visiting the Aventine Key Hole (MUST) and getting a tour of the main synagogue in Rome and the Jewish ghetto. We took a 7:20pm train to Florence and arrived in Florence by 9:25pm. We checked into our hotel, Botticelli Hotel, and then went to have pizza. We still had time to see the Duoma (from the outside), ride the carousel at the Piazza della Repubblica, see the Ponte Vecchio, and see the David replica.
Wednesday: We spent this day exploring Tuscany with WalkAbout Tours, which we booked through Viator.com. I posted information about our tour here. Afterwards, we came back to Florence. We ate dinner, walked around some more, and went back to the hotel.
Thursday: We took a 9:25am train from Florence to Venice that arrived in Venice at 11:33am. We checked into our hotel, Abbazia Hotel, and then did our normal routine – ran around to see as much as possible. We got lost a bunch of times, but we were just awe struck by the beauty. Afterwards, we continued to explore and ate a lot! This town is really great for walking, exploring, window shopping, and eating. We ended our evening having prosecco and tiramisu next to the water and Piazza San Marco.
Friday: We spent all day in Venice. We rode a gondola, saw the Jewish ghetto, visited Piazza San Marco again, shopped, and ate, ate, ate! We had a great dinner at Hosteria al Vecio Bragosso.
Saturday: We left Venice for the United States at 7:40am. We arrived back in the U.S. that same day.
ADDITIONAL TIPS:
Enjoy Italy!
Perth, in Western Australia, is one of the most modern and fastest growing cities in the developed world. Despite this, it is still what would be considered a ‘hidden gem’ when it comes to taking a holiday in Australia. Most tourism in the country centres on the huge coastal cities in the south and east, that everyone around the world knows about. If not there, then the ‘Red Centre,’ with Uluru, Alice Springs, and thousands of miles of outback, tends to enjoy much attention.
A huge city and well on course to become a global business hub in recent years, Perth offers just as much as the other areas mentioned.
To prove it, we looked at some of the great things to see, at places to eat, and at where to stay when you travel there.
Getting to Perth
Before experiencing such a great place, you need to get there first. While Perth has a major international airport taking flights from cities around the world, look to add a touch of adventure to your trip.
Travel into another major city by aeroplane, and then use a company such as Transfercar to enjoy cheap or free car hire across the country to Perth. Yes, such a journey will take a few days, but it will give you the opportunity to add another experience to your break.
Some free time will also allow you to plan what to do when you get to Perth.
Getting Your Head Down
If you are looking at the higher end of accommodation yet do not want to pay a fortune, consider somewhere like the Metro Hotel. Four stars and close to the city centre, it is clean, tidy, and comfortable, with great transport links out of and around Perth.
Alternatively, the Underground Backpackers Hostel is almost in the dead centre of the city. This location will give you great comfort at even more of a bargain price.
Finding a Bite to Eat
With hundreds of bars and restaurants, finding the best can be a chore. Depending on your tastes, Perth offers something for every palate.
The Red Cray Seafood Restaurant offers great tasting fresh dishes for lovers of fish, crab, and a range of exotic seafood. Saowanee’s Place is one of the better Thai restaurants in Perth. Sawanee’s has won awards in each of the last five years if you need any more convincing.
What to Do
As with every Australian city, Perth is a culture and heritage rich place with so much to see and do.
There will be even more to discover when you get to Perth. Print out and keep this list for those annoying occasions when your mind draws a blank.
This article is written by Transfercar, a car rental Australia service, providing travellers free transport for major cities in Australia.
Matt and I only had a few days in Rome, but we were able to see A LOT. Below are some of our MUST SEEs of Rome! And, make sure to stay tuned to CourtneyMara.com for the post containing our full Italy itinerary, which will show how we really saw so much of Italy in just 8 days!
Enjoy Rome!
A couple weeks ago someone I know went on a ski vacation in Colorado at a resort called Steamboat Ski & Resort. I had never really wanted to go on a ski vacation before, but, after seeing his pictures, I have been doing some research on where the best ski resorts are for beginners like me. This research is in hopes that next winter Matt and I will be able to take a true ski vacation.
Below I have listed some of the ski resorts that I found that are said to be good for beginners, some of which may be luxury ski resorts. Now, I will fully admit that I have not done thorough research just yet, but I thought I would put out the list on CourtneyMara.com and next year do some follow-up research. So, without further ado, below is a list of ski resorts that I found through research I conducted through Google that are said to be good for beginners. Please let me know in the comments section if you are familiar with any of these destinations!
CALIFORNIA
CANADA
COLORADO:
IDAHO
MAINE
NEVADA
OREGON
UTAH
VERMONT
Do you have a recommendation for a great ski resort for beginners? Please share your tips on CourtneyMara.com!
Matt and I only spent two evenings in Florence. We arrived on a Tuesday night, spent Wednesday exploring Tuscany, and then had another evening in Florence before leaving early Thursday morning. From our short time period there, the following are my Florence recommendations:
Enjoy Florence!
