Do: Make the most of it.

Try to enjoy the trip. Ok, so you didn’t pick the destination, but it is surely a place worth going. Whether it is a tropical island escape or a rugged outdoor adventure, the destination wedding is meant to be a fresh experience for all. It’s their wedding, but it’s also a chance to escape the monotony and absorb some new sights, sounds, and experiences. Don’t stay in the room and exhaust the $20 rental movies. seize the day.

Don’t: Make ‘your vacation’ the main focus.

Don’t make it all about your vacation. This seems counterintuitive after the last piece of advice, but don’t forget why you’re there. You can enjoy time away, and you can enjoy the destination, but don’t enjoy it so much you miss out on the wedding. We don’t want anyone to be defending their unfortunate position such as: “Sorry I missed the ceremony” [because I was drinking piña coladas on the airboat] or “We love you” [but spent the wedding gifts at the casino]. Do your best to enjoy yourself, but remember why you’re there.

Do: Make fast friends

Destination wedding allow for shared experiences for everyone. They can bring people close together in a way that is fun and surprisingly intimate. Your friends getting married, but they’ve also never been to Barbados. The cousins that came all the way from Des Moines, they’ve never swam with the dolphins or seen Komodo dragons fight. These new experiences are fantastic and refreshing and can bring you closer, perhaps in ways you never thought you would.

“…despite the hardships of travel, at the end of the day try to remember why you’re here–the bride and groom…”

Don’t: Try To Avoid Others

Don’t try to avoid anyone at the destination wedding. If there are some guests you might feel questionable about, do your best to try and share a new bond on this journey together!  This is a time to look to the future and enjoy new experiences together.

Do: Take a moment and say ‘thanks’.

If you trekked 3000 miles and took two boats to get to the ‘destination’ you might feel that you are owed the thanks… you’re not wrong ;-).  Nevertheless, despite the hardships of travel, at the end of the day try to remember why you are here–the bride and groom.  Not to mention, the destination is for you too.  At SpeechBooth, we love to travel by any means–carry-on, checked bag, horseback, whatever. We love to help couples get a chance to capture these truly unique memories even if the locale is far-flung. Some of the most heartfelt and beautiful wedding speeches we have received were from destination weddings. We think that is a true testament to the unique environment and special closeness that are seen and felt at a destination wedding. It is the kind of experience that is worth giving thanks for.