Being an avid traveler, I’ve always known that I wanted a destination wedding. The idea of exchanging vows somewhere beautiful and exotic always appealed to me– plus I had heard that it can be cheaper and easier to plan a wedding abroad. So about 5 minutes after we got engaged last July, I started looking for “the right” destination venue for our wedding.

From amtweddings.com

I didn’t realize it would be like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack, which is why it took eight ridiculously long months to find the right place and set a date.

First I was thinking Mexico or the Caribbean, and spent more time than I’d like to admit researching all the various areas and possibilities– from Aruba to Zijuantinejo.  I left no stone unturned looking through hundreds of websites and each place I looked at looked prettier than the previous. How to narrow it down? Finally, I came up with a check list of what the perfect place (for me) would entail:

1. Is it a pretty venue?
2. Can we afford it?
3. Is it a destination my guests will WANT to go to?
4. Is there airport access less than 1 hour away?
5. Does it feel like a wedding factory (ideally no)?
6. Will there be a cultural or language barrier that will make planning and logistics difficult?
7. Is it complicated to get a visa (an issue for his European family)?
8. Is there stuff to do that will appease a variety of interests?
9. Will my budget conscious friends AND my picky mother find accommodations they like and be able to afford?
10. Are there any wedding rules and regulations I can’t live with (vendor requirements, budget minimums, etc.)

We're getting hitched under these gorgeous palms

Having this list of questions in hand helped me work through the various websites with much more clarity; I was able to move away from the natural emotional reaction of seeing all the pretty pictures and focus on what I was really looking for.

And then, in the end, we chose the Sundy House in Delray Beach, Florida. It passed my above check list with flying colors, and we loved visiting the inn back in March. Its funny to me we ended up choosing something in the US after all my international searches. However, we realized that not having to deal with certain complications of a foreign destination is a big relief– like knowing there is a Target, Homegoods, CVS, etc. nearby that will surely come in handy for last minute preparations.

More about the luscious gardens and funky rooms in the Sundy House in my next post!