Planning a Jamaica Destination Wedding – A 4-part series to help you navigate planning your Jamaica wedding from afar
PART 3: How to Nail Your Vision for Your Jamaica Destination Wedding
What’s your vision for your destination wedding in Jamaica? What’s the overall feel? What experience do you want to create? Do you know?
In all the excitement of getting engaged, are you feeling a little overwhelmed with all the decisions you feel you have to be making about your destination wedding? Are you requesting information from different websites and asking for recommendations for where to have your wedding but you realize you don’t even know what you want? Are you and your love even on the same page?
Take a deep breath. We’ve got you.
First things first. Let’s figure out your wedding vision – not the details of what your centerpieces are going to look like or if you are having red roses versus Cymbidium orchids, but rather the vision, the general idea of what you want the wedding to look and feel like.
Why should you take the time to figure out your vision for your destination wedding?
- It’s your guide for what you want the wedding to be and not to be. You will have what to use as the foundation to move forward with planning the wedding.
- It will help you and your partner to have more clarity on what you both want which will help to make sure you get and stay on the same page.
- The planning experience will be less stressful because you know what you want. Decisions will be less overwhelming because you have a written document to which you can refer.
- It will be easier to stay focused on the priorities and ignore trivial details. You will be in a better position to determine what you will spend extra on and where you can save.
- The wedding will be truly personalized to both your needs.
How to Define your Jamaica Destination Wedding Vision
Your goal with planning your wedding is to create an experience that will make you as happy on your wedding day as you will be 30 years from now.
Ask yourself, what would make you simply ecstatic at your wedding? What would make you feel like you had the wedding of your dreams? What do you value most? Ask your partner the same questions?
Do you want a large traditional wedding with all the hoopla or do you want something small and intimate with your closest friends or family, or do you just want to go off together just the two of you?
How important are photos to you? Do you just want some nice pictures or do you want a photo journalistic approach from a top photographer? What about video?
What about entertainment? Would you want a dance floor with a DJ and a party lasting all night? Or, do you just want a fabulous dinner with great conversation enhanced by lovely background music?
What would the decor be like? Do you want a minimalist approach with a natural beauty of the location being the showcase? Do you want flowers galore, even if they have to be imported? Somewhere in between?
Whatever you decide, make it the best wedding ever, one that stirs your soul, one that satisfies your dream as a couple.
Let the questions below guide you to a clearer picture of your special day. You will need to reconcile your wishes with your budget. But for now, don’t censor your thoughts. Allow your mind to dream as you try to figure out what you really want.
Suggestion: Have your partner answer the questions independently then compare notes. Combine the results to craft a vision for your Jamaica destination wedding that honors you both.
You will need some time to get your thoughts together and for your ideas to gel. Download the accompanying free mini-guide (fillable PDF) and make a date with yourself to complete it at your leisure.
If you can come up with a clear vision for your wedding, you will be well on your way to creating a destination wedding experience that truly reflects your dreams.
Let’s get started coming up with your destination wedding vision.
15 Questions to Help You Create Your Vision for Your Jamaica Destination Wedding
1. What don’t you want for your wedding?
What have you seen at other weddings that you didn’t like? Maybe you aren’t quite sure yet what you want but you know what you don’t want.
2. What type of experience do you want to give your guests?
How do you want your guests to feel at your wedding? What do you want your guests to say about your wedding? What would make them say that?
3. Who do you imagine at your wedding?
How big of a wedding would you just love to have? Just the 2 of you? A small wedding over a long weekend with a dozen or so close family and friends spending time together? Fifty, 100, or 200 people?
4. What type of wedding would you like to have?
Do you want a traditional or a more non-traditional approach? Do you want a religious or a civil ceremony?
5. Which three words best describe the style of wedding you want?
Formal Informal Simple Over-the-top Grand Minimalist Contemporary Relaxed / laid back Casual
Classic Tropical Beachy Timeless Eclectic Trendy Artsy Rustic Festive Traditional
Intimate Glamorous Elegant Sophisticated Simple Fun Cultural Romantic Chic Eco-friendly
6. Where would you like to have the wedding ceremony? What about the reception?
Do you imagine being in a church, indoors in a ballroom or a banquet hall, outdoors in a beautiful garden, on a pool-side patio, on an ocean view roof-top terrace, or on a sandy beach? Would you like to be ensconced in the privacy of your own villa estate.
7. At what time of day do you want to get married?
Morning, afternoon, or evening?
8. What will you and your partner wear?
Full length gown, ankle length dress, or short dress? What about your partner? Tuxedo, dinner jacket, suit, or casual shirt?
9. What’s your wedding party like?
How many people? What will they wear? Flower girl? Ring bearer?
10. Do you have a color scheme or other theme for the wedding? What type of colors do you envision?
All white Bold bright colors
Black and white Glitter / metallic
Pastels Rich jewel tones
11. Are there any personal elements, memories, hobbies, or traditions that you wish to incorporate?
What details have you always wanted to incorporate in your wedding celebration?
12. What type of wedding reception would you like to have?
Traditional sit-down plated meal, buffet, passed hors d’oeuvres, champagne and cake reception? Private chef making your meal at your villa? Open bar? Signature drink?
13. What do you envision for your cake?
Traditional Jamaican wedding cake? American cake – vanilla, coconut, chocolate? One tier? Multiple tiers? Cupcakes?
14. What’s most important to you? Rank the top 10 items in order of importance to you.
VenueAccomodationsFlowersAmbiance/DecorPhotography VideographyCatering (Food and Drink)
Wedding CakeMusic/EntertainmentWelcome favors/gift bagsGuest list/Guest satisfactionAdditional eventsHair and makeupWedding stationery
15. If you had one splurge, what would it be?
What have you always wanted to have at your wedding that you would not mind splurging on?
Before you go any further, download the cheat sheet and share it with your partner. Compare answers to see how similar or dissimilar your both are.
How to Prioritize Your Wedding Requirements and Finalize Your Vision for Your Destination Wedding in Jamaica
Hopefully after reviewing your answers above and those of your partner, you will see the wedding vision beginning to take shape.
As you mull over ideas of all the different approaches you could take for your destination wedding, you will come to the realization that, ultimately, you will have to narrow things down.
Decide on your “must-haves” versus your “would-be-nice-to-haves”?
Wedding programs might be nice but do you really need them for a wedding with 10 people? Do you want to go with tropical flowers so you can spring for an extravagant wedding meal?
Ask yourself these 4 questions to help you prioritize your wedding requirements.
1. What are your absolute “must haves” for your celebration?
2. What are your “nice to haves” if the budget will allow?
3. What do you absolutely not want?
4. What is your budget for your ideal wedding experience?
As you think about these questions, make sure that you incorporate items that are truly important to you and you partner.
What will make you smile when you think of your wedding 30 years from now? What about your partner?
Continue to fine tune your ideas until you come to a compromise that makes you both happy. A little give and take makes for a good marriage and so it isn’t too early to start.
Use the couples’ worksheet that is included with the free download to write down what you have agreed on so that it can serve as a source of reference during the planning process to make sure that decisions are in alignment with your joint vision.
Now that you
1) have put some thought into what you want for your wedding vision,
2) have a better idea of what your “must-haves” really are and,
3) have a budget,
you will be able to start planning your dream wedding with confidence!
Like what you have read so far, read the rest of the series along with our other wedding planning articles, all of which are MUST-READS for a stress-free destination wedding planning experience.
Can you think of any tips that we left out? Leave a comment. We will consider adding it when we next update the article.
Stay safe and Make it Jamaica soon!
‘Til next time.
Think and dream Jamaica!
Sherry, Darrell, and Darrian
Considering a visit to Jamaica with a group? Contact us today for more information about, Mais Oui Tennis & Spa Villa, our boutique 8-BR ocean view Jamaica villa rental experience in beautiful Discovery Bay, Jamaica. Perfect for multi-generational families and groups, retreats, and intimate destination weddings and vow renewals.
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