Special Edition
Destination Weddings Guide
Congratulations!
What an exciting time this is for you and your partner. We wish you the deepest congratulations on your engagement, and we're so thrilled to welcome you to the Easy Weddings planning journey!
If you're here, it's likely because you're considering — or already planning — a destination wedding outside Australia. Love this plan for you!
Picture long days of relaxing and enjoying the company of your nearest and dearest on the exotic beaches of Fiji or tucked away in the private islands of Thailand.
Or perhaps you're dreaming of a European celebration. We have villas in Italy, sprawling estates in Spain, and more. Have another place in mind? We'd love to hear about it.
A destination wedding is a chance to deeply connect with the people you love while celebrating your wedding with an unforgettable multi-day experience for everyone.
Before you jump into planning your destination wedding, here are some things to consider, all of which are covered in this planning guide:
- Our Destination Weddings team would be delighted to recommend a location that fits your style, budget, and vision for your wedding.
- Think you'd like to take a trip to see the venue first? Let us help you coordinate your site visits. Prefer to do everything virtually? We can arrange that too. We're happy to work with you to plan your wedding in a way that makes you most comfortable.
Congrats again! We can't wait to catch up and hear all about your wedding.
Destination Weddings Manager
Real Wedding Couple: Anastasia & Robert | Venue: Anantara Uluwatu Bali Resort
Location is everything
When we're getting to know a couple — and helping them choose a wedding location — we let these questions guide the way. Each informs the next step and leads you to choosing the perfect destination for you.
Is there a place that has sentimental value?
Whether it's where you went on your first trip together or a place you've been toying around with having your honeymoon, if there's a destination with big sentimental value for you and your fiance, we love to bring that kind of personal connection into the fold. Don't have such a place? That's perfectly fine — we'll help you find a place that's a real memory-maker.
What time of year do you want your wedding?
Seasonality is always going to be a factor when you're considering a wedding overseas. For instance, if you're hoping for a tropical island wedding, you'll want to avoid monsoon season. Or, if you're into a European wedding, avoiding the peak summer rush might be preferable for your guests.
How comfortable are your guests with travel?
Some couples are confident that their families and friends will take as many planes, taxis, and ferry rides as are necessary to attend their wedding. Others know they have quite a few guests who won't be comfortable navigating that kind of trek and prefer to stick with a resort that has a direct flight option and is located within an hour of an airport.
What kind of hotels and resorts appeal to you and your guests?
Generally speaking, there are three types of destination wedding resorts. The smaller boutique-style hotels are usually comprised of about 40-60 guest rooms and tend to be in more remote locations like private islands or on more secluded beaches — these are the most likely to be available for an exclusive buyout.
Mid-size hotels are usually around 60-100 suites and have more varied options for your guests, so you can accommodate different budgets. Larger resorts can be made up of hundreds of guest suites and usually offer various options for dining, swimming, wedding venues, and more.
Pricing always depends on the location and the style of the hotel, but usually, the more expensive options are the smaller boutique hotels while all-inclusive resorts tend to offer better deals not only for weddings but also for accommodation.
What kind of location feels like your vibe?
What are you into? Peaceful beach destinations? More adventurous places where you can explore local ruins and temples? More urban destinations with bustling nightlife for your guests who love to party? The options are aplenty. Start with talking about the kinds of destinations you enjoy when you go on vacation and what they have in common. What do you want your wedding guests to experience while they're travelling for your wedding?
Do you want to do a site visit to the venue prior to the wedding?
This is one of those things that most couples consider a nice-to-have rather than a must. But, it's a great way to visit the setting in person and hone in on your design ideas for the day, taste the wedding menu offerings, and explore the local scene.
Real Wedding Couple: Alexandra & Chris | Venue: Bali Beach Glamping
Your destination wedding budget
Setting your wedding budget doesn't have to be a daunting task. Instead of jumping right into numbers, we think it's more helpful to start with figuring out your priorities. Here's a quiz to get you started.
You
Your Partner
Once you've gotten a sense of your priorities, you'll have an easier time deciding how to allocate your budget.
One of the best things about having a destination wedding is that you can actually pull all the elements together into a flat-rate package so there are no surprises or pop-up costs you hadn't considered from the beginning of planning. To keep it fun, though, there will always be options for additional experiences.
A planning solution that's easy
When you plan your own destination wedding, there can be a lot of frustrations along the way.
Here's what we hear the most complaints about:
- Nonresponsive venue managers
- Hours and hours and hours of research to find reliable suppliers
- Suppliers who take weeks or months to reply to emails
- Difficulty of piecing together so many components from another country
- Language and cultural barriers lead to poor communication
- Fluctuating currency exchange rates make it confusing and annoying to budget accurately
When we designed Destination Wedding Packages, we did it with solving these problems as our primary goal.
Instead of not knowing how to start planning or where to even host your wedding, hop on a call or WhatsApp chat with us and we'll talk you through the options. We know the venues that'll match your vision. We can advise on what a destination wedding budget looks like, and how you can get the things that matter most to you.
Instead of spending your precious time researching and tracking down suppliers on WhatsApp or neverending emails, you have just one person from our team who's dedicated to discussing all the details of your wedding. We'll take on all the communication and coordination leading up to your destination wedding. Instead of handling payments to dozens of overseas suppliers while the exchange rate roller coasters all over the place, you can pay all your installments directly to us, using Australian dollars. It's really *that* easy.
Love notes from our couples
Your team! OMG! All the crew are ANGELS. We love them! They are the best thing since sliced bread. We can not thank you enough. Our day was just so fun. Everyone was great at their job: the food, the flowers, the vibes, everything. It was immaculate. We are so so happy with everything.
Khristian & Deyane
Mat and I want to thank you both — and of course Rio — for the magical day and night you created for us. ✨
You three truly delivered our dream. You made the planning stress-free and never once said no to any request, especially last night. Every single thing we asked for was done perfectly and with so much care.
Mat and I had the best time. I danced the whole night away, and our guests haven't stopped calling the wedding “the best ever,” “amazing,” and “dreamy.”
Thank you both so much!”
Golrokh & Mathew
Oh my goodness, the day was PERFECT! We can’t even begin to thank you enough. You helped us pull off a magical day. We were both so so so happy with everything. Thank you so much!
Paris & Kyle
What $40K actually gets you
| Wedding in Australia | Wedding in Bali | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Format | One-day wedding | 2–4 day destination celebration |
| Timeline | Ceremony + reception (single event) | Welcome party, wedding day, recovery party |
| Venue | One venue for the day (winery, ballroom, hotel) | Private villa / clifftop / beachfront buyout |
| Accommodation | Not included | Often includes 2+ nights for couple (sometimes group villas) |
| Food & Beverage | 4–5 hour package | Multiple events with catering across days |
| Styling | Basic package (florals, tables, signage) | High-impact styling + tropical florals + multiple setups |
| Photography | 8–10 hours, single day | Multi-day coverage across events |
| Entertainment | DJ or band (reception only) | DJ + live music + performers across events |
| "Wow" Moments | Maybe a sparkler exit or upgraded dancefloor | Fire dancers, fireworks, production lighting, late-night parties |
| The Bottom Line | A beautiful day; budget spread thin | A full-scale wedding experience; higher perceived luxury |
We're here when you're ready...
Planning a destination wedding should be as exciting as it sounds. When you work with Easy Weddings to create a Destination Wedding Package, we’ll hold your hand through the process and make it all feel fun, enjoyable, and just a cocktail away.
Let us make planning the destination wedding of your dreams easy!
Schedule a time to speak with us and get recommendations and a quote for your dream destination wedding.