Planning a Long-Distance Wedding

You can picture the perfect destination wedding: the scent of tropical flowers paving your way to the altar, the backdrop of the sea while you say your vows, the reception you and your guests will enjoy that will celebrate your new life together.

But how can you make all the arrangements perfect--while working long distance from home? We talked with Patricia Haro, Event Coordinator for the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort for her suggestions on how brides can best work long-distance with a wedding planner to create the ceremony of their dreams.

What's the best first step for brides working with a long-distance wedding planner?

Make sure that both bride and wedding planner have each other’s phone number, cellular number, email address. During the first phone call, the wedding planner needs to establish what the bride is looking for and gather some ideas of the desired atmosphere, service, music, decorations and specific requirements for the wedding. It is really important to keep in touch, and send samples of the wedding cake and flowers to the bride.

For brides who won't have the opportunity to make a site visit before the wedding, how do you help them picture the venues, reception options, and decorations available?

Most of the time I send them photos of the areas and samples of wedding set up, linen, menu options by email. Plus, I constantly call them to make any changes that they want, and check their requirements with the vendors.

I describe where the area is located and how many people the hotel can set up for a ceremony or cocktail or dinner dance. Also, I send a layout of their wedding to show them how it is going to be set up, how many tables (round or square), and how the stage for music and dance floor will be arranged.

It is important that the couples feel they have received high levels of professionalism, quality and service to assist them on this important day helping to make their wedding ‘the perfect wedding.’

When a bride does come to the property for a pre-wedding site visit, what do you typically show her?

We walk around the hotel and I show her the venue options for the ceremony, reception, and dinner dance. I’ll describe the services that the hotel offers including restaurants and lounges such as La Estancia, Las Casitas, Sport Champions Bar, Mikado Japanese Restaurant, Lobby Bar, Deli Los Mangos. I’ll also tell her about our business center, Spa, Beauty Salon and Kids Club.

In particular, the brides want to see our outdoor areas like I mentioned above: Jetty and Las Casitas Garden.

Also, we offer to show her a guest room or one of our eight kinds of suites. (They are 29 suites in total.)

How early do you recommend long-distance brides begin their work with you in preparation for their ceremony?

Well, it depends on what kind of wedding they want to celebrate and if they want to reserve rooms for their guests.

For a small wedding like symbolic ceremony or vow renewal without rooms, we have enough time a month before the wedding date. If they want civil or religious ceremonies, at least four months are needed in order to have the necessary documents and requirements to get married. If the marriage will be a religious ceremony, the previous step to the celebration may be a little overwhelming: reserving the date in the church, attending the pre-wedding course, completing the marriage file.

On the other hand, the civil ceremony also requires certain planning. For this you will also need to select witnesses, obtain certain clinical analysis and complete a series of forms according to the Civil Registration. The most important thing is to have all necessary documents and check availability of areas for the wedding date.

For brides who want to offer rooms for their guest, it is necessary to contact the hotel about 8 months before the wedding date because they need to check the rooms and room rates that are available for their guests.

To finalize the meal service, flowers, wedding cake, music, decoration, set up and photography, two months before the wedding date is enough time.

Click here for an interview with Patricia about weddings at the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort

To plan a Marriott wedding, call the Marriott of your choice and ask to consult with the hotel's wedding event planner. For more information on Marriott Hotels, Resorts, and Suites, call 1-800-228-9290 or see www.marriott.com.

Photos courtesy CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort