As friends and family get more spread out, destination weddings are becoming more and more popular. But, planning a destination wedding is more than just planning a wedding, it is essentially planning a mini-vacay for all of your guests. Most guests will arrive 1-2 days before the actual event, and you’ll want to make sure that you have some fun activities on the schedule for them so they can make the most out of their getaway while you and your wedding party continue to prep for the big day. Traditionally, destination weddings involve some kind of welcome party where guests from out of town all get together and meet before the rest of the wedding festivities. Instead of a traditional party in a hotel banquet hall or a restaurant, consider a fun excursion for you and your guests. Here are ten unexpected excursions that will keep your guests talking about your wedding for years to come!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Les Anagnou photographers
While your guests are on vacation, they will likely want to take in the sights as well as a cocktail (or a few!). A pub crawl/city tour is a great way to show off your destination city while quenching their thirst for relaxation. Most pub crawls are walking tours, but every now and then, you’ll find one that is in a party bus or even a group bike cart where you and your guests can workout as you sip your beverage of choice. If you do decide to go this route, make sure that things don’t get too out of hand, you don’t want everyone hungover in your wedding photos (LOL).
PHOTOGRAPHY | OatStudio
Most cities love to show off their skylines and the best way to do that is usually at a distance and…on a boat (how fun!). Whether you’re on a lake or a river, if your destination city has a body of water, you’ll be able to find an architecture boat tour in the area. These types of tours usually last 1-2 hours and typically don’t come with food or beverage service. You may be able to request a private tour and arrange to have food and beverage provided for you and your guests. If this isn’t an option, you can always continue the party at a restaurant or cocktail bar after the tour is over.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Greg Finck Photography
Now, this is what takes a destination wedding and turns it into a vacation! Treating your guests to a spa day is a lovely way to thank them for coming to your wedding. This works best for a very intimate wedding at a resort that has a large spa with showers, pools, hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, etc. If it’s too pricey to do it for all of your guests, consider doing this just for your immediate family members. Most resorts will have a fee for entering the spa and some will include spa entrance for free with the purchase of a service like a facial or a massage. Keep in mind, if you do decide to go this route, that the idea of a welcome party is for your guests to be greeted by you and your fiance(é). Consider ordering a few bottles of champagne before or after your spa appointments that you can share at one of the outdoor pools where everyone can talk freely and celebrate together.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Jesse Chamberlin
A fun new destination wedding trend is renting out a villa that has a farm on it. This is great because it allows most, if not all of the wedding guests to stay on-property and truly become immersed in the culture of the destination. Some of these villas have chefs that they work with that can prepare a meal with fresh ingredients from the farm. You can start the welcome excursion with a tour of the property and the farm where your guests can learn the history of the location and take some obligatory photos for their insta stories. After the tour, you can conclude the evening with a dinner prepared with ingredients sourced fresh from the farm they just toured. We guarantee that it will be one of the most memorable meals they’ve ever had on vacation.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Lauren Fair Photography
A cooking class is a great way to entertain your guests and feed them too! Pretty much every city has a cooking class available. Consider booking one that involves a local specialty, like a pasta-making class if you are in Italy. Most cooking classes provide beer or wine or at least allow you to bring your own. After the class, your guests will get to eat what they’ve prepared and get to know the rest of the wedding attendees.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Kate Ignatowski Photography
Let’s be real, the two things people look forward most to at a destination wedding is a comfy hotel stay and the booze! Anyone can throw a cocktail party, but to truly immerse your guests in your destination, go for a local vineyard or brewery instead. Most vineyards and breweries offer tours of the facilities complete with tastings (of course!). If you have a lot of guests, consider calling ahead and letting them know how many people to expect. Some places may even offer a lunch or dinner package, and food is always a good option when there’s alcohol involved. Also, make sure that you provide transportation for your guests to and from the hotel to keep everyone safe and sound for your wedding weekend.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Nathalie Cheng Photography
If your destination city is near the coast, chances are, you will be able to find a dinner cruise. This is a great way for you to greet your guests and show off the location. Dinner cruises usually range from 2-4 hours in length and depart a bit before guests are seated so that they have time to grab a drink, mingle, and take in the sights before their meal. There’s nothing more romantic than a sunset on the water to kick-off your wedding weekend!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Les Anagnou photographers
Now, this one is very dependent on the destination, because not all cities have an amusement park, but if your destination city does, take advantage of it! Whether you want to get your guests tickets to the park (which can get pricey) or just meet up at a restaurant that’s on-property but doesn’t require a ticket like Disney Springs or Universal’s City Walk.
PHOTOGRAPHER | Kati Rosado Photography
Art classes of all kinds can be found in just about every destination city around the world. This is a fun way for your guests to loosen up and get creative…it also functions as a great ice-breaker for mixing your friend groups. Most of these classes offer wine or beer to guests or allow you to bring your own. Because tickets are often limited, we recommend booking the class for your group a few months in advance to make sure there is enough room and supplies for everyone.
PHOTOGRAPHY | Alexandra Elise Photography
This may seem to be a bit of an odd choice for a wedding activity, but trust us, they’re actually really fun, especially the ghost tours! Most cities offer some kind of history or ghost tour that is either on foot or in a trolley or bus of some kind. It’s a great way to see your destination city and learn some fun facts about the town and its history. Some tours stop at bars and allow for drinks along the way–which is always a plus!
PHOTOGRAPHY | Axioo Bali