Something I searched the internet for when I was engaged, was a list of everything I would need to pack in my bags for my destination wedding! Nothing out there was a perfect list for me to follow. So, I thought I would make one that would at least help anyone who is having a similar wedding as me!
When planning a destination wedding, you can really go 1 of 2 ways:
Have an all-inclusive venue, with everything ready for you at your destination. Or,
Do a DIY destination wedding and bring some of your wedding items / get them while you are there.
When I planned my destination wedding, I decided to go the DIY route because, well let's face it, we were broke college students with a big dream. :)
However, I ended up not having to bring as much stuff as I thought I would! I only brought 1 checked bag, 1 personal item and 1 carry-on! (My husband just brought his carry-on and personal item).
Without further ado, here is the breakdown of what went in my bags! At the end of this blog I will share what we picked up / bought once we landed at the destination.
IN MY CHECKED BAG:
All clothes for the honeymoon, and a few outfits for the wedding week
My getting ready PJ set
Curling iron
Faux flowers to make the Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom flower crowns. I also brought faux lavender for my bridesmaid bouquets
Veil, sewing kit and glue (to finish putting the lace detailing on my veil)
Steamer for my veil and dress
Some makeup
Underwater case for my phone
My planning notebook
An outfit or two for my husband on the honeymoon
My wedding shoes (they were the jewelry "sandals" that aren't really shoes at all and didn't take up any space
IN MY CARRY-ON:
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, some makeup, deodorant, etc)
Passport, wallet, phone, charging cord
The rings
A couple of outfits for the week of the wedding
Any paperwork we needed for the wedding
MY PERSONAL ITEM
My big wedding dress was actually my personal item that I carried onto the plane! And as I was boarding, the stewardess offered to put my dress in a small closet at the front of the plane (free)! It was so nice not having to scrunch it up in an overhead bin for an entire flight!
IN MY HUSBAND'S CARRY-ON:
Clothes and shoes for the week and his honeymoon
Charging cords
Gopro and gopro gear
Portable bluetooth speaker (to play music at the ceremony and reception)
IN MY HUSBAND'S PERSONAL ITEM:
Toiletries
Phone
Wallet
More clothes for the trip
Now that you know what we brought with us, here is the short list of what we picked up / got while AT our destination, in the days leading up to our ceremony!
FLOWERS
I made my bouquet with a mix of flowers and greenery I picked and bought at the farmer's market
My bridesmaid bouquets were made by us from greenery that we picked the day before the wedding
LEI
My husband's maile lei was purchased from a small, local florist 2 days before the wedding
MARRIAGE LISENCE
We opted to do the marriage lisence process actually AT our destination rather than bring it with us or do it at home. It only took a couple of hours and we just went straight to the office after we landed.
I hope this list helps you or someone you know! It can seem daunting to do a destination wedding, and your mind can over-react and think that you wil have to bring boxes and boxes of stuff to happen, but that's just not true! We had a wonderful destination micro-wedding, and it didn't require more than the "typical" luggage brought over for a vaction.
Are you planning an adventurous elopemement or wedding? I would love to serve you! My experience as a destination bride gives me so much empathy when working with my couples, and I can act as a resource during the planning process!
Please never hesitate to reach out to me to chat about wedding planning stuff, or photography!