AisleDash

Deciding where to get married is a big enough decision by itself but when you come to the conclusion that the place you'd like to exchange your "I dos" is thousands of miles away from where you live, it can be a tad overwhelming.

When I began planning my own destination wedding, the venue was obviously the one decision that wracked me with the most anxiety. And, in hindsight, the only thing that really mattered (other than the cost and the view) was the staff. You have to lay a lot of trust into the hands of complete strangers and their primary job should be easing your wedding worries.

Here are a few questions I would suggest asking during that very first phone call to your potential venue. If any red flags go bursting up in your head during that preliminary conversation, move on to another place. You don't have the luxury of showing up after work or on the weekends to demand attention and answers from anyone, so your standards should be raised.

1. Can I ship items beforehand? I shipped a whole slew of things to my venue a week or two before the wedding -- ring pillow, guest book, champagne flutes, paper lanterns, favors -- and my on-site coordinator kept everything safe and dry in her office. This saved me suitcase space and a whole lot of sanity.
2. Will you provide a vendor list and/or a list of nearby hotels for guests? Each vendor I used came off a master list my venue sent me. In addition to this being quite the time-saver, my vendors had an established relationship with the venue which, I imagine, helped motivate them to remain professional and over-accommodating.
   
3. Do you have testimonials? You may find these right on your venue's Web site, but, if not, ask for them. You want actual brides to tell you they received excellent service.
   
4. Are you willing to go above and beyond? Perhaps not the exact wording you'll use, but think of a few questions/concerns you have and be straightforward about them. For example, I got married at a lodge, where most of our guests stayed. I hand-wrote welcome notes for each room/guest and asked my coordinator to deliver them to each room the day the guest arrived. I mailed them to her ahead of time and she took care of it. In short, she went above and beyond what our contract held her accountable for, and it made all the difference.

Thankfully most destination wedding locations have plenty of venues that specialize in weddings. It's their job to make your day perfect and you probably will be satisfied. But being pro-active can't hurt your wedding or your worries.