Imaginative planning of a Caribbean destination wedding is the key to a fabulous wedding day that you will never forget. A destination wedding is frequently more difficult to plan than a home town wedding since you will normally be doing it from a distance, but with a bit of imagination and creativity then that can work to your advantage.

The fact you are not able to physically check up on the venues for the ceremony and the reception will give you more time to concentrate on what needs to be done from your end. If you take the option of employing a professional wedding planner to run things from the destination end, and you to deal with your end of the arrangements, then that is wedding planning at its best.

However, many brides prefer to do it all themselves, although a certain amount of local knowledge is generally needed. You could compromise and hire somebody to keep the legalities right and look after both the arrangements for the ceremony and reception venues, and also any tours or entertainment needed for your guests during the run-up to the big day itself

A Caribbean destination wedding is not too difficult to plan since most people understand the legal issues involved in getting married in most of the Caribbean countries. However, it is still wise to make sure of what is required before you can marry. There are many countries where you need a week or two of residence before you can be married, and it is always a good idea to make sure that no laws have been changed or amended since you last checked.

Imaginative planning, then, starts off by you deciding where in the Caribbean you want to be married, and then confirming the legal requirements of the country or island concerned. If you want a beach wedding you might or might not need permission, but now is the time to find out, not when you arrive there. You should then decide whether or not to employ a coordinator to help you.

The next step is whether you determine the number traveling with you before booking the reception venue, or take the conventional route and book the ceremony and reception venues first and then deciding on your invitation list. There is something to be said for each with a Caribbean destination wedding since you don’t want to book a large venue if only a few can travel to the Caribbean. A compromise could be a beach wedding that, in that part of the world, can be a truly fabulous experience. The beach can also accommodate as many or as few as you required.

If your family is wealthy then you will be able to invite whoever you want, but most young couples who want a Caribbean wedding cannot cover their guests traveling or accommodation costs. You will then only want to invite those that you know can attend, since otherwise you might be afraid of being seen as issuing invitations only to get wedding gifts.

You will likely be doing your family and friends a disservice by thinking that way, but it is difficult not to. Your family and true friends will buy you a present whether they can attend or not, but this is another thing you have to plan for. A good way out of this dilemma is to invite only your closest family and friends that you know will come with you to the Caribbean, and then have a celebration after the honeymoon, the invitations for which can be sent to everybody prior to the wedding.

Assuming that your venues have been decided and booked, and that you are aware of all of the legal obligations that you have to make prior to arriving at the resort or island of your choice, there is little left for you to do. However, a bit of imagination on your part could make the experience even better for your guests who have taken the trouble to travel all that way with you. If your guest list is very limited, provide them with a tour of the island, or a dinner or party the night before the ceremony as a ‘than you’ for joining you on your special day.

Planning a Caribbean destination wedding seems daunting at first, but these islands are so used to weddings that they practically run themselves. If you use your imagination you can provide yourself and your guests with a wedding to remember for ever.