Dear Peggy,
I just got engaged and we’ve decided to get married in the Keys. When do I need to hire a wedding planner? – Cassie, Baltimore
Dear Cassie,
Congratulations on your engagement! That’s a very good question! And the answer is, as soon as you get engaged.
After you decide where you want to go (in the Keys for example), it’s really important to select someone local to guide you. When you’re planning a wedding from far away, like anything you buy, the unknown can seem daunting!
A local planner will know the little things about a venue…the service, the quality of the food, where the location may mean the difference between guests having to taxi somewhere or are able to walk to everything. Some venues do not give room blocks to save guests money, while other resorts offer lower packages that they do not advertise.
“How can you do a wedding in a private home?”, is a question I am often asked. It is not always wise to do that, especially with larger weddings. But I have done some of my favorite wedding celebrations in small hotels, and we have rented the entire place! There are choices in the Keys (not always in Key West) that really suit some groups better.
We always start out with a questionnaire that helps us know our couples better; their wants and needs… A planner is really your local advisor, and Destination Wedding Studio believes that having someone alongside you to advise and guide you really makes the difference in making sure your wedding celebration is all you have dreamed of!
Venues and vendors speak only for themselves, so they don’t give you an objective or overview. Having someone who is neutral is really important.
Our most popular service is the “Lady in Waiting”. It allows our brides to still make all of the decisions, but starts at the beginning and goes to the end, and you have a partner and advisor the entire time guiding you.
Hope that helps!
Peggy
Beach Weddings , Florida Keys , Uncategorized
When is the best weather for a wedding in the Keys?
Dear Peggy,
My fiance and I want to get married in the Keys in September. We’re from New York City and September is a great month to get married in New York City…but we don’t know about Florida. Is it too hot, humid, rainy…? – Katherine, New York City
Dear Katherine,
Mother Nature seems to favor some states more than others when it comes to doling out good weather on wedding days. To help you decide which date is best for a wedding in the Keys I’ve attached some averages from www.weather.com for you.
 On Average:
The good news? We’re nearly in the 70′s year round. |
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Beach Weddings , destination wedding invitations
Inviting guests to your destination wedding in Key West, Florida
Dear Peggy,
We’ve decided to have a destination wedding in the keys or in Key West, Florida. How do we invite friends and family? Are the wedding invitations the same as a traditional, home town wedding? – Martha, Omaha
(picture to the right of invitation shaped like Florida)
Dear Martha, 
That’s a very good question and the answer is YES and anything you want them to be!!. Although a destination wedding gives your guests the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing vacation as they share in your wedding day joys, it’s still your wedding. You can do whatever you want!
With that said, you may consider sending your wedding invitation in the shape of Florida state as a fun alternative to a traditional invitation. This one here is from www.myexpression.com and I think it’s adorable. – We also have created some others that are fun. “Tommy Bahama” like casual invites for “flip flop beach casual weddings. A Palm tree for a more elegant island affair, and one of my favorite, the “gift box” invite. They are a bit more pricey but really great for smaller weddings and it makes guest feel so special to get a gift in the mail. We have put starfish and even fresh orchids (they last up to 5 days). One of my favorite RSVP’s was a bride that was having a weekend of fun and sent postcards of the Keys/Key West and had them stamped so guests RSVP’D and sent back so we knew exactly how many would be at each event from welcome party to goodbye brunch. The guests were excited before they even got on the islands!
Hope that gives you an idea and please send us your invite to share!
Peggy
Beach Weddings , Destination wedding ideas
How to get your wedding dress to your destination wedding
Dear Peg,
I’m traveling from Washington State to Key West for my wedding and don’t know how to pack my wedding dress. Any suggestions? – Kasandra, Washington State
Dear Kasandra,
Your question is a common one, and the answer is simple…
Checking a wedding dress as baggage runs the risk of it being lost or damaged in transit. So, for complete peace of mind, send your wedding dress via UPS or Federal Express.
Here’s how to pack it:
- Pack your dress carefully in layers of acid-free tissue paper, which will not damage or stain the fabric.
- Fold over any train, and surround the dress with additional tissue paper before placing in either a zipped garment bag or straight into a special garment box.
- Choose a garment box with a hard exterior to avoid the dress being crushed in transit.
- Send the dress at least a week in advance, and ask the hotel to confirm when it has arrived safely. You can also send it directly to me, and, as your destination wedding day coordinator, I will make sure it gets to your venue safely.
- Have your wedding dress steamed on arrival. This should be pre-booked, and I’d be happy to arrange it for you. (Lightweight dresses can simply be hung in a warm closet for creases to drop out naturally.)
Send me a photo of your wedding dress and the type of fabric it’s made out of. I’ll gladly send back ideas for your specific wedding dress.
- Peg
Beach Weddings , Destination wedding ideas , Uncategorized
Famous people like destination weddings too
Dear Peggy,
I want to get married in Key West but my family says that people don’t do destination weddings anymore. Is that true? Are destination weddings “out of style?” – Sarah from North Carolina
Dear Sarah,
Destination weddings are very “in style.”…especially among superstars. For example:
- DeAnna Pappas and Jesse Csincsak
- Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco
- David Beckham and Posh Spice
- Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith
- Joey Fatone and Kelly Baldwin
- Guy Ritchie and Madonna
What do they wear? Some go with the traditional wedding dress and tuxedo but many make their own statement.
Craig Baritt/JPI
In an interview done by People magazine DeAnna Pappas said, “I’ll wear a white dress, some brown bridesmaid dresses, that’s all I care about.” As for the men, “We’re not going to wear tuxes,” said Csincsak. “We’re going to get custom-made suits.I might wear some Nike 6.0’s instead of uncomfortable dress shoes.” Will it be a quick nuptials and back to work? The interview continued…“We want to do like a four-day weekend where you do a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday,” said Csincsak. “My family and her family can get together and do fun stuff.” Pappas added, “They get along very, very well. They love each other.”
Tell your family that destination weddings are very much the “in thing to do” and that it also gives them the chance to have an amazing vacation. Call yourself a superstar and do what you want..it’s your day.
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