Picture this: The sun is setting over a breath-taking view of the ocean, you’re surrounded by your closest friends & family, the cocktails are flowing, the officialities are done and you are grooving under the stars to the music of a phenomenal band.
Are you dreaming of a wedding that is as unique and unforgettable as your love story? Destination weddings are spectacular affairs that offer couples the opportunity to combine their love for travel with their desire for an intimate, relaxed and completely magical wedding experience. But how do you pull off a destination wedding that ticks all the boxes?
Let’s face it, destination weddings might not be the cheapest or easiest to pull together, but if you are fortunate enough to be able to achieve it, they can be completely unforgettable experiences… Whisk your friends and family away for a week of un-pressured, invaluable, time together and you will make memories that will last forever…
We know planning destination weddings can be daunting, but as a professional wedding band who have successfully joined our Bride & Grooms all over the world in France, Italy, Spain, Ibiza, Qatar, Oman, Africa, Dubai, Greece, Switzerland, Norway, Malaysia, Portugal and even Greenland for over 15 years, we thought it was probably about time to weigh in and offer our advice, tips, tricks, dos and don’ts to aid you in seamlessly planning one of the most memorable destination weddings of a lifetime.
ADVANTAGES OF DESTINATION WEDDINGS
Destination weddings offer a myriad of advantages that make them an appealing choice for couples looking to make their wedding day extra special. First and foremost, destination weddings allow vows to be exchanged in completely breathtaking locations that often hold a lot of special meaning to our couples. Whether you opt for a tropical paradise, a historic European city, or a serene countryside, the backdrop of your destination wedding will add a whole other layer of magic, meaning and memories to your special day.
Another advantage of destination weddings is the opportunity to combine your wedding and honeymoon into one long stress-free experience. Instead of jetting off to a separate location, couples can simply extend their stay at the destination and start married life in un-rushed paradise. Not only will this likely save time and money, but it will also allow you to savour post-wedding bliss at your own pace.
Destination weddings also tend to be far more intimate affairs, requiring guests to spend considerable time traveling to your location. This often means cutting down your guest list to your closest family and friends who will make that kind of effort for you, creating a highly curated, intimate and unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Additionally, destination weddings span over multiple days, allowing you to spend quality time with your loved ones, allowing real time and space to be able create lasting memories together.
COST & LOGISTICS WHEN BOOKING LIVE MUSIC FOR DESTINATION WEDDINGS
Let’s cut to the chase and get this one out the way… No matter how you slice it, destination weddings are not cheap and booking live music is no exception. The main factors we find commonly overlooked are the time and logistics it takes to pull these events off. Yes, being a part of destination weddings is always exciting and a highlight in our calendar, but when you are not travelling for leisure, these trips are not simple, hours are very long and what might look glamorous on the surface is a very different story behind the scenes.
To break it down, costs for booking a wedding band for destination weddings can be split into the following:
- Time
- Accommodation
- Flights & baggage
- Airport to venue transfers
- Technical rider
- Hospitality rider
For context, a UK wedding will usually be a one-day event for musicians and performers. This usually means leaving at lunchtime or mid-afternoon on the day, and returning by 1-2am the following morning. These are already long days, but the breaks at least allow sufficient rest in between performances, or other commitments, and the ability to work either side on their prime ‘live’ working nights of the week which are Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
By way of comparison, musicians booked on European Saturday destination weddings (for example) will often have to work a Friday and Saturday straight through. This means Friday night show, return home to rest for a couple of hours if lucky, and head straight back out to the airport to catch a crack of dawn flight. They will then usually head straight to soundcheck and then remain at the venue to perform, often late into the night. Flights out the next day will either by early AM or late PM which eats into their ability to perform on the Sunday.
To be clear, we LOVE destination weddings. They are always amazing experiences with some incredible highs, but at the same time, behind all the glamour they are also very intense non-stop workdays that can sometimes last up to 24 hours. Musicians will generally always be returning home on very little steam. For that reason, depending on when you choose to fly the band for your destination wedding, you should expect to pay 2-3 times what you would pay for a wedding in the UK to cover each prime day of work they will miss that week.
ACCOMMODATION, FLIGHTS & TRAVEL
On top of this you need to consider accommodation which needs to be of good quality to allow them to rest and recharge properly. For destination weddings, each musician will need their own hotel room with breakfast, usually at 3* and above. The band will fly with at least one extra member (usually their sound engineer), so for an 8 piece band, this will be a team of 9. You will then need to consider the cost of 9 flights including any necessary baggage. Although we regularly fly with budget airlines, sometimes they are not the best way forward as so many extra costs can often be incurred past the point of booking. These can include; long taxi rides to further afield airports (or because the flights fall outside public transport hours), lots of extra car parking costs & high baggage costs that are not included within the fare. In addition to these costs, on arrival, the band will need transport arranged to and from the venue to airport (which is usually where they will stay).
TECH & HOSPITALITY RIDERS
Further to the travel expenses is the technical rider which is a cost that cannot be scrimped on. This is what will make the band sound good, so hiring in cheap, below-par equipment will risk things ending up a big waste of money. To be able to do their job the best they can, the band will need the instruments hired they are used to playing on at home, and as a high a quality sound system as possible. Although they will always fly with their engineer to destination weddings, there is only so much they will be able to do if the equipment is not correct so we cannot stress the importance of this enough!
Hospitality rider! This is definitely the smallest cost of them all and we pride ourselves on being pretty easy to work with as a band, but as we have already mentioned, destination weddings are very long non-stop days. European venues for destination weddings are often very remote and the band will have travelled under pressure to get to you on time. They will need a substantial and well-balanced hot meal when they arrive at the venue. The band are also not big drinkers, but if you would like them to remain separate to your guests (which is not a problem and very normal!) they will also need a simple rider providing for their greenroom to ensure they have the refreshments they need to be able to stay put throughout the evening.
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF BOOKING A BAND FOR DESTINATION WEDDINGS
Okay, so now we’ve got the main costs and logistics out the way, the good news is that there are places to save money on destination weddings too!
Once you have a team of musicians on site, you might be surprised how much you are able to double up and get all elements of the day covered… We sometimes find clients have booked outside musicians for parts of the day we easily could have covered, and the difference between the two can be £1000s.
As well as some musicians being multi-instrumentalist, there are so many options within our line-ups to cover you for your ceremony, your drinks reception, your pool party, your welcome party & whatever else you might be planning. This could save on flights, accommodation & full day rates for hiring outside musicians, and mean you only need to cover the extra performance hours.
A recent example of this was a wedding in Florence on a 3 day hire. We provided a pianist, saxophonist & vocal jazz trio for the Friday night welcome party, who then morphed into a violin & piano duo for the ceremony the next day, followed by a 5 piece jazz quartet for the drinks reception and 6 piece DJ LIVE band for the evening celebrations. The following day our DJ, sax and percussion trio performed at the pool party.
5 KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A LOCATION FOR DESTINATION WEDDINGS
Choosing the perfect destination for your wedding requires careful consideration of various important factors. Here are a few key things to keep we think would be most helpful to keep in mind when making your decision:
- Accessibility: Consider the ease of travel for both you and your guests. Is the destination well-connected with direct flights from major cities? Are there visa requirements or travel restrictions that may pose challenges? Opting for a destination that is easily accessible for all will ensure a smoother and more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
- Venue: When booking live music for destination weddings, choosing a venue that is properly set up for live music is essential. In our experience, the most important queries to cover before signing any contract would be:
- Are there sufficient power requirements? And, especially for rural locations, do the venue have a generator as back up should the circuit get overloaded.
- Are there any noise restrictions? Do the venue have a noise limiter, or nearby neighbours who could complain and cut the party? The importance of this one is often overlooked and on the occasions that this has happened, it is absolutely heart-breaking for both band and client with the amount of effort that has gone into the day.
- What is the back-up plan in case of bad weather?
- Is there a quiet separate space for the band to rest and get ready? As we mentioned, days are long and intense and when the band are away from home, this one is especially essential
- Season and Weather: This one goes without saying, but the season and weather of your chosen destination will obviously greatly impact the overall experience. Consider the climate during your desired wedding dates and whether it aligns with your vision for the day. For example, if you are dreaming of an outdoor beach wedding, make sure to choose a location that offers favourable weather during that time of the year… and that goes for extreme heat too! Pay close attention to any weather risks you aren’t used to within your own climate and ensure you have a back-up plan just in case of worst scenario. When booking live music for destination weddings outdoors, rain, wind and heat are the most important things to take into consideration.
- Legal Requirements: Research the legal requirements for getting married in your chosen destination. Each country has its own set of rules and regulations, including residency requirements, documentation, and waiting periods. Familiarize yourself with these requirements to ensure a hassle-free and legally recognized wedding ceremony.
- Local Culture and Customs: This one is optional, but we do love destination weddings that embrace the local culture and customs. This will add an authentic touch to your celebrations that will leave your guests feeling like they have really been a part of the place they have visited. Research local traditions and customs for an immersive experience and try to pay attention to wedding etiquette to ensure that your ceremony respects and honours the local culture.
- Cost and Budget: Contingency contingency contingency! We cannot stress this enough. Destination weddings can vary greatly in terms of cost due to all sorts of factors, and overbudgeting as opposed to underbudgeting is essential. Set a realistic budget and then set a healthy contingency fund on top. You would be surprised at how easily surprise additional costs can rack up and away from home you will have less options for back up. Consider the overall cost of the destination, including travel expenses, accommodation, venue fees, and local vendor fees. Be mindful of hidden costs and factor them into your budget to avoid any surprises.
CONCLUSION
We hope this guide has been helpful in breaking down the logistics that go into planning a wedding abroad. Destination weddings are investments that you will treasure for life, but they also require militant attention to detail and very little corner cutting.
Music is often the glue for any significant event, and investing in a top quality band will help tie all your plans together to ensure your wedding is the emotional day of significance that your friends and family will remember for ever.
Remember to consider all your suppliers needs alongside your own vision, as their contributions will be the heartbeat of your celebrations. By marrying the practical with the magical, your destination wedding will not just be another a wedding day, but an experience that lives on in stories, photographs, and the shared lifelong memories of every one of your guests.
We hope your adventures as a couple will not start and end with your destination wedding, but a beautiful and unforgettable milestone in the journey of your new life together. Want further reading? Check out this awesome guide from Brides.com.
Enquire with us today!