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Travel Tips for Your Destination Weddings
by Jonathan Dionisio
22 January 2010
Destination weddings have
started to become a trend, especially here in the Philippines.
It is where couples decide to hold their wedding in venues
outside their hometown and do it in another location of their
choice. Popular destinations here in the Philippines include
Tagaytay City, Cebu, and Boracay Island, among others.
If you and your partner
decide to have a destination wedding, your main concern involves
traveling. You and your partner will have to constantly travel,
whether to meet with local suppliers or inspect your ceremony
and reception venue. In this case, here are some traveling
tips for your destination wedding:
1. Familiarize
yourself with the landmarks and roads to your wedding ceremony
and reception venue as well as the mode of transportation
available. Remember, you will be the first person they will
call if they need instructions on how to get to your wedding.
Though you may provide maps on your invitations, it will still
be helpful if you could guide them in looking for the landmarks
indicated in your map. If you are getting married somewhere
where your guests will have to pass by expressways, like North
Luzon Expressway, South Luzon Expressway or Subic-Clark-Tarlac
Expressway, make sure to indicate in your map what exit your
guests will have to take.
TIP: Your
guests may also decide to have a short vacation after your
wedding. Try to learn about the places of interest near your
venue.
2. Familiarize
yourself with important establishment found near your wedding
ceremony and reception venue. Important establishments include
malls, convenient stores, fast food chains, and restaurants.
You or your guests may need to buy something like food or
toiletries.
3. Send
your guests save-the-date cards and information packets as
early as six months in advance. This will allow them to book
plane tickets, if needed, reserve hotel rooms, and organize
their schedule. Also, this will give them ample time to find
their way towards your venue.
TIP: In
case you will not shoulder your guests’ accommodation,
find out the promos and discounts of the hotel where you will
stay in and suggest to your guest to book there as well. Some
airlines and also offer group discounts.
4. Consider
getting local suppliers. It is good to hire local suppliers
since travel will not be an issue for them. Unlike suppliers
from the metro, it will be very tedious for them to bring
their products to your wedding, unless they have a branch
there. Also, local suppliers are very familiar with your wedding
ceremony and reception, which would allow them to adjust better
if something comes up. Then again, do not hesitate to hire
suppliers from Manila that you really trust, especially those
that are very mobile such as photographers, make-up artists,
and wedding coordinators. But once you do, expect to be charged
for out of town, travel and accommodation expenses.
5. Travel
light. It will be easier for you and you partner if you pack
only the things you need for the whole time you will be staying
at the hotel, especially during your wedding day. Settle for
toiletries in sachets or smaller bottles. Avoid packing too
many clothes and bring only that you are sure to wear.
6. Bring
basic medicines such as painkillers, anti motion sickness,
for tummy aches, and your maintenance drugs, if any. You may
not have ample time to scout for a drugstore or a pharmacy
when the need arise.
7. Plan
your meetings and appointments well. Try to allot one whole
day to accomplish your agenda such as meeting with local suppliers
or inspecting your ceremony and reception venue. Create a
contingency plan just in case something unexpected comes up
such as delay of flight schedule, weather, or unavailability
of suppliers for meetings.
8. Bring
an extra bag. You and your partner may have time to shop before
or after your wedding. Your guests may hand out their gifts
during your wedding. In any case, an extra bag will help you
in packing up excess baggage.
9. List
down important local assistance hotlines. During unexpected
circumstances, it is best to have a copy of important local
numbers such as tourist information and assistance centers,
police stations, fire stations, and medical facilities. It
would be best to share these contact numbers with your guests.
10. Charge
up and load up. Make sure that you charge your phone regularly
or have an extra battery with you when you leave the hotel.
If you’re using prepaid mobile lines, keep extra call
cards in your wallet or bag to avoid having a hard time looking
for a load outlet when you run out of load.
11. If
in a place where the language or dialect you know is not widely
spoken, keep table napkins, business cards or anything with
the name of your hotel or venue on it. Also, keep identity
cards with you (driver’s license, passport, company
ID, etc.). This will help you in asking for instructions should
you get lost.
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Kasal.com would like to
thank the following sources for this article:
Sablan, Niño Mark,
Philippine Daily Inquirer. Tips for hassle-free traveling
(Posted April 1, 2009) Retrieved April 2, 2009 from
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/philippineexplorer/philippineexplorer/view/20090401-197425/Tips-for-hassle-free-traveling
Martha Stewart Weddings
(U.S.) Planning a Destination Wedding. (Posted March 22, 2009)
Retrieved April 2, 2009 from
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/planning-a-destination-wedding?lnc=3e781aadd4b1d110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&xsc=eml_dwd_2009_03_22
Pash Weddings.com. Free
Wedding Planner. (in .PDF format) Retrieved April 2, 2009
from
http://www.pashweddings.com/library/free-wedding-planner.php
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