Are you dreaming about getting married in Europe? There are so many romantic wedding destinations in Europe, it will sure make your wedding a memorable one and unique experience for you and your guests. It really feels like a little holiday with all your loved ones. 

It can be confusing to figure out where to start on planning your wedding in Europe. To make it easier for you, I’d like to share a few tips with you that will help you to plan your European destination wedding. 

1. Plan on time (also book your wedding venue early)

In Europe, some wedding venues are fully booked 18 months in advance. Make sure to book your wedding venue on time and then send out save the dates. 

2. Hire a wedding planner

Did you know it takes on average more than 400 hours to plan a destination wedding? Hiring a wedding planner wil help you to make the planning of your European wedding as stress-free as possible. Someone who you can trust without a doubt, so you don’t have to worry about anything. They speak the local language and are with you every step of the way. Your wedding planner will oversee the entire wedding and can help you source and find local wedding vendors in your destination. They make sure that all vendors involved are on the same page. Trust me, you will not regret it! Tip: make a Pinterest group board to share with your wedding planner.

Use Instagram to find a wedding venue and vendors. Look at location tags and hashtags that will match your wishes.

3. Check the weather

The weather in Europe can be very hot, but also very rainy, or quite unpredictable. Popular destinations are within Southern Europe. If you’re planning to get married in Italy, Spain or France, you’re best to stick to June trough early September. These are the perfect months for a warm outdoor wedding. 

4. Visit the wedding venue yourself

Make sure to visit your venue and destination in advance to do your research, and plan your visit one year before the wedding date so it gives you a better vision on how it will look like on the day itself. The photos you can find on the website of the wedding venue and on social media, will not show you how it will make you feel when you visit the place. Or how the staff will be, until you meet them in real person. 

Discover potential areas for ceremony and dinner together with your wedding planner, and have a look at the lighting circumstances.

5. Travel out ahead of your guests

Plan to arrive at least one week in advance. This way you have time to prepare the last details and maybe meet your wedding planner and other vendors. As a photographer, I always make sure to arrive at least 2 days in advance to scout the area and the wedding venue, and also to meet the couple. That’s because I think it’s important to get to know you as a couple. It’s possible that you haven’t meet your photographer in person yet. This person will be with you on your wedding day for most of the time, so it’s nice if you can feel comfortable around this person. 

6. Create a FAQ for your wedding guests

Be prepared for lots of questions from your wedding guests. For this you can create a document or a personal wedding website that will answer the most common questions about accommodation, how to get there, costs, flights, what to do etc. You decide to plan your wedding abroad and bring your guests with you, so make the experience as easy as possible for your guests and help them to prepare. The more organized you are, the happier your guests will be.

Are you searching for a wedding photographer for your destination wedding in Europe? Contact me about my availability!