Eloping and planning a destination wedding both require a certain level of organization. Jumping into any wedding without organizational skills can turn your planning into a nightmare. There are just so many things that you're going to need to refer to (itineraries, contracts, etc.), or give to someone (marriage license, rings) that if you don't get your head on straight, you just might come home as single as when you left!

Legal Issues

Any marriage that takes place anywhere requires some sort of state-sanctioned legitimization. In this country, that tool is the marriage license. Did you know, though, that license requirements differ from state to state, and that some states even have a waiting period between the time you apply for the license and the day you can get married?

It gets even more interesting if you're planning to get married overseas! Some foreign countries forbid the marriage of noncitizens, and others have strict requirements regarding the marriage of non-nationals. So you'd better know what you need before you board your flight, and then make sure you have those documents in your carry-on luggage! Chapter 16 explains everything you need to know to make sure that your ceremony is legal as well as beautiful.

Calling All Vendors

When you plan a destination wedding without the help of a resort, you're responsible for keeping in touch with all of your vendors. You can't do that, obviously, if you can't find their phone numbers (or even remember their names).

In this way, destination weddings require far more work than elopements and every bit the amount of organization needed for in-town ceremonies and receptions. While it may seem that leaving town will make things a whole lot easier, it doesn't always. And if a problem rears its ugly head, it'll be much easier to take care of if you have the number right in front of you. In Chapter 4 you'll learn the best ways to keep all of your wedding details organized so that you can arrive at your destination relaxed and happy.

Dressing the Part

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, eloping tends to involve a much faster planning process than does a traditional or destination wedding, and it also tends to be much less expensive. Here's one reason why: When brides elope, they often forgo the whole bridalwear ensemble. Translation: no traditional wedding dress or headpiece. This is not the case for destination brides, who spend just as much time looking for the perfect dress as do brides who are planning in-town ceremonies. The difference, though, is that the destination bride has to find a dress that's not only appropriate for the climate she's headed to, but is also easy (relatively speaking) to ship or pack. Fortunately, as you'll learn in Chapter 10, the wedding-dress industry offers plenty of options for the bride who chooses to wed far from home.

The Ceremony

Many elopements are performed by a justice of the peace. The reason for this is that it's usually easy to find a civil servant to perform a quick ceremony on short notice, whereas clerics are often booked months in advance, and at the very least will want to sit down and speak with you and your fiancé before the wedding. Destination weddings can go either way: You might choose to plan a traditional, religious service, or you may prefer a civil ceremony.