A Complete Guide to Your Destination Wedding Package

After a dozen romantic gestures, countless nights falling in love, you and your partner decide to get married! Now it’s time to start planning your destination wedding.

From the idyllic white sands and crystal blue waters of Maldives, to the calming sanctuary of Ubud Bali, we showcase our top destination wedding locations across the world as well as providing you with helpful things to consider when making your booking.

Choosing your ideal location, connecting to local venues and vendors, then selecting the shades of colours of wedding décor can be made much easier with the Hitchbird platform. We have an experienced concierge team that can answer any questions you may have and recommend you venues that match your preferences. To ensure you get things exactly the way you want, here’s a simple guide to get you started on planning your destination wedding.

What is a destination wedding?

A destination wedding gives you and your partner the chance to get hitched at a very special location you both decide on. This allows you both the convenience of hosting the entire event at one venue, relieving the burden of planning a traditional wedding, which typically occurs at multiple locations with events going up to a weeklong in some cultures.

The destination could be on a far away, secluded island, beachfront or in a luxury, 5-star hotel; it’s your special day, so you get to choose the setting based on your wildest, wedding dreams!

What are the most popular destination wedding locations?

Some of the most sort after wedding locations of 2019 can be found in Bali, Phuket, Maldives, Koh Samui, and Danang. Here we showcase a list of hotels, resorts, and villas that might trigger your fancy.

We begin our destination wedding top picks with the serene location of Bali. You can check out the full list of Bali wedding venues here.

Bali Niksoma Boutique Beach Resort

Why choose this venue?

Situated in the lifestyle district of Legian, this boutique resort, characterized by its unique, modern Balinese architecture, offers you and your hubby a tropical garden wedding that is walking distance to the beach.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

The Sakala Resort Bali

Why choose this venue?

Providing more than a handful of indoor and outdoor wedding settings – a private beach, a wedding chapel, a unique Kul Kul tower, a poolside ceremony, and a floating stage perched above the pools – The Sakala will leave you spoilt for choice.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

The Anvaya Beach Resort Bali

Why choose this venue?

Anvaya offers lovebirds one of the most stunning sunset weddings along Kuta Beach and is perfect for both private family functions and grand ballroom dinners.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Our next hottest destination wedding location is on the South West shores of Thailand at upon the sandy beaches of Phuket. You can check out the full list of Phuket wedding venues here.

Impiana Private Villas Kata Noi, Phuket

Why choose this venue?

Equipped with 11 private villas and a 120sqm lawn that overlooks a lily pond sea, Impiana is guaranteed to impress with its exclusive and intimate setting.

The skilled wedding planners will also allow you and your hubby the option to tie the knot according to Thai or Western matrimonial tradition amidst the panoramic view of the Andaman Sea.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa

Why choose this venue?

Nestled along the pristine Mai Khao Beach, the Renaisance Phuket, abiding by the Thais renowned hospitality, offers exceptional service and modern, luxurious amenities.

From private villas and deluxe guest rooms to spectacular beach views and plunge pools, it will ensure that your wedding is nothing short of heavenly.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach

Why choose this venue?

Live your wedding fairy-tale dreams by hosting your wedding at one of the most serene and enchanting destinations Phuket has to offer.

Situated on the private stretch of Tri-Trang’s white and sandy beach, Phuket Marriott will accommodate as many guests as you like!

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Next we come to the stunning location of Maldives. This really is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. You can check out the full list of Maldives wedding venues here.

Vakkaru Maldives

Why choose this venue?

Located in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that features 1400 full-grown coconut trees, Vakkaru is a scenic sanctuary, designed to ease your soul amidst the rush of your special day.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Holiday Inn Resort® Kandooma Maldives

Why choose this venue?

Kandooma Maldives gives you 160 villas in four different varieties that include beach and garden villas, beach houses, family villas, and water villas, fitted with large windows that showcase great blue ocean.

The resort’s award winning culinary team will also provide a menu specially curated to fit your dining requirements.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Paradise Island Resort Maldives

Why choose this venue?

Strategically located in North Male' Atoll, Paradise Island is surrounded by breath-taking beaches and mesmerizing marine life.

What makes this spot unique is that it offers an eclectic range of land and sea sports and it’s close to some of the best surfing areas. So if you and your hubby are sports enthusiast, this location is ideal!

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

You may want to have your special day on one of Thailand’s picturesque islands. We recommend you to check out the full list of Koh Samui wedding venues here as there really is many idyllic venues catering to a wide range of tastes.

Royal Muang Samui Villas

Why choose this venue?

This 5-star luxury beachfront resort, nestled just four kilometres away from Samui International Airport, is a natural haven accented with lush greenery, white sand beach, and clear, immaculate sea.

Its attraction however lies in its professional wedding planner who allows you to pick the décor theme of your wedding ceremony based on your heart’s desires.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Lime Samui Villas

Why choose this venue?

An exclusive private estate that consists of 3 five-bedroom villas, Lime Samui provides a panoramic view, like no other, of the Gulf of Thailand.

Villa Spice, the newest addition to the estate, was purposefully fashioned to host weddings and is endowed with wide indoor and outdoor dining areas and a 20-metre infinity pool.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Santiburi, Koh Samui

Why choose this venue?

Situated by a 200-metre beachfront. Santiburi’s 23-hectare ground is covered by beds of exotic, tropical flowers and hundred-year-old trees. What better way to exchange your vows than by the shoreline, surrounded by Mother Nature’s most enchanting wild plant life?

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Vietnam is one of the fastest growing tourism hot spots of the world. In the wedding industry, Danang has grown tremendously in popularity and has seen a significant surge in the number of destination weddings held there. You can check out the full list of Danang wedding venues here.

Naman Retreat, Danang

Why choose this venue?

Tying together Vietnam’s heritage and culture with contemporary charm, this boutique, eco-chic resort is appealing for its greenery, natural stone, and unique bamboo architecture that provide an immensely relaxing environment.

If you and your significant other are a modern day couple that appreciate historic treasures, Naman Retreat is your best bet as it is located in the middle of trendy Danang and the Ancient town of Hoi An.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Four Points by Sheraton Danang

Why choose this venue?

A stylish, luxurious 5-star hotel with 36 floors, Four Points lies next to Danang’s best beach locations.

Located next to several UNESCO Heritage Sites and Hoi An Ancient Town, it provides plenty of options for guests to explore.

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Furama Resort Danang

Why choose this venue?

Reputed as being the culinary beach resort in Vietnam, Furama boasts an incredible choice of menus and sumptuous cuisine.

Set in one of the six most luxurious beaches in the world, adorned with French colonial architecture for its interior design, and equipped with a private helipad on the beach, this resort will make all your over-the-top wedding dreams come true!

You can enquire to this wedding venue here.

Types of destination wedding themes

As you might have caught on from the list of destinations above, you can have a beach, island, garden, chapel, or even a jungle wedding. The possibilities are endless, so it’s best to get the theme of your wedding narrowed down. Remember that Hitchbird’s concierge service is just a click away and they will help you match your wedding preferences to the best destination wedding venues suited to your tastes.

Things to consider when having a destination wedding

Weddings are steeped in long, varied historical traditions. Especially if you live in Asia, you might have one or two religious or cultural traditions you intend to incorporate into your wedding nuptials and ceremony. So remember to make arrangements for that in advance. If you have any specific questions related to the feasibility of the wedding you desire, feel free to reach out and we will help answer any wedding queries you may have.

Apart from your needs, it is also crucial to be aware of the needs of your guests. For instance, logistics and dietary requirements must be made available for all those attending.

What could go wrong when planning your destination wedding?

Planning a destination wedding usually occurs from the location you live. After selecting the location and handful of venues, some couples will make a site visit to ensure the venue they have chose meets their expectation. However, most couples nowadays plan and book their wedding remotely without a site visit. There have been some horror stories with mismatch in expectations, or vendors that pull out and leave you hanging without a wedding photographer.

Here at Hitchbird, we vet all our listing partners so that you may rest easy that the service you receive will be what you desired. Browse all of the venue pictures and videos, voice all your concerns in advance and use our experienced team to ensure that your wedding is stress-free and runs smoothly so that you can enjoy one of the best experiences in life to the fullest.

Who pays for a destination wedding?

The conventional etiquette of a destination wedding sees the couple paying for the ceremony, reception, food and drinks, door gifts, and any additional parties and events.

Guests, on the other hand, are required to pay for their air travels and accommodations. Since there will be multiple bookings for flights and hotel rooms, you could also liaise with airlines and hotels, respectively, to get a better deal.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the wedding gifts. Who knows, by the end of the festivities, you might receive enough monetary gifts from your guests to cover a large portion of your wedding expenses!