Editor’s note: Guest blogger Maria McBride is a wedding planner and author of the book Perfect Wedding Details.
A small token of thanks for guests attending your Big Apple wedding from www.sonoei.com
Beaches and barns are go-to locations for destination weddings, but if you’ looking for a more energetic vibe, welcome your guests to your favorite city. For most folks, cities are easy to get to; their landmark sites and brights lights make it easy to put together a weekend that shows off the town you love and also offers lots of ways for your guests to entertain themselves. All it takes is a bit of planning. These 10 tips will get you started
1. Pick a city that has a personal significance for you. Good places to start: the town where you went to college, where your parents grew up, or where the art, music, and food scene speak to you.
2. Look for ceremony and reception sites that feel authentic. Avoid generic sites, like boxy rooms that could be found anywhere. In Manhattan, a loft with a view of the city skyline will put everyone in a New York State of mind. Look for locations with gardens and courtyards in New Orleans and Savannah or a waterfront vista in Portland.
3. Scout location options in person (you can also hire a planner to handle this step). You’ll want to be sure the street is free of construction projects and that sites are not located in transportation-challenged neighborhoods or on a parade route in the busiest part of town on the busy day of the year.
4. Look for locations with more than one event space under one roof, saving out-of-town guests the worry of moving between locations in an unfamiliar city.
5. Think about local transportation and make it a signature part of the day. Transport guests by ferry in river towns, hire checker cabs instead of limos in Manhattan, get around by trolley cars in San Francisco
Times Square, from New York’s Marriott Marquis
6. The bottom-line a concern? Of course it is! Dollar for dollar, “buying out” a restaurant for the evening will be a great deal. And because most restaurants come already decorated, all you may need to add are bridal bouquets. Look for historic neighborhoods dotted with established restaurants that are known for their local fare; they’ll offer the best value (versus a new restaurant fresh to the food scene that will be less likely to offer deals). A plus: The staff event director can handle many of your planning needs, including sourcing local talent for music and other services.
7. Mix up the pace and cost of the weekend, pick a casual option like a pizza parlor, cheese-steak joint, billiard hall, or beer garden as an option for rehearsal night or day after the wedding festivities.
8. Send save-the-dates with an iconic local image or skyline from your destination: the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, Art Deco motifs in Miami, or clipper ships in Boston.
9. Provide suggested itineraries or map out a list of must-see landmarks on your website or tuck in welcome bags for guests with a metro pass. Or offer favors with a uniquely local flavor, like apple-shaped beeswax candles for a wedding in New York.
10. Plan to visit your destination two or three times. First, to connect with a local wedding planner. Second, to book locations. And third, to meet photographers, florists, musicians, and hair and makeup artists. —Maria McBride
