Jamie and Vinh’s destination wedding at Unico Resort was nothing short of magical. In this post, they share their experience of planning a wedding away from home, tips for couples considering a destination wedding, and why a wedding specialist was key to making their dream wedding a reality.
Lauren: Why did you choose a destination wedding?
Jamie and Vinh: We chose a destination wedding because one of our very good friends got married a year prior to us and we loved everything about it. We loved that all the planning and preparation wouldn’t all be over in just one day. Instead, we were able to hangout and spend quality time with everyone throughout the whole week, which allowed us to really enjoy the wedding together without feeling obligated to go from table to table all night. It also helps that everything was significantly cheaper compared to the US. We got everything we wanted for an incredible price.
Lauren: How many attendees did you have?
What kind of experience did you envision your guests having?
Jamie and Vinh: We had about 68-70 guests. The type of experience we envisioned for our guests was for it to just be a big weekend long party celebrating our love. I wanted our guests to have the trip of their life and to not worry about anything once they stepped on the resort except which drinks to order or what food they want to eat. I feel so lucky to have so many of our guests say it was one, if not, the best and most memorable wedding they’ve been to.
Lauren: What was one part of planning your wedding that you knew you couldn't have done alone?
How did having a Destination Wedding Specialist help with that?
Jamie and Vinh: One part we couldn’t have done alone was definitely organizing all the bookings of the room, flights, and travel. Lauren’s direct relationship with Unico was also a great benefit. Just having Lauren’s experience with destination weddings and traveling in general was invaluable in planning a destination wedding. We had so many questions and had no clue what we were doing in the beginning and she made the process so smooth and easy. It was one less thing for us to stress about because she had it all covered. To say she was on top of it is an understatement.
Lauren: What piece of advice would you give to couples who are just starting the planning process?
Jamie and Vinh: Some advice I would give to couples who are starting the planning process is that it will be stressful but it will all be worth it in the end. Just don’t forget that this day is all about you two, so try not to worry about all the noise and make decisions based on what you two want and what would be best for you.
Lauren: What’s one “extra” you’re super glad you splurged on? What surprised you the most about your wedding?
Jamie and Vinh: One extra we were glad we splurged on was definitely the fireworks during our first dance. The fireworks were a big hit with our guests and they were so shocked when they came on.
What surprised me most about my wedding was just how amazingly smooth everything came together even though everything was planned through email, video chat, and phone calls. I never physically saw anything and yet it was everything I could ever imagine and more. Everybody that we worked with was amazing and a key player in helping our vision come to life.
Lauren: If you could choose three words to describe your wedding, what would they be?
Jamie and Vinh: Three words to describe our wedding would be magical, intimate, exciting.
Lauren: What is your favorite memory from your big day?
Jamie and Vinh: It’s hard to pick one memory of our big day because we have so many but for Vinh, his was the fireworks during our first dance. For me, it was the last song when we had our friends and family surrounding us and singing with us. I just felt all the love at that moment.
A note from Lauren: It was such a pleasure helping Jamie and Vinh with the wedding of their dreams!
Ready to plan your own unforgettable destination wedding? Contact me today to start planning your dream wedding at Unico Resort!
