Planning a San Diego Destination Wedding

Destination Wedding: Traveling to a special place for your wedding. It may be just the two of you (called eloping!) or you might include a group of friends and family. It' s an appealing option if you want to do something different, " enforce" a small guest list, share good times with family and friends at an interesting location, or just "get away!"

He asked. You accepted. Now you are officially engaged and have begun to plan your wedding. After you' ve notified family and friends of the happy changes about to occur in your life, the next step is to decide where the two of you want to have your wedding ceremony and reception.

Often, that choice is determined by where you or your family lives. However, Americans are travelers no matter what' s happening in the world. Therefore, more and more engaged couples are traveling to a special place for their weddings.

Popular Destination Wedding City

In recent years, San Diego has become a very popular city for non-local brides and grooms to say " I do" . It is estimated that up to 25% of the weddings and receptions that take place in San Diego have non-residents as their chief participants.

How do you go about planning a stress-free San Diego destination wedding?
Here' s where a wedding planner can be worth his or her weight in gold. Wedding planners know the area, sources and resources, quirks in the weather, transportation options and just about everything a bride needs for a stress-free wedding. San Diego Bride & Groom asked three local reception site wedding consultants to offer their advice.

" San Diego' s beautiful weather and many top-notch attractions are sure to please your wedding guests no matter what their interests," says Lisa Lem of The Westgate Hotel. " When planning your destination wedding, schedule some group events for your guests but be sure to leave time for them to pursue their own interests," advises Lem. She recommends choosing centrally-located accommodations so guests may easily explore on their own.

Full Range of Services

" I would also suggest that visitors select a hotel offering a full range of services in addition to the ceremony and reception sites. " These include catering, flowers, a wedding cake and staff members such as a concierge who can help your guests navigate the area while leaving you time to relax and prepare for the wedding."

Kristin Duvall of Rancho Valencia advises couples to choose a location that provides ample space for both ceremony and reception. " I think it' s best to keep locations to a minimum for the convenience of guests,' says Duvall. " If the ceremony and reception are held at the same location then guests don' t need to worry about renting cars or traveling around in an unfamiliar city.

How do you find the right wedding site for you? " The wedding site sould be able to provide you with referrals to reputable coordinators, or your wedding site may provide one for you," Duvall notes. " Interview them by phone or meet with them in person if you can travel to your destination wedding location during the planning process"

Witness Weddings at Each Site

When visiting prospective wedding sites, Duvall suggests witnessing a wedding being set up at each reception site. " You can also conduct a taste-testing in person so you are not surprised by what you' re getting," she adds. " For the first trip, make it a three-day weekend at a minimum to inspect reception sites here and interview wedding coordinators. Then, once you' re booked your site, ask for vendor referrals. Wedding coordinators should be able to provide you with the names of professionals with whom they' ve worked and maintain solid relationships."

Do Your Research

Carlie McVay of San Diego Harbor Excursion agrees. " Do your own research on hiring a consultant or planner," says McVay. " When interviewing them, be sure to ask how many weddings they' ve handled, and request references. Your consultant should be able to help you establish a realistic budget, and decide which services you may need and the best vendors to meet your expectations."

She adds that, most importantly, the wedding consultant will help the couple to make a decision on the perfect site for their wedding. " The consultant' s knowledge of San Diego will be a big help in assisting the couple to select the best venue for their wedding," explains McVay.

If you' re planning an outdoor destination wedding in San Diego, she notes that the weather will mostly cooperate; however just to be safe, make sure you have an alternate plan. " Some outdoor locations require permits so be sure to check," she recommends.

Three to Four Trips

" In planning a destination wedding in San Diego, three to four trips may be needed to properly plan your wedding away from home," she recommends. " The first trip should be to meet with coordinators, check out sites, and interview photographers and florists, DJs and bands.

" On the second trip, food tasting with caterers can take place. In addition, couples should meet with their photographer and their officiant. Finally, on a third or fourth visit, couples can apply for a marriage license as well as finalize payments, timelines, last minute floral choices, wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner plans."