Destination Wedding Etiquette: Don't start packing without reading this first!

So you've got your heart set on a destination wedding and you've already paid the deposit.  Now you've got to let your family and friends know so that they may book the time off from work, arrange childcare, save money, apply for passports and visas if necessary and make their travel arrangements extra early so as to take advantage of lower air fares and hotel offers.  Do not, by any means, leave this first step too late.  Send out a Save the Date with your wedding planner's contact details as soon as you have firmed your wedding date.  

Wedding experts recommend sending out Save the Dates at least 8-12 months prior to the wedding and the official invite around 4 months ahead.  

Once you have your guest numbers, you can start on one of the most delicious aspects of your wedding:  The Wedding Breakfast.  Ensure your Save the Date asks your guests to specify if they have any food allergies or other dietary requirements.   It shows your guests that you care about their well-being as well as avoiding having to call out the emergency services during the actual Wedding Breakfast in the event that you have overlooked that your third cousin removed has a nut allergy.  

Satisfying the individual requirements of each guest is just not possible.  It's your big day after all and you take centre-stage.  However, thoughtful consideration of your guests on the whole such as arranging for a hotel room equipped for guests with special needs to be booked or pre-booking wheelchair assistance on board the flight or arranging childcare at the hotel for guests who need it goes a long way and demonstrates that you care.  

A simple touch to show you are thoughtful hosts is to provide some cold water and paper fans to your guests during the ceremony.  So many couples omit this simple yet necessary step.  In a hot country, dressed up in wedding finery, your guests will love you for your attention to detail.  Most hotels will provide free jugs of chilled water.  Bride Gibraltar can provide you with beautiful hand held, paper fans in an array of designs and colours to match your theme.  They can even be personalized with the your names and date of marriage.

Planning an adults only destination wedding is a very grown up trend but do keep it in mind that this may not be a feasible option for some families.  Asking parents to leave their young kids behind may not be practical so be prepared to receive some declined RSVPs, and at times, accompanied with emotional outbursts, if you make the decision to host a child free wedding.  A great option may be to arrange a babysitter at the hotel to look after the young ones whilst the parents let their hair down.  Sorted!  

As guests are often travelling long distances to your wedding, it's a generally accepted rule that wedding gifts are not expected.  The exception would be guests who cannot join you and in lieu of spending money on their own travel, they can send you a gift.  This is perfectly acceptable.  Of course, for those guests who do go that extra mile and bring you a wedding gift, accept graciously 

Once the nuptials are over, plan to make a graceful exit.  Your wedding guests may still be crawling all over the same hotel or resort you're booked in and may be expecting you to continue hosting them until they leave.  After all, they've forked out hundreds of pounds to attend your special day and may feel slighted if you suddenly disappear.  Plan an elegant farewell brunch or dinner the day after the wedding to say your thank yous to all those who made the effort to attend your day.