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Creative Ideas to make your wedding theme stand out:
(See
Q&A with Destination Brides page for more creative ideas and photos.)
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| Nikki's Wedding Invitation, postcard style. Click to enlarge. |
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| Back of postcard invitation |
Invitations and thank you cards
- Announce just how different and memorable
your wedding is going to be and ditch the traditional invitations. I created my own postcard style invitations online at
vistaprint.com
- For thank you cards, why not collect them when you are down at the destination. By 100 or so from the local shops
and keep the memories of the bid day alive even a month later when your guests get the authentic
postcards as thank yous in the mail.
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| Staged "informal" wedding photo of a Mexican picnic with the wedding party. |
Photography - Search
for other beach destination wedding photos online and in magazines. Rip them out an create your own portfolio in a three ring
binder. Show your photographer these photos in advance and the day of the wedding assign someone to show those photos and
the list to the photographer again to make sure you get all the shots you want as well. Be creative. I found creative shots
like a beach picnic with the bridesmaids.
Wedding Planner - You can find a wedding planner online by searching for wedding planners located
in the region of the wedding. They will handle finding authentic local flowers like birds of paradise, arrange for chairs,
champagne toasts at the end, musicians, and help get the priest or official.
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| Wedding party outfits that CAN be worn again. |
Attire - Pick dresses
and groomsmen attirethat can be worn again. I found reversible black/sand colored dresses at Express for less than
50 dollars each. The wedding party doesn't need to go broke.
- Wear your hair more natural. Don't worry about bringing or finding a hair and makeup stylist.
You'll look prettier if you do your hair yourself without all the bobby pins. I found a delicate pearly crown to wear
with my short veil that fit in perfectly with the setting.
- Go BAREFOOT at the ceremony! Plan ahead by getting a french pedicure and purchase appropriate
pearly sandals for the reception, and fun white pearly flip flops for hanging out on the beach afterward.
- If you really want your husband in
a black tux, find a linen one, it will be cooler in the heat. Maybe go more casual and pick a regular tie instead of a bow
tie.
- Use nature as your decoration. Large sea shells make a beautiful
border for the aisle, and tropical flower pedals really pop in the photos.
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| Wedding rehearsal dinner. |
The Rehearsal Dinner
- Plan
a casual dinner somewhere local and authentic, preferably on the water. Fresh fish, guacamole or other native cuisines, margaritas,
sangria, pina coladas and tropical fruit for desert will kick off the wedding in tropical fasion.
- It is customary to invite everyone who plans on being at the location
in advance, so they will have something to do, but it is your own personal preference. Some guests will perfer having their
own time to enjoy their vacation.
The Ceremony - To beat the heat at my noon wedding, I ordered parasols for the bridesmaids. The men
carried them as they escorted us down the aisle.
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| Parasols added an inexpensive decoration, and kept us cool. Conch shells lines the aisle. |
The Reception - Martha Stewart Living Weddings provided the idea for table cards. Fold cards into a hair formation,
drizzle a number in glue, and sift sand over the top of the glue for a natural way to tell the guests which table
they'll be at.
- Don't worry about not being able to sample the menu or pick out the cake. No one will remember the cake while
they are looking at the view, and you can't go wrong with fresh seafood, veggies and champagne (or margaritas and sangria).
After the Reception - Buy a Polaroid camera.Most of the fun will be after the reception (unlike at a regular
wedding) when you can all frolic on the beach. Plus when you've finally gone on your honeymoon, you'll already have
classic pictures of the wedding to decorate your beach hut and revel in your accomplishment of pulling off the best wedding
your friends and family will remember.
- The
day following the reception some guests will leave to go home, but many will stay for a few more days. You might go off on
your own honeymoon right away, but it was really fun for us to plan an excursion to the Tulum ruins the following day.
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| Polaroid camera provided classic an fun memories, instantly! |
The Honeymoon - You will have such a great time on your wedding you will not want to leave the gorgeous destination
you chose to pack up, drive to the airport, wait in lines, suffer delays and jet lag, just to spend more money and waist a
day on the beach or exploring. Save the other destination you are pondering for a honeymoon for your one year anniversary.
In fact, you can make a week vacation somewhere your annual wedding present to each other!
- Many brides who spent a year eating right and working out
will blow it on their honeymoon, and never lose the weight again. Many women are heavier by their first year anniversary than
before they became engaged, and it starts with one problem: ALL INCLUSIVE HONEYMOONS. Do yourself a favor and book at a beach
house or elegant hotel that allows you to go out and explore the local culture for fresh and delicious meals. When you have
all you can eat buffets and nothing to do all day but lay around and eat, you can easily gain 10 pounds in one week.
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| Bride hired a yoga instructor for a beach session instead of doing a bridesmaid lunch. |
Gifts - Instead of a bridesmaid lunch, treat your ladies to yoga on the beach after the rehearsal. Guys
can take an adventure afternoon snorkeling, kayaking, or diving into a cenote, followed by cerveza at
the local sand hut bar.
- As a wedding gift to your husband, start keeping a nice leather-bound journal of your engagement, wedding and
honeymoon. It will provide vivid memories for the rest of your life together!
- Give your parents an elegant mulit-picture frame with professional photos
as memories of the week.
- Your wedding party is spending
a lot to make the trip. A nice gesture is to tell them there is no need for they to give you wedding gifts, and their presence
at your wedding is the best gift they could give.
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