Having lived all my life in Lagos, I have always dreamt of getting a romantic
wedding proposal in a foreign land (Paris to be precise) and even saying my
vows in an exotic location. Perhaps on Zanzibar Island or in the beautiful city
of Dubai.
Then as I grew older, reality
hit me, I realized the cost of planning a small wedding in Nigeria is just enough to put a dent in your
finances if you do not belong to the class of elites and this made me wonder if
it was just wishful thinking for the middle class and low income earners to aspire
to have a destination wedding.
Are you getting married soon?
An unapologetic romantic like myself who is fantasizing about saying the sacred
vows in an exotic location? Your dream of having a fairy tale wedding isn’t
far fetched after all.
A few tips have been curated
to help in planning a romantic destination wedding on a slim budget:
Consider your family & friends:
Be sensible, choose a
location both families can easily access, this way you end up making things
easy for your guests. You can choose a visa free country like Mauritius, which
is visa free for about 90 days or Tanzania where you can get a visa upon
arrival.
Create a budget and stick to it:
It is advisable to create a
budget for your big day and by all means stick to it, to avoid having “Money
Tension” during and after the big day. If a Paris wedding would not work for
your budget, stick to a location that is both affordable yet exotic.
Remember, creating a budget
ensure you do not put a dent in your finances and allows you go easy on
yourself. It also helps you make wise decisions, you can fly in your most
important vendors and use local talent for the rest.
Stick to off peak travel seasons:
Ensure you keep high travel
season in mind, there is a lot more room for negotiation if it’s not peak
season but you should also avoid putting yourself at risk for bad weather. Try
booking just at the cusp of the low to high season, to ensure major weather
threats have passed but the resort or destination isn’t operating at full
capacity yet.
Make detailed enquires:
In some countries you are
required to stay there for a certain period of time before you can be legally
allowed to wed there. Therefore to avoid hitches, get your marriage paperwork
figured out ahead of time
or get legally hitched in your home country before setting out to have the ceremony of your
dreams. This way you are certain of the legitimacy of everything and you end up
saving fees for paperwork, officiants and lawyers fee.
Get a planner:
Getting an event planner may
just be one of the best decisions you’ll make for your wedding as many can’t
afford the time and extra cost of visiting the destination prior to the wedding.
Event planners save you a ton of money, time and stress as they make all
necessary enquiries and preparation ahead of your destination wedding.
Choose a wedding planners who
specialize in the place or area you are considering getting hitched as they
have more insight into the best deals, hotel
options and can even help score the best travel deals for your guests.
Pick a venue that doesn’t require tenting:
Having an outdoor event can
be surreal and can save you the extra cost of procuring a tent, decorating, putting
in flooring and lighting it up to name just a few.
Look for a venue that doesn’t
require tenting but has a covered area for backup in case of an unpleasant
weather. This way, you can get a plan B at no extra cost, as the resort
management will be pleasant enough to offer you the option to avoid hitches.
Create a theme around your local element:
Make smart decisions when it
comes to venue selection, take a look at the design of the space and location,
the cultural elements and local foliage to ensure it fits with how you have envisioned
your wedding.
Don’t try to bring in foreign
elements into your chosen destination, it will look unnatural and you get to
waste a substantial amount to bring in the décor.
Honeymoon meets Destination Wedding:
Having your honeymoon in the
same place or same country you had your wedding is a smart way to save cash. It
is therefore advisable to choose a destination which holds the appeal of a
romantic stay as well as the ideal location for saying your vows.
You can spice things up after
the wedding by seeing the city and switching suites.
Create your dream destination right where you
are:
For people who can’t afford
to travel at all. Probably due to a health concern of one of the parents, you
may choose to create the wedding of your dreams right where you are with the
help of an event planner.
Create a destination theme
that matches the country of your dreams “Dubai in Lagos” or “a Paris themed
wedding”, our event planners are killing it right now with their innovative
ideas. Create the destination wedding you have always wanted by exploring
options like the Jhalobia
Recreational Park and Garden where you can have a beautiful garden wedding or
check out resorts
in Lagos like the Eko Tourist Beach
Resort for a lovely Lagos Beach wedding.
A beautiful
outdoor wedding at the Clear Essence California Spa and Wellness Resort in
Lagos where there is a package for romantic getaways and pampering spa escape
is also sure to leave you breathless.
Truly an informative post! Your tips on destination wedding are really good. Looking for one of city’s best wedding venues for my wedding. Have seen some venues but did not find them good enough. Hope to find one soon.
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