Five things to avoid at destination weddings: Bhavnesh Sawhney, Co-founder, FB Celebrations

EE News Desk Nov 13, 2019

Destination weddings can be extremely exciting and fun when planned with utmost clarity and precision. On the flip side, a disorganized wedding will leave you in tears. With years of experience in planning luxury weddings in India and overseas, wedding curators – Farid and Bhavnesh, co-founders of FB Celebrations, tell us first hand some catastrophes that can occur if you sidestep a meticulously planned wedding.

1. Overpacking

It’s the menace of all vacations but it becomes especially worse when it comes to a destination wedding. Carrying those extra kilos at a destination wedding can be extremely difficult to manage, whether you’re a guest or the host. While hosting, ensure that you provide an unambiguous dress code to the guests well in advance that avoids the situation of them carrying extra outfits for the occasion. It is also advisable to exchange gifts between the host families in the city of origin, simply to avoid over-cluttering of hotel rooms and loss of expensive items. While rituals are a big part of Indian weddings and our culture, they come with the baggage of items indigenous to the territory and restricted in other countries. One must be well aware of the laws of the destination to ensure that they don’t end up spending hours at the airport customs.

For guests, carrying weather appropriate clothes is essential along with being careful with the packing of jewellery, keeping in mind destination norms and safety. It is also advisable to send across the gifts for the couple to their house instead of carrying it to the wedding to avoid exceeding baggage allowances.

2. Hectic Scheduling

Destination weddings come with the excitement of being one unending party because all the guests are under one roof or close by. This perception often leads to the host scheduling too many events in a short period of time that proves to become counterproductive. The joy of the celebration is hampered when the guests turn up at events tired and unenthusiastic. It’s essential to keep in mind factors such as time to relax after a long flight or sleep cycles in case of jet lags. It is also a good idea to provide a short break from the festivities by organizing an excursion or short spa experience.

3. Non-Inclusive Planning

While the couple may be the stars of the wedding, the convenience of guests is a very important factor for everyone to enjoy as desired. This implies planning for all age groups, from the youngest baby to the oldest grandparent invited.

It is advisable to refrain from choosing destinations with poor connectivity, long traveling hours or halts. Hotel and room allocations need to be done with caution to factors such as accessibility and disability friendliness among others. The number of events and the timings have to be carefully decided. The dress code and themes of the wedding also need to curated keeping in mind the guest profile. Further, activities and entertainment at the celebration has to be inviting and pleasing to people of all age groups and walks of life.

4. Slacking Use of Destination

If one is hosting a wedding at a destination other than their city of origin, one has the responsibility of using the venue to its optimal potential. This involves saying NO to ballroom functions at inviting beach destinations. Factors such as beauty of the destination that resulted in its selection must be shared with all the guests by choosing the correct weather and the correct venue for each function. Local flavours of the destination must also not be missed out while deciding the menu or gifting items for the in-room hamper. It is advisable to use local talent to increase the glamour quotient of the event. The décor must also be intricately curated to ensure that themes selected match the destination perfectly.

5. Last Minute Planning

At destination weddings, if all the stuff is not already on board, the ship can sail, both figuratively and literally. Jugaad, while being an Indian specialty becomes extremely difficult at destination weddings especially abroad. It is essential to plan and source items well in advance. Booking of services such as entertainers, venues and professionals should also be done keeping the holiday calendar in mind.