What if you could have that Parisian flair at your wedding without leaving the Midwest? Or borrow some lamb skewers for a subtle (and tasty!) international influence?? Right now, with snow-covered roads and chilly weather, escaping to a warmer climate is especially tempting! It would be awesome to say your vows in the City of Lights … but what about your guests? What about your checkbook?
There are many reasons why couples choose to stay close to home for their wedding. Most of all, it just makes sense! But that doesn’t mean you have to stick with hometown food and traditional event design. With a new destination wedding, you can have your three-tiered cake and eat it too.
Downsides of Destination Weddings
It starts with the “save the dates.” You’ve gotta send those out a year, or more, in advance! Every aspect of the wedding will need that extra bit of planning and notice. Even deciding who pays for what can be confusing because there’s an extra financial burden placed on guests. Should the couple pay for travel expenses or should guest be happy to take some time off for a cool experience?
You also have to be prepared to hear “no.” Traveling to Aruba simply isn’t possible for everyone! Younger guests might not be able to afford the trip just yet and grandparents and other older guests may not be able to travel long distances for health reasons.
That’s not to say that destination weddings are all bad! Far from it! There are a ton of reasons to do a destination wedding and it makes for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. But you have to be dedicated and prepared for the complications that traveling will cause for you and your guests.
Tastes from Different Places
One of the easiest ways to incorporate international elements in your wedding is with food. From brunch to lunch, from appetizers to entrées, from before to after, there’s a lot of options! You can put a twist on a traditional dish or offer up an exotic dish that complements the design of your wedding.
There’s no commitment too small or too large, either! You can offer Hochzeitssuppe from Germany as an appetizer or Peking duck from China for an entrée. If you’re all about that Parisian flair, you could even forgo a traditional wedding cake and get a croquembouche – the pyramid of cream-filled pastries that’s the centerpiece of French weddings!
Wedding Design Inspired Abroad
If flavors from far away aren’t enough, then you can feature nods to various cultures or design your entire event around a cool location! Work with a talented wedding designer to experience a whole new world, right at home. That’s what new destination weddings are all about!
If you’re more interested in traveling than the destination, you could design your wedding around the spirit of adventure rather than any one location. You could try a globe for a guestbook or send out boarding passes for invitations. And you can’t go wrong incorporating antique maps!
Whether you keep it simple and chic with bouquets that belong in Paris or go big with a radical take on the wedding cake, contact Unique Events. From DJ services to chair rentals to unique floral design, we can help with every aspect of your wedding. Let us help you create the right vision for what could be the most important day of your life!
JAN
