Five Quick Wedding Planning Tips from Susan Moynihan, Editor in Chief, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons & Spa Magazine

Photo credit:  Shannon Greer

Susan Moynihan is the Editor in Chief of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine and Spa Magazine. An avid traveler herself, Susan is the perfect fit for someone at the helm of a publication about destination weddings! Here are Susan's 5 Quick Wedding Planning Tips:

1.  Look for good flight support. A destination that only gets one flight a day is more affected by travel snags than one that has multiple options. The fewer the flight options, the earlier you should have guests arrive, just to be safe.

2.  Be careful with shipping things internationally. Customs can be tricky, and unexpected tariffs or carnet delays can keep your items from being released. Try to carry in everything yourselves, in your suitcase or in extra checked luggage of a few family members or friends.

3.  Be patient. Other parts of the world may take a different approach to efficiency and schedules, in the name of “island time.” But just because people run by a different clock doesn’t mean they don’t know what they’re doing. Have some faith, and let your vendors work how they work best.

4.  Have your photographer do shots of the destination as well. For a destination wedding, you don’t only want someone to do day-of, but you want to catch the welcome party, some candid downtime, and some travel shots of the destination that illustrate the whole experience together. Hire the same person to do multiple days so the quality and tone stays consistent in your wedding album.

5.  Be nice to the staff. This sounds so obvious, but we all know some Bridezillas — and unfortunately, every misbehaving bride negatively impacts the brides that follow, especially in a foreign locale if the vendor then assumes that all American brides are difficult. So be nice, be patient, take the time to say please and thank you. Some extra kindness from you will make them want to go the extra mile, and make you a good ambassador for American brides overall.

Susan answers a few more questions...

What will you definitely do at your wedding when you get married?
My wedding will be a destination wedding, of course — someplace warm, by the water, though I don’t know if that will be a beach or a marina (I grew up sailing and love docks and boats).

What will you definitely not do at your wedding?
What I would not do is signature cocktails. They’re all the rage but I don’t want people to feel they have to drink something they don’t want to drink, just because its cute and saves me money.

Thanks, Susan, for sharing your wonderful tips!

If you would like to be featured in our Five Quick Tips column, please contact me at info AT amynichols DOT com.