Planning A Destination Wedding: Why Your Wedding Planner Doesn’t Need to Live Where You’re Getting Married
PHOTO: THE WILKS.
If you’re planning a destination wedding, chances are you’ve been told by more than one person that your planner must live in the location you’re getting married. But in today’s beautifully connected world, that is simply not true —and honestly, it’s quite limiting. The truth? Your wedding planner doesn’t need to live in your wedding destination. What they do need is experience, a strong network, and a deep understanding of planning from afar.
At Adriana Weddings, we’ve built an amazing brand doing just that—planning luxurious destination weddings in Mexico and the Caribbean all while working remotely.
Let’s break down why your dream wedding doesn’t require a “local” planner:
Experience Matters More Than Location
A wedding planner’s physical address isn’t nearly as important as their portfolio and process. What you really want is someone who has planned in your destination before (or done the research to plan it flawlessly); is familiar with international travel, logistics, and legal requirements; and is able to design an event that is elegant, elevated, and tailored to your love story.
You really want a seasoned destination wedding planner who has worked in multiple countries and knows how to adapt quickly—making them even more valuable than someone who only plans in one location.
Your Planner Should Travel for You—Not Just Live There
A wedding planner who doesn’t live on-site doesn’t mean they won’t go on-site.
At Adriana Weddings, we often travel for site visits, walkthroughs, and final logistics meetings. And we’re always on-site in the days leading up to your celebration. That way, you get the best of both worlds: a planner who travels when needed, but works efficiently from anywhere in the world throughout the process.
PHOTO: JJ STUDIO
Technology Has Shifted The Way That We Live
In the past, working with a wedding professional from far away felt disconnected and really scary (we completely understand by the way). But today, we use tools like:
– Zoom + Google Meet for regular planning calls
– Notion, HoneyBook and Google for tracking every detail
– WhatsApp for quick questions/ queries
– Shared Pinterest boards, Canva designs and 3-D programs for visual alignment
You’ll feel more connected to your planner than ever—even if you’re on different continents and live in different time zones.
Vendor Relationships Go Beyond Geography
The best planners know how to build trusted wedding vendor teams—not just in one city, but around the world. Whether it’s florals in Riviera Maya or photography in Madrid, we partner with experienced and incredible event professionals we’ve worked with before or have personally researched and interviewed for your wedding.
It has taken us years of making genuine connections with other event professionals to be able to recommend them to you based on your vision and wish list. So trust in the process and know that we will only want you to have the best experience with your dream team of destination wedding professionals.
PHOTO: THE WILKS.
You Get to Choose a Planner Who You genuinely connect with
If you really think about it, choosing a planner based only on their location narrows your options—and may mean settling for someone who doesn’t fully align with your vision or interest.
Instead, choose someone who:
– Understands your vision and style
– Matches your incredible energy
– Connects with your love story in a pure and genuine way
– And knows how to bring it all together – anywhere in the world.
A Real Example from Our Clients
One of our clients based in Japan planned their wedding in Tulum, Mexico. They said:
“If we had to plan our wedding all over again, I wouldn’t change a single thing. Elisa and her team made our vision come true. She was personable from the first email, and we knew she was the one from our first phone call. Elisa and her team communicated very well throughout the process, their organization was phenomenal and kept us in check with our to do list. We worked with her and her team for over a year and we enjoyed working with her throughout the entire process. We live in Japan and Elisa was able to plan the wedding of our dreams with a 13-hour time difference between us. She is passionate, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and always had our backs when talking to vendors. We are so grateful for her and her team’s hard work and dedication.”
PHOTO: COSSU PHOTOGRAPHY
The End Result
Your planner doesn’t need to live in your wedding location—they just need to know how to make it feel like home for you and your guests. They need to know how to create an exceptional destination wedding experience for you and your guests, and to ensure that your dream was brought to life.
At Adriana Weddings, we’ve helped dozens of couples’ plan destination weddings from anywhere in the world—and we’d be honored to help you next!
Want to chat about your dream wedding location? Click here to book a free Consultation.
