How to plan a destination wedding: I had one, and I loved it

If you’re a fan of The Hotel Journal, then you probably love exploring the world as much as we do. In fact, you might even be one of our readers who is dreaming of saying ‘I do!’ abroad. If so, read on, as travel writer Aude Camus shares her best tips on how to plan a destination wedding after pulling off her own sublime celebration of love in Koh Samui, Thailand from her homes in Paris and Hong Kong.

How to plan a destination wedding

The love story begins

I’m a Parisian who has called Hong Kong home for the past nine years. When my boyfriend proposed two years ago, we instantly knew we didn’t want our wedding in either city. We did, however, officially tie the knot in Paris with the signing of papers, an intimate ceremony with close family and friends, followed by an elevated bistro-style dinner (it’s Paris, after all, and we’re both big foodies).

But for our main event—the secular ceremony and the grand party—we craved something different. The bustling metropolises of Paris and Hong Kong just didn’t fit our vision for a destination wedding.

While the picturesque south of France was tempting, we decided to leave that to our French friends. Instead, we sought a location that would captivate our guests from both France and Hong Kong.

Enter Koh Samui, an island we had previously fallen in love with for its charm, ambience, and delectable cuisine. Far removed from the infamous reputations of Phuket and Koh Phangan, Koh Samui offered the perfect blend of tranquillity and festivity. It was a choice we never once regretted. If we could do it all over again, we wouldn’t change a thing.

So, I thought it would be useful to share our experiences and the strategies we used to plan our destination wedding, which helped make it a resounding success.

Tips for planning a destination wedding

1. Hire a locally-based wedding planner

I’m a firm believer in relying on specialists for stressful or important events, because one simply can’t do it all (delegate, delegate, delegate!) Plus, I’m not a party planner; I’m a party animal. I love the idea of a great celebration but dread the thought of organising it myself. Even if we had opted for a local wedding, I would have relied on a wedding planner. Tying the knot abroad made it a no-brainer, and I can’t recommend it enough.

First, unless you have unlimited time and budget, chances are you won’t be able to visit your destination more than once or twice before the wedding – if visiting at all. Having someone on-site who you can trust to handle things locally will ease your mental load. A local wedding planner knows the destination inside and out, thinking of all the little details that can make a big difference and providing invaluable local knowledge.

They’ll know the best venues for hosting the party, the ideal season, and any local regulations on private parties and outdoor ceremonies. For example, our planner’s advice on the perfect sunset time for our couple’s photos was priceless. So was her help on finding a venue that allowed us a scenic outdoor ceremony and a wild late-night indoor party.

Moreover, your planner will have connections and preferred partners in your destination, saving you a lot of time when it comes to finding crucial services such as a venue, catering, a DJ, or a music group. We trusted ours with everything. Once she understood the kind of wedding we envisioned, she recommended the right partners, including photographer Eak Samui – thanks to who we now have beautiful pictures to remind us of our special day, and acted as the main contact between all of us. It was a game-changer!

How do you find the right planner? I discovered Aey, the founder of Dreamcatcher Events who organised our event, through Instagram. If you’re planning a wedding in Koh Samui, I can’t recommend her enough. I simply searched hashtags like #kohsamuiwedding and found pictures of wedding setups that had the look and feel I was aiming for. I reached out to the planner, and the rest is history.

2. Embrace the allure of your destination

There’s always a reason why you’ve chosen your wedding destination. Maybe it holds a special meaning for you both, maybe it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, or maybe it’s simply a place you love. No matter the motivation behind your decision, embracing the allure of your destination is key.

Your guests will travel a long way to witness your celebration of love, so make it a memorable trip. Being French and living in Hong Kong, we had family and friends from both countries and beyond attending, many of whom had never visited Koh Samui before. We wanted them to experience the island fully and to understand why we fell in love with it. So, we decided to go 100% local.

Why fly in roses when the lush domestic greenery offers an abundance of stunning tropical flowers? Why serve typical wedding fare from your home country when there’s a bounty of local delicacies awaiting your guests?

Instead of opting for oysters and foie gras—the French way—we chose a crab curry made with local crabs and fresh fish from the island waters. Everything was served sharing-style, unlike the individually plated courses common at French weddings. Our guests loved it, and it cost us a fraction of a traditional French dinner.

Crafting little gifts that nod to local culture and traditions is another great idea. We gave our guests personalised bottles of coconut oil (Koh Samui is known as the coconut island, after all), coconut-printed sarongs perfect for our recovery brunch/pool party, and locally handwoven fans.

We also offered cocktails inspired by seasonal fruits, alongside refreshing young coconuts. Serving strawberry margaritas didn’t make sense when local mangoes were at their peak, bursting with flavour and juiciness.

The only things we didn’t compromise on were the Champagne (if it’s not from the French region of Champagne, it’s simply not Champagne) and French tunes, because, well, we’re French.

List everything you love about your chosen destination and use those elements to create a unique wedding that tells the story of why you picked this place. I’m sure your guests will love it as much as you do.

3. Your guests will think of you as their travel agent. Just go with it (to a certain extent)

When planning a destination wedding, expect to become your guests’ unofficial travel agent. Checking friends’ travel itineraries, advising on what to pack, and recommending restaurants and hotels can add to your mental load. But there’s no escaping it. You’re asking people to travel far to come all the way to your chosen wedding destination, so just go with it. This is another reason why having a good wedding planner is crucial – they help you manage the main event, so you have time for these additional responsibilities.

My advice? Anticipate as much as possible. Provide your guests with all the information they might need: the address of the party, recommendations for accommodations covering a range of budgets, restaurants to try, activities to enjoy before and after the wedding, dress code tips (Is it going to be hot? Cold?), and useful apps for ordering taxis, food, and more. Think about all the questions a first-time traveller might have and try to answer them, perhaps on a dedicated wedding website.

However, accept that some people won’t read the information you provided them and will still ask you the same questions, while others will have inquiries you never anticipated.

It might get annoying at times. Yes, you might want to remind people that you’re not a travel agent or a web browser (I reached my limit when my parents asked me to convert their room rates from Thai Baht to Euros). Just take a deep breath and remember the time that your guests are making to celebrate with you – it’s worth a bit of effort from your side as well, right?

But don’t hesitate to gently remind people that you’re not omnipotent and that many things are out of your control. When guests texted me the week before the wedding, worried about the rainy weather in Thailand, it was stressful. If you find yourself in a tense situation, remember that a Pina Colada always helps.

4. Plan a mini-moon to enjoy your destination after the wedding

Let’s be honest: even if you arrive at your destination several days before the wedding, chances are you won’t be in a relaxed and rejuvenated mood. However, the appeal and allure of the destination are probably key factors in why you chose it for your event. A great idea is to reserve a few days post-wedding to make the most of it and finally unwind. It’s also an excellent way to combat the post-wedding blues.

Seeing my friends leave after the recovery brunch hit me hard, and saying goodbye to my family the next day was even harder. The feeling that two years of planning had culminated in just 48 hours and that my wedding was now behind me was tough to process. But this melancholy was much easier to handle by the pool than it would have been on a flight back home to my routine and work desk.

If you can, opt for a place where you can relax and indulge in a bit of luxury, even if it’s just for two days. You deserve it. It’s also a wonderful way to spend quality time together after being caught in the whirlwind of celebrations. Having a young child meant my mini-moon wasn’t the most relaxing, but I’ll forever cherish those moments we spent just the three of us, creating more memories to add to the suspended moment in time that was our wedding.

If you decide to “Thai the knot” in Koh Samui (pun intended), a fantastic option would be to stay at Six Senses Samui. Here, laidback luxury isn’t just a tagline – it’s a motto. With only 67 villas scattered across hectares of natural landscapes, it provides the seclusion and intimacy that newlyweds crave. All but seven villas boast their own private infinity pool. What’s more, the award-winning Dining on the Rocks offers the perfect opportunity to further elevate the occasion with a fine dinner under the stars. Alternatively, you could ask the team to organise a special dinner date for you on the beach or at Dining by the Edge, a candlelit private gazebo overlooking the ocean from the top of the hill.

The property has crafted a Romance Reconnection package, inviting you to celebrate your love. While having a little one in tow didn’t allow us to take advantage of this, I believe it would be a wonderful way to celebrate being husband and wife, husband and husband, or wife and wife.

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