Having a destination wedding is one of the most memorable ways to get married. It may be expensive and tedious to plan, but it’s definitely something you and your friends and family will love looking back to in the years to come.

Before you set everything in stone, make sure you’re up for the challenge. Planning a destination wedding is no joke, but here are a few tips to make the job a tad easier for you.

Tip #1: Think like a local

A destination wedding will inevitably be expensive, but it can be less so if you avoid the touristy places and get married like a local. This means sourcing things like your flowers and food from small businesses around the area and avoiding big businesses that cater especially to tourists.

Tip #2: Choose a place that holds meaning

Your destination wedding will be so much more memorable if you pick a place that holds a lot of meaning to you and your husband-to-be. It could be the first place abroad you visited together, where he proposed, or any other place that’s full of special memories.

Tip #3: Spend some time there

You may have visited the same place a few years back, but who’s to say nothing has changed in all those years you haven’t? Visiting the place before your wedding gives you a good feel of the place, the people, and the surroundings. If visiting in advance isn’t an option, at least try to come a week early just so you aren’t totally unaware of your surroundings on your big day.

Tip #4: Hire a local wedding planner

Aside from thinking like a local, it also helps to hire a local wedding planner. This is especially so if you won’t be able to frequently visit the venue. Your local planner can help you get your paperwork in place, source better local supplies, get better prices and deals, and help with breaking down the language barrier as well.

Tip #5: Notify guests in advance

Notifying your guests in advance allows them to plan and make a budget for your wedding. How early you notify your guests depends on many things like how far your venue is and how expensive you think the whole event is going to be on their end, but a good rule of thumb to follow is to let them know as soon as you have concrete plans and details.

Excited for your destination wedding? While it may be impressive for the bride to pull off planning a destination wedding on her own, don’t hesitate to enlist the help of other people if you feel like the burden is too much for you to handle.