Guide For Planning Your Destination Wedding in the Bahamas

Close your eyes and picture your dream destination wedding. Do you feel the sand beneath your toes and the gentle ocean breeze kissing your skin? When it comes to destination weddings, it doesn’t get much better or much more beautiful than the Bahamas.

The Bahamas have everything most people think of when they’re considering a tropical wedding location. Plus, so many people choose to get married in the beautiful backdrop of the Bahamas, that it’s easier to plan a destination wedding there than you might think, thanks to the businesses and vendors who have experience with the location.

If you’re planning a destination wedding in the Bahamas and you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered with a few tips that will make the process easier. With a little extra planning and preparation, you can enjoy getting ready for your big day without dealing with too much stress.

Setting a Realistic Budget

There’s no denying that weddings are expensive. The average wedding can cost thousands of dollars, and that price tag goes up when you’re considering jetting off to a tropical destination. However, even if you’re on a budget, it doesn’t mean you can’t have the destination wedding of your dreams. If you’re not sure how to put together a wedding budget, start by including the following to get a few base numbers in mind:

• Venue and catering – 40% of your budget
• Photography/videography – 15%
• Attire – 5%
• Music and entertainment – 10%
• Flowers – 10%
• Favors – 2%
• Transportation – 3%
• Stationary – 3%
• Cake – 2%
• Decor – 10%

Once you know what you want to spend on each “area” of your big day, sit down with your partner and create a financial plan to make it work. Consider starting a savings fund now for your wedding, and work on paying off your debt as part of your budgeting process, so you can start your marriage off with as few financial woes as possible.

Set Up a Livestream

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, live-streamed weddings became more popular than ever. At the time, it was done out of necessity to keep people safe by social distancing. However, these virtual ceremonies continue to be popular for several reasons.

First, they tend to cost less. Every person who attends your wedding is going to cost you more money when you consider food, drinks, and seating. When you’re flying to a different country for your wedding, you can also ease the financial burden of your guests by allowing them to attend virtually and not requiring them to buy a plane ticket or book a hotel (or pay for those things yourself!).

A live-streamed wedding also makes it easier for guests who wouldn’t be able to attend for other reasons to join in on the celebrations. That includes aging family members, those with mobility issues, or people who can’t get away from work for an extended period of time.

If you want to jet-set to the Bahamas and live stream your wedding, give your guests formal invitations including all of the information they’ll need to “attend” from the comfort of their homes. Create a timeline of the day, choose a platform everyone has access to, and put certain people in charge of setting up the stream and making sure everything is running smoothly.

When you live stream your destination wedding, it can feel more intimate for you and your partner, while still allowing your loved ones to participate no matter where they are. Plus, you’ll be able to use the money you saved on a beautiful tropical honeymoon.

Why Get Married in the Bahamas?

When most people think of the Bahamas, warm sandy beaches and crystal clear waters come to mind. It’s true that this tropical destination has all of those things to welcome you, but there are more benefits to consider if you’re on the fence about a destination wedding, including:

• It’s cost-effective
• It’s easier to plan
• It’s more intimate
• Most resorts are all-inclusive

There are a few things you’ll have to plan for before you tie the knot in the Bahamas. First, you’ll have to get a marriage license there, which requires you and your partner to spend at least 24 hours in the country before you officially get married (as if you needed an excuse to extend your stay).

Second, you should decide whether you want to incorporate any Bahamian traditions into your ceremony, including everything from attire to the music playing while you walk down the aisle.

Thankfully, because so many people get married in the Bahamas each year, there are multiple services that can help you with every detail, making it less stressful for everyone involved.

A destination wedding can be fun, exciting, and incredibly intimate. It’s a fantastic way to start your life together with your partner, and after the wedding itself, you can enjoy a relaxing honeymoon on the sugar-sand beaches where you said your vows. If you’re considering getting married somewhere tropical, let the Bahamas be your destination of choice.

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