It’s probably not too far off the mark to say that destination weddings are a little bit romantic nuptials and a whole lot of family reunion. It may go without saying, then, that the planning of such a wedding involves different things than planning other types of weddings.
On the one hand, because the wedding is on-site somewhere, you may have less planning as far as food, wedding setup, and entertainment are concerned. The site staff will take care of many of these responsibilities.
On the other hand, it’s likely that your wedding guests will expect you to entertain them — maybe not the whole time, but at least some of the time. Depending on your temperament, that thought will either send chills or thrills down your spine.
Southern Weddings in Alabama: Picking the Right Venue
Fortunately, we can tell you from experience that luxury destination wedding planning can be very satisfying and even simple if you pick the right location. The creme de la creme wedding location walks a fine line between a barrage of constant activity options and relaxed luxury.
Destination Weddings That Offer Something for Everyone
Planning a luxury wedding is a lot simpler if you book a venue that already offers plenty of fun things to do. These types of destinations have low-key wedding activities, like morning yoga or biking (and a host of trails to explore).
On the flip side, the venue should also have some activities that are higher on the adrenaline scale, too. These heart-pumping activities could include some good old-fashioned axe throwing or UTV trailblazing.
Another thing you want to look for is a place that allows for downtime, where the guests aren’t obligated to do anything but sit on the front porch of their cabin and sip lemonade or hang out by the fire pit at night, drinking cocoa with other members of the wedding party.
Lastly, if possible, it would be great for the location to be within a short driving distance of a major town or city. This option gives your wedding guests the freedom to go adventuring and see some sights they’ve never encountered before.
Other Matters to Think About: Setting up Independent Activities
Ideally, the location you choose has activities that both you and your guests can plan. In other words, you’ll be responsible for a few of the group activities.
However, you’ll leave enough free time for your wedding guests to plan stuff for themselves. The best venues allow guests to book activities independently of the wedding party. For example, let’s say that you’re at a venue that offers golf.
Instead of having to wait for you as the wedding host to set up a tee time, the guests themselves can just go directly to the source, so to speak, and book a tee time. Most, if not all, of the activities for your destination wedding should have similar options.
We will say that it might help for you to ask someone, like the wedding coordinator, to be an information person. That is to say, if your guests have questions, then they can ask your designated “info guide.” That slows down the number of inquiries that go straight to you or to other members of the wedding party.
It might also be helpful to provide your guests with information folders or welcome bags that keep important information about your wedding activities in one place.
Wedding Planning: Our Suggested Sample of Wedding Activities
To give you some idea of how you might work out some of your activities, we’ve put together some sample ideas. Since we know our venue the best, we’ll use it to show you how this could work, using Pursell Farms as an example.
Wedding in Alabama: Group Activities With the Couple or Members of the Wedding Party
You are the common denominator among all of your guests. In light of that, it makes logical sense that you’d plan a few group activities that include everyone from the wedding party to Great Aunt Sue. Below, you’ll see a few of the types of group activities that everyone can enjoy.
Plan a Welcome Party: On the first full day of your destination wedding, it’s good to plan a big welcome party. For example, maybe you’d like to have a group barbecue or watch a renowned chef make your dinner over an open fire. Big events like this give everyone a chance to catch up with one another in one setting. Another variation on this theme would be to do a group wine tasting.
Set up a paint your pet or urban sketching party: Paint -n- sip has become a popular art activity of late. This type of activity brings together a big group of people and pairs them with an experienced painting instructor. Everyone paints a common theme, like a pet. If the site where you’re holding your wedding is beautiful, you might consider taking the activities outside to do some urban sketching together.
Southern Destination Weddings in Alabama: Free Time On-Site Activities
These activities can be a great part of a luxury wedding and don’t necessarily have to involve the wedding party. They are, however, available at the site of the destination wedding. Here is a sampling of the types of activities you might find:
Free Time Off-Site Wedding Activities
For us, Birmingham, Alabama is a nearby big-city destination. It takes just over an hour to get there, and is a great option to offer your guests when they want to do some off-site activities.
Here’s a sampling of things they might want to do in a place like Birmingham:
- A pub crawl or take a visit to Avondale Brewery
- Get fresh fruits and veggies at the open market
- Visit the Southern Museum of Flight
- Go see the Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
- Classic movies at the Alabama Theatre
- Etc.
Final Thoughts on Planning Activities for Your Destination Wedding
Planning fun activities for your wedding guests doesn’t have to be a source of stress and worry for you. If you book the right venue, then many of the activities will be on-site and something that the guests themselves can book. This frees you up to plan a few big group activities and allows people to choose the activities that they think are the most fun.
If you’d like to learn more about how to make Pursell Farms the site for your destination wedding, reach out to us for a quote.
We’d love to share in your fun!
