Your Ultimate Guide to Throwing a Destination Wedding All Your Guests Will Love

With all of the factors that go into planning destination weddings, it's no surprise that they're inherently more difficult to plan than a wedding close to home. There's more to it than simply selecting your location and celebration site—as it turns out, picking a faraway venue is only half the battle. Not unexpectedly, the majority of the legwork will likely involve helping your friends and family members get from Point A to Point B comfortably, especially since destination weddings often require guests to step outside of their comfort zone. When it comes down to it, you want to ensure that all of your loved ones not only get your destination, but also have a great time once they're there. While this may sound daunting, planning a destination wedding that your guests will love doesn't have to be stressful.

In the following slides, you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to plan and personalize a destination event that'll make guests feel like they're still at home. The best part about this guide? It applies to any destination wedding, no matter the location. Whether you are throwing a springtime affair in Paris or a tropical wedding on the hot beaches of Cancun, these helpful hints will steer you in the right direction. Not only will it make things easier on you and your partner, but it will also show your attendees that you thoroughly considered their needs.

To help you on your way, we've compiled our most helpful destination wedding planning tips. From the invitations to the flight home, this guide will provide you and your guests make the most of your faraway wedding. Click through the slideshow to learn how you to begin planning for your wedding in paradise.

Build Excitement for Guests

A few weeks before the wedding, send each of your guests a teaser via snail mail to get them excited for the upcoming trip. Some ideas: a guidebook with the location of your wedding bookmarked, or a gift that's super-specific to your destination—a fresh lei, a beautiful shell, a bag of gourmet coffee beans, or a bottle of local wine.

Help Guests Pack for Your Wedding

Add a section to your wedding website that makes prepping for the trip a piece of cake. In addition to giving guests a heads-up about all the special events they'll be attending, include dress-code information and a list of things they won't want to leave home without, such as sneakers or snow boots (if you have any hikes or nature walks planned), sunscreen (if the hotel doesn't provide it), and a shawl (if you're jetting off to a steamy location that's cool at night). It's a nice and organized way to lend a helping hand while giving them a sneak peek at the events you're planning.

Provide Transportation for Your Wedding Guests

Arrange for a van or limo to pick your guests up from the airport and shuttle them to the resort. If possible, hire a guide who knows a lot about the area for a special touch. Guests will be able to ask questions, get a free history lesson, and sightsee as they make their way to the hotel. For extra credit, hang a welcome sign in the van's window—it's sure to elicit smiles from plane-weary travelers.

Set Up a Personal Greeting

It's all about the details: Place a pretty poster at the reception desk to greet guests as they check in, and appoint a "Wedding Concierge" (it can even be your planner) to answer any questions your guests might have. Just be sure to give him or her a title-bearing button so guests know who to look for.

Give Guests a Drink When They Arrive

After a long day of traveling, it's hard to resist a few sips of something delicious. Have the front desk welcome guests at check-in with a beverage: hot cocoa or mulled cider in a chilly locale, sparkling cider (or, what the heck, a glass of Champagne) in a city, and an Arnold Palmer or chilled cucumber water at the beach. A table stocked with cool, moist, lemon-scented towels is especially refreshing. To satisfy the littlest (and likely the grumpiest) travelers, instruct greeters to make the drinks extra special for kids. Just have them embellish the glasses with a bendy straw, colorful umbrella, skewer of tropical fruit, handful of tiny marshmallows, or dollop of whipped cream.

Connect Wedding Guests with One Another

Ask hotel staffers to have your guests add their room numbers to your "Looking for Someone" phone list at check-in. The directory will be kept at the front desk throughout the weekend, and your guests will be able to access it when they need to track someone down. Make some extras, and give them to your wedding party, family, and wedding planner to have on hand wherever they are.

Build an Emergency Kit for Guests

Here in the States, there's a pharmacy on virtually every street corner. But in, say, Costa Rica, it's not going to be that easy to find a box of bandages or a bottle of aloe. Enter your portable apothecary, which you'll ask the front desk to stash for you upon arrival. Fill it with everything you can think of, from aspirin to bug spray to over-the-counter medicines.

Stock Guests' Rooms With a welcome Gift

Upon arrival, give your guests a warm bienvenue with a gift to prep them for the weekend. You don't have to go overboard, but a few bottles of water and a handful of snacks that satisfy guests' sweet and salty cravings is a thoughtful touch. And don't forget the little ones—if you know there will be kids in the room, milk and chocolate-chip cookies will certainly be well-received. If you're staying in a major city, leave a city-themed magazine (Time Out is a great one) in each room, too. It triples as a perfect beach read, a quickie guidebook, and a great memento of the trip. Can't find a magazine for your city? A map, notebook and pen, or a disposable camera are equally appropriate.

Host Meet-Ups

Get everyone together daily for cocktails and mingling—it's an ideal way for friends and family from different parts of your life to get to know one another. The time of the soirée should remain the same every day, but switch things up by changing the location. Meet at the pool one day, the beach the next, the library, and so on.

Add Personal Touches to the Hotel Bar

Ask the hotel (well in advance!) if you can use a corner of the hotel bar; set out matches, napkins, and stirrers that bear your monogram for the duration of your guests' stay.

Serve Grab-and-Go Lunches

Work with the restaurant to coordinate bagging up portable picnics that guests can enjoy on the beach or tote to a daytime excursion. Keep the fare simple—a panino, a side snack, and a dessert that won't spoil in the sun—and toss in a handwritten "Happy Lunching" note plus a napkin that matches your wedding palette.

Brand Your Wedding

Guests traveled a long way to celebrate with you, and putting your personal stamp on everything they touch is a way of letting them know how much thought you put into their stay—and how much you appreciate their being there. One of our favorites? This invitation suit that includes a field guide, which fills guests in on everything they need to know about the day—the timeline, temperature, tide report, meal info, and special activities they won't want to miss.

Thank Your Wedding Party

If possible, take your attendants on a surprise excursion—a snorkel trip, a surfing lesson, or a kayak adventure—as a thank-you-for-being-in-the-wedding gift. Don't have the time? Personalize something they can use again and again instead. For the groomsmen, send your fiancé to Personalization Mall—it will customize guy-friendly gifts such as golf balls and watch faces. Online vendor Bags of Love has gorgeous photo bags and even sofa cushions that your bridesmaids will love. And for that maid of honor who literally has one of anything? Turn to CafePress, which makes it easy to personalize whatever it is you're looking for, including dog bowls, buttons, and banners.

Make Reservations for Guests

No one—repeat, no one—wants to have to pace around looking for a lounge chair at the beach or pool. To prevent it from happening to your guests, ask the resort staff to place reserved signs on chairs in both locations. Don't expect them to allow you to take over every single one—they won't—but do ask if it's possible to put just a handful on hold.

Give Guests Customized Luggage Tags

Gift your guests with stylish, completely customized luggage tags that unify them as a group and serve as keepsakes long after the festivities wind down. When to distribute them is up to you—mail them to your guests before they begin their trek, or hand them out after the wedding, before they jet off for home.

Ban the "Do Not Disturb" Sign

It's so...boring. Plus, there are plenty of times when your guests aren't in their rooms and actually want to be found! Instead, provide them with door hangers that let them check off where they are—the beach, the pool, the lounge, the bar, the spa, the gym, in town, or, yes, hiding on purpose—and then hang it on their doors. It's an easy way to encourage people to connect, and the idea itself is an instant conversation-starter.

Use Postcards Instead of a Traditional Guest Book

Instead of a guest book, give your guests pre-addressed postcards before they leave for home. Ask them to jot down their favorite moment from the weekend, then mail the cards your way while you're honeymooning—you'll return home to a mailbox full of memories.

Set Up a Class for Guests

Arrange for a yoga instructor to teach a private class for any guests who might be craving a good, old-fashioned om. Some ideas, depending on the destination: sunrise yoga on the beach, hot yoga in the lodge, skyline yoga on the roof. Too hippie-dippy for your taste? Arrange a guided hike through the rainforest, a group ski lesson on the bunny slopes, a walking tour of local museums or art galleries, or even setting up a ferris wheel on-site at the resort; activities like these are sure to pique guests' interest.

Personalize Guests' Wake-Up Call

Your hotel will be happy to rouse guests with their standard-issue wake-up calls, but wouldn't it be sweeter if you and your fiancé recorded a personalized rise-and-shine greeting instead? Here's a tip: Sing it, especially if you can't sing.

Say "Good Night" to Guests

Arrange for hotel staffers to leave a different sweet treat on guests' pillows every night—think chocolate, from mocha-dipped cherries to tiny little devil's food cupcakes. For rooms where there are children, adding the gift of a different storybook each night is an adorable touch.

Create Your Own Menus

Your guests already expect that the wedding-day feast will be a reflection of your taste, so imagine their surprise when they dig into an entire weekend of inspired meals. With the help of your planner, work with the chef to put your stamp on each menu that's served, from the welcome dinner to the ladies' luncheon to the Sunday brunch. If children are included, be sure to offer them something they'll enjoy, like grilled cheese or a classic spaghetti and meatballs (their parents will thank you, too). No matter how amazing the food, most children simply aren't going to go for a plate full of ceviche or clams on the half-shell.

Use One Color Throughout the Weekend

Monochromatic decor takes little effort and makes a massive impact for a multiday celebration. Use just one hue throughout the entire weekend, especially the ceremony and reception. To complement it, work in metallics or basic black and white.

Mix Up the Styles of Events

No matter how formal your actual wedding ceremony and reception may be, it's a good idea to make sure you've got at least a few casual events peppered through. If you're getting married in a beachy locale, for example, why not make the welcome party or even the rehearsal dinner an easy, breezy clambake, a come-as-you-are luau, or a flip-flops-only sunset picnic, rather than a sit-down, four-course meal? Not only will a low-key vibe make guests feel instantly comfortable, but it won't detract from the main event (the I do's).

Decorate with Local Touches

If your wedding is on the beach in the Caribbean, create an aisle runner out of seashells rather than heavy satin or velvet. Getting married in the mountains? Construct your wedding canopy out of branches, not traditional chiffon. You want your guests to remember the beauty of the location in addition to the day itself; there's no need to mess with nature.

Use Nonbreakable Items for Decorations

Rather than lugging suitcases full of delicate vases and bulky chandeliers on the plane, make it a point to shop for nonbreakable items that can be packed flat. Everyday items like ribbon and trimming are perfect—use them to decorate everything from guests' favors to your cake and bouquet. Paper lanterns in various shapes and sizes are also a great way to supplement the resort's outdoor décor, as they take up virtually no space when flat but make a magical impression. Framed photos pack well, too—use them to dress up the escort-card table or cocktail hour.

Personalize Your Table Numbers

Standard-issue table numbers (the small metal stand with a numeral on a card) say little about your personality. Swap those out and use table IDs that feel like you and reflect your locale. Some thoughts: tiny recreations of sailboats, black-and-white photographs of street numbers in your city locale, wine bottles with numbered bands at your vineyard nuptials, or map cutouts that represent all the countries you've ever visited together.

Put Your Guests' Comfort First

Anticipating your guests' needs in advance is the key to being an excellent hostess. In chilly locations (or even in the tropics, where it tends to get cold or windy at night), pass out shawls or pashmina scarves for people to wrap up in during the reception. (Bonus: They'll keep guests cozy on the flight home, too.) If you're getting married on the beach, a big bucket full of flip-flops in a range of sizes is a great idea—who wants to step into the sand in four-inch heels or lace-up oxfords?

Infuse Local Flavor

As a special surprise to your guests, arrange for a local artist to perform or provide a service during the reception. There are plenty of options: cigar rollers, tarot-card readers, silhouettists, dance troupes, bagpipers, gospel choirs, flame throwers—you get the idea.

Book Babysitters

If some guests are bringing children on the trip or you're including little ones in the ceremony, it's a good idea to set up a babysitting service—just be sure to pass the information along to the parents well in advance. During adults-only parties like the rehearsal dinner or even the reception, sitters can gather the children in one suite for pizza, projects, and a movie before putting them to bed. If kids are invited to the reception, make sure you plan for a few children's tables. Decorate them with paper tablecloths and crayons, and have a sitter on hand to oversee the area.

Snap a Group Shot

After the ceremony, have your wedding planner gather all your guests together to take a group picture. Have copies made of the photo promptly when you get back from your honeymoon, and include one with each thank-you card. If you're not keen on getting every single person in the shot, simply ask that the photographer take family photos. In a way, your wedding is a reunion—why not make the most of it?

Pack Goody Bags for the Plane

Ask the front desk to distribute goody bags full of munchies for the plane (a mixture of M&Ms candies and nuts is one delicious option; they'll stand up to some hurried handling) as guests check out. Pick something you can assemble in advance.