My Destination Wedding - 2nd June 2015
I thought this topic was rather fitting considering next week marks our 6 month wedding anniversary. Is anyone else amazed at how quick this year has gone?! My husband and I were engaged on our 7 year anniversary while holidaying in Darwin in 2014. I had always dreamed of a warm, tropical, coastal wedding and living where I do in the South East of South Australia just doesn’t quite offer any options for the type of wedding I was envisioning! We decided it would be pretty special if we got married on our 8 year anniversary which happened to fall on a Tuesday in 2015. We figured that if we have a destination wedding, it doesn’t matter what day of the week it is, everyone will be on holidays!
The day after we got engaged I was already googling wedding packages in tropical locations; Bali, Thailand, Whitsundays etc. We soon decided that if we kept our nuptials domestic, we might have more of a chance of all of our nearest and dearest being able to make it. The Whitsundays are very special to me personally, I had travelled around the area several times and Airlie Beach in particular was a favourite with my family. The laid back and relaxed vibe of the small tourist town, coupled with the amazing Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef on your doorstep is very special! We decided that due to the distance between home and Queensland, a wedding planner (much like a travel agent!) who specialised in that area would help to make my life a lot easier. I got in touch with a lovely lady from a company called Total Weddings who was based in Airlie Beach. Her local knowledge, experience and contacts proved to be invaluable as I tried to choose between all the local suppliers. I only had to send one email with all of my questions and requests and she would do all of the running around to make sure my day came together perfectly which meant I could concentrate on doing what I do best; planning the travel arrangements!
We had a guest list of 74 coming mostly from SA, but also from other parts of the country. I decided to make life easy for everyone, that I would put together a wedding website which detailed all of the travel arrangements that I was co-ordinating. I put the website on our wedding invitations and it saved a lot of phone calls between confused friends and family I can assure you!
I sourced a group flight package with Virgin Australia who flew directly from Melbourne to Hamilton Island which saved having the hassles of connecting flights and negotiating airports for the inexperienced travellers in my family. From there, the group could jump on the convenient ferry transfer from Hamilton Island to the Port of Airlie which I also organised.
My husband and I did a quick trip up to Airlie Beach a couple of weeks prior to me handing out our invitations so we could inspect a few accommodation options which were close to our wedding location to recommend to our guests. The Mantra Boathouse Apartments (formerly Boathouse Apartments by Outrigger) was a couple of minutes’ walk from our ceremony location which was the Whitsunday Sailing Club. They offer 2 and 3 bedroom fully self-contained apartments, and it is under a 100m walk from the Port of Airlie so very convenient for those arriving by ferry like our guests were. The apartments were large and beautifully furnished with stunning views over the brand new marina. I stayed here the night before my wedding and my photos are stunning! Because they don’t offer 1 bedroom apartments, it was a little too much for just my husband and I. We decided to stay at Peppers Airlie Beach which was located up the hill behind the Boathouse. Again this resort is absolutely stunning with a beautiful infinity pool and amazing views out over the ocean. They offer 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments which are all large and airy and fully self-contained. I would recommend hiring a car if you’re going to stay up here as it is a steep walk up the hill to get to the hotel! The Toscana Resort was another option that we offered to our guests which was a little cheaper, but still in a good location, only a few minutes’ walk into the town centre and Airlie Lagoon. They also offered 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments which were all self-contained. There were a lot of steps in this property though, so not so suited to the mobility impaired.
Once we returned, I sourced group rates at all of the hotels we looked at and posted it on the website for the guests to choose which option suited them best.
Most of my guests arrived three days before our wedding and stayed for 5-7 nights. We organised a couple of dinners and a day out at the Great Barrier Reef prior to the wedding day with everyone so they all had a chance to meet and mingle. It meant that by the time the wedding day rolled around, everyone already knew each other and there wasn’t any awkward introductions at the reception tables! It also meant that my husband and I could enjoy more of each other’s company at our reception, rather than having to go around to everyone to welcome them and say hello. The whole vibe for the day was so relaxed and happy and exactly that we wanted. Weather wise, it was an absolutely perfect sunny, clear and warm Whitsunday winter day. My wedding planner ensured that the whole day ran smoothly and without a hitch. I couldn’t have imagined my day without her assistance!
If you are considering a destination wedding take note of the following tips:
- Employ a wedding planner where possible, most resorts that offer wedding packages will have a wedding co-ordinator who looks after all of the arrangements. Otherwise if you’re getting married at an external location, do some research on wedding planning companies who are based in the local area. Their inside knowledge and expert advice will be worth every cent in ensuring your day is smooth and stress free!
- Use a travel agent to co-ordinate all of your guests travel arrangements. The last thing you need to be worrying about is getting phone call after phone call from your guests about the best places to stay or what sightseeing they should pre-book. Leave that to me and use the spare time to concentrate on making your dream day a reality!
- If considering an international wedding, look into the legalities involved in your union to be validly recognised in Australia. Sometimes you need to pay extra fees and be in the country a certain amount of time before the wedding day to complete paperwork.
- Keep your guests in mind. Consider the extra costs of obtaining passports for your guests who may not already have them if you want them to join you overseas, or if a friend or family member is afraid of flying, or not in great health, the long flight might be too much for them.