How to plan a wedding in another city

Whether it’s because of family ties, a favourite location, or simply a change of landscape, people frequently choose to marry out of town 

If you’ve decided to get married in a city different to the one you reside in, planning can initially be difficult and overwhelming. Here’s our advice for making the process as easy as possible.  

Hire a wedding planner

If the location you’re choosing to get married in is several hours away from where you currently reside, consider hiring a wedding planner that is local to your venue. They can then act as a proxy for you, organising and co-ordinating your selected wedding suppliers and visiting the venue whenever needed. Not only that, they will have knowledge and contacts in the area that you may not have considered before.

Delegate to friends and family

Regardless of where your wedding is taking place, you should always try to delegate out as many tasks as possible to prevent yourself from burning out. If you have friends and family living in your chosen location, however, make sure to utilise them. Ask them to do the little tasks you’re unable to do in person.

Schedule meetings with your suppliers on the same day

Once you’ve made a shortlist of the suppliers you’d potentially like to book, save yourself time and energy by trying to make appointments to meet them on the same date. It might take a bit of organising, and you may have to wait a little longer than you ordinarily would, but it will be worth it.

Try and do as much as you can locally

There are many elements of a wedding that you purchase in advance and simply transport to your venue the week-of. The wedding dress, groom’s outfit, decorations, gifts, accessories, and even flowers do not need to be bought at your destination; simply buy them ahead of time.  

Create a detailed schedule

Part of the difficulty of planning a wedding from another city is the lack of control; to help tackle this, create a detailed and cohesive schedule for both you and your suppliers. If you have a wedding planner, ask them to confirm the timings of deliveries and the like so that your information is correct. This will help you feel more organised.

Establish a home base

You should realistically travel to your chosen city several days or a week before the wedding day itself. Make sure to establish a home base where you can both live and store all of your supplies. If you have family or friends living close to the venue, ask them if you can camp out at theirs for the run-up to the big day. Alternatively, you could hire a house or book a hotel suite.