How to Plan a Destination Wedding: Choosing Your Dream Venue

A destination wedding can give you more than a beautiful ceremony setting. It often creates time with the people you love across welcome drinks, shared activities, the wedding itself, and a relaxed farewell brunch. But it also means coordinating accommodation, transport, suppliers, and legal requirements from another city or country.

The best place to begin is with your priorities, budget, guest list, and preferred destination. This destination wedding planning guide takes you through each stage, including how to set a budget, what to ask a venue, when to contact guests, and how to build a celebration around your chosen location.

Before comparing locations, decide what you’d like your wedding to feel like for you and your guests.

You may picture a small beachfront ceremony followed by dinner under the stars, or a city celebration with rooftop drinks and an afterparty venue nearby. You could also choose a resort wedding where ceremony, reception, accommodation, and guest activities are in one place.

Write down your priorities and categorise essentials vs extras. These could include:

• A beach, garden, ballroom, or rooftop setting
• Accommodation at the wedding venue
• Child-friendly or accessible facilities
• Private use of the ceremony or reception space
• Several venues for different wedding events
• An indoor alternative in case of rain
• Restaurants, bars, pools, or a spa on site

Setting these priorities early will help you compare destinations based on what you need, rather than appearance alone.

A destination wedding budget needs to account for both the event and the travel involved.

Start with the amount you’re comfortable spending, then allocate it across the venue, accommodation, food and beverages, ceremony services, photography, entertainment, styling, transport, and pre- or post-wedding events.

Remember to include costs that can be overlooked when planning from home, including:

• Planning or coordination fees
• Taxes and service charges
• International payments and currency changes
• Supplier travel and accommodation
• Airport or ferry transfers
• Marriage paperwork and document translations
• Equipment, setup, and pack-down charges
• Wet-weather arrangements
• Travel and event insurance

Ask each venue for an itemised proposal and confirm whether taxes, service charges, staffing, furniture, linen, sound equipment, and cleaning are included. Comparing complete proposals is more useful than comparing the initial room or package price alone.

Keep part of your wedding budget aside for changes to guest numbers, transport, or weather arrangements.

A beautiful location for your wedding vision matters, but the journey needs to work for your guests too.

Consider flight availability, transfer times, accommodation prices, visa requirements, accessibility, climate and weather, and local events. Guests may be travelling with children or older family members, so you may want to prioritise fewer connections and shorter transfers.

Check the legal requirements before paying a deposit. Marriage documents, notice periods, witnesses, and residency rules differ between countries. Some couples complete the legal registration at home and hold a symbolic ceremony abroad.

For destination ideas, explore our guide to the best places for a destination wedding.

A good venue can help you manage both the wedding and the wider guest experience.

During your first conversation, explain your expected guest numbers, preferred dates, approximate budget, ceremony style, and the other events you may want to hold. Then ask the following questions before signing a contract:

1. Can the venue host several events?
   Many destination weddings span several days. Ask if each event space is private, which areas remain open to other hotel guests, and if exclusive-use options are available for the ceremony or reception.
2. What food and beverage choices are available?
   Request current menus and confirm they can be adapted for dietary needs, religious requirements, and non-drinkers. Check if the proposal includes tastings, wedding cake service, late-night snacks, and supplier meals.
3. How will the venue assist with accommodation?
   Ask about group rates, room allocations, or custom booking links. Confirm how long rooms are held and if minimum stay requirements apply. Ensure you have a direct contact for guest enquiries regarding accessibility or extended stays.
4. What styling and entertainment support is included?
   Confirm what the venue provides, such as furniture, linen, lighting, and AV equipment. If hiring external vendors, ask about approved supplier lists, access times, insurance requirements, and any additional service fees.
5. Who will manage the wedding?
   In some venues, your planner may differ from the on-site event manager. Confirm who oversees each stage and request a master schedule covering everything from setup to pack-down.

The right hotel can deliver guest accommodation, dining, activities, and event facilities in one place. Always confirm wedding spaces, capacities, packages, and availability directly with the hotel.

For a tropical resort celebration, Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa offers accommodation, dining, leisure facilities, and event spaces on Denarau Island. Its function spaces and ballroom allow couples to enquire about different event formats, from welcome drinks to a larger reception.

Between wedding events, guests could:

• Try non-motorised water sports
• Relax beside one of the South Pacific’s largest pools
• Book a treatment at Sofitel Spa & Salon
• Spend time at Waitui Beach Club or Niu Beach Club

Set between the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa gives couples a tropical Australian setting for their celebration. The resort offers wedding and event facilities, a large lagoon-style pool, apartments and villas, a spa, and dining overlooking the lagoon terrace.

Between wedding events, guests could:

• Explore the Great Barrier Reef
• Visit the Daintree Rainforest or Mossman Gorge
• Book a treatment at Vie Spa
• Relax beside the lagoon-style pool

Avista Hideaway Patong Resort & Spa Phuket, MGallery Collection suits couples who want tropical scenery with restaurants, nightlife, and beaches nearby.

The hillside resort offers rooms and suites, three pools, a spa, wellness activities, and rooftop dining with sea views. It is also within reach of nearby beaches and Patong’s dining and nightlife.

Between wedding events, guests could:

• Dine on the rooftop with sunset sea views
• Join a wellness activity at Jivana Spa
• Relax beside one of the three themed pools
• Visit Freedom Beach, Paradise Beach, or Patong Beach

For a villa-led stay, Banyan Tree Phuket offers pool villas, multiple dining options, a spa, and golf access nearby. The villa format may appeal to couples hosting close family or smaller groups, while the resort facilities give guests plenty to do outside the main celebration.

Activities around the wedding could include:

• A group round of golf
• A spa ritual for the wedding party
• Dinner at one of the resort restaurants
• An afternoon in a private pool villa

For a celebration surrounded by Vietnamese heritage and mountain scenery, Legacy Yen Tu Hotel Uong Bi - MGallery Collection is located within the Yen Tu heritage landscape in Quang Ninh. Inspired by the Tran Dynasty, the retreat combines traditional architecture and handcrafted interiors with event facilities, Vietnamese and international dining, wellness experiences, and a Zen pool.

Between wedding events, guests could:

• Explore Yen Tu Mountain
• Take part in a wellness experience
• Relax beside the Zen pool
• Try Vietnamese flavours at Tho Quang Restaurant

Beyond the Asia-Pacific region, Dubai combines a beachfront resort stay with the dining, attractions, and experiences of a major city. Sofitel Dubai The Palm offers rooms, suites, residences, and private villas on Palm Jumeirah. Couples can enquire about its indoor and outdoor wedding venues, while guests can enjoy the private beach, six outdoor pools, spa, water sports, and restaurants and bars.

Between wedding events, guests could:

• Spend time at the private beach
• Book a treatment at Sofitel SPA
• Try water sports or a boat excursion
• Dine at one of the resort’s restaurants

With wedding hotels across Fiji, Thailand, Dubai, Australia, and Vietnam, you can choose a setting that also gives your guests a memorable holiday. If you’re planning to continue your travels after the wedding, explore the best honeymoon destinations in Asia, from relaxing island retreats to culture-filled cities and adventurous coastal escapes.

A destination wedding timeline keeps decisions in the right order and helps guests plan their travel.

• Set your budget and priorities
• Prepare an estimated guest list
• Research destinations and marriage requirements
• Compare seasons, transport, and accommodation
• Shortlist venues and request proposals
• Choose your destination, venue, and date

• Sign the venue agreement
• Appoint a planner or hotel events contact
• Send save-the-date information
• Reserve guest accommodation
• Begin booking key suppliers

• Confirm the ceremony format
• Book photography, entertainment, styling, and transport
• Choose your menu and beverage options
• Plan welcome drinks and a farewell event
• Check passports, visas, and marriage documents

• Send formal invitations
• Review guest bookings and transfer requirements
• Confirm styling, music, and ceremony details
• Prepare a wet-weather plan
• Draft the event schedule

• Confirm guest numbers and dietary requirements
• Finalise seating
• Share the itinerary and transport information
• Reconfirm suppliers
• Prepare payments and documents

• Meet your coordinator
• Inspect each event space
• Review the weather plan
• Confirm supplier access
• Check the ceremony paperwork

Use this destination wedding planning checklist to track the details that matter most.

1. Budget and contingency amount
2. Guest list
3. Destination and wedding date
4. Legal marriage requirements
5. Venue contract
6. Ceremony and reception spaces
7. Indoor weather alternative
8. Guest accommodation
9. Airport and local transfers
10. Planner or hotel coordinator
11. Catering and beverages
12. Photography and video
13. Styling, flowers, and furniture
14. Music and entertainment
15. Welcome event
16. Farewell breakfast or brunch
17. Group activities
18. Passports and visas
19. Travel and event insurance
20. Guest information page
21. Seating plan and dietary requirements
22. Supplier schedule and contact list
23. Final payments
24. Wedding clothing and luggage plan

Your destination wedding may also help you earn points for future travel.

Through the free ALL Accor loyalty programme, eligible personal events such as weddings can earn Reward and Status points.

If you’re not already a member, you can join the ALL Accor loyalty programme for free. Provide your ALL Accor membership number early and ask the hotel to confirm eligibility before signing your agreement. Reward points may be redeemed towards future events, hotel stays, and selected experiences.