Be sure to check out the next post, Part 2 – The Wedding Day…

Credits:

• Wedding Planning & Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings (Jennifer)
• Venue: Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
• Photography: Nicole Ashley Photography
• Videographer: Wagner & Co.
• Florist: Fabloomosity
• Rentals: Modern Rentals, Special Event Rentals
• Music: Premiere DJs (Harman B)
• Stationery: J.Gartner Studio
• Hair + Makeup: Sen Studios
• Henna Artist: Elegance by Simi

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Jennifer, Event Producer and Designer | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Luxury Event Planner, Edmonton

Many people have the impression that destination weddings are easier and less stressful than planning a wedding at home – but that’s not always the case. Here are 5 important factors to consider when planning a destination wedding

1. YOUR GUESTS
Destination weddings ask a lot of your invitees: the cost of travel, of course, and depending on the location guests may have to take time off work to attend your nuptials. You’ll likely have friends or family who cannot attend or choose not to attend for various reasons. Be prepared for some loved ones to miss the occasion and don’t take it personally.

Tips:

• • Provide accommodation options at different price points to suit a range of budgets.

• Setup a wedding website to convey travel information to your guests to make it easier for them to attend.

2. PLANNING FROM AFAR
If you have “Type A” tendencies, a destination wedding may not be a good fit! Unless you’re able to travel to the location before the wedding to scope out venues and meet with vendors in person, you may find it difficult to make all your plans remotely, especially when cultural differences and language barriers come into play. In some destinations it can take weeks to receive email responses – not every bride has the patience to deal with that pace of planning.

Tips:

• Do your research! Search for real photos from travel review sites or destination wedding blogs to avoid unwelcome surprises.
• Engage the services of a Wedding Planner experienced with weddings in the area.

3. BON VOYAGE BUDGET
It is a common belief that destination weddings are much cheaper than celebrating at home, however tropical resort packages can be deceiving as they are often for a very small number of guests and do not include a private reception.

A weak Canadian dollar can affect affordability of destinations abroad, so why not consider a beautiful destination closer to home? Canada boasts incredible locations throughout the Rocky Mountains, Okanagan Valley and West Coast.

Tips:

• Look off-resort for great local venues that will give you more flexibility in customizing your wedding and choosing your suppliers.
• Some locations may offer better rates for weekday and/or low season weddings.

4. THE UNEXPECTED
Destination weddings are more likely to be affected by factors beyond your control. Examples include extreme weather, such as hurricanes, snow storms, floods and forest fires (we’ve had weddings affected by all of the above); health outbreaks like Swine Flu and most recently, Zika Virus; and foreign political unrest.

Tips:

• If you’re heading somewhere tropical, check when that area is most likely to experience severe storms – in other words, don’t have your wedding during hurricane season!
• Look into getting traveller’s insurance and wedding cancellation insurance.

5. MAKING IT LEGAL
Each country has their own legal requirements for marriages. Some countries mandate blood tests and may require that you’re in the country for a specified number of days before the wedding takes place. In Canada and the U.S. marriage licenses are issued by province / state, so be sure to check the particulars for your wedding location.

Tip: 

• Consider getting married legally at home shortly before or after your destination wedding, and have a symbolic ceremony abroad. This can look and feel exactly the same as a legal ceremony so your guests won’t know the difference – and you may save yourselves some headaches.

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As published in the Fall/Winter 2016 issue of Blush Magazine.

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Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design wigs

Destination weddings are a welcome break during our long Canadian winters. Earlier this year we had the honour of travelling to Jamaica with an intimate group of Cindy and Matt’s closest friends and family members.

We suggested holding the wedding festivities off-resort, as this is a great opportunity for guests to see a new part of the island. It also makes the wedding day feel more like a special experience when you travel to a different venue for the wedding day, rather than simply walking down to the beach of the resort.

The historic Rose Hall property was the perfect choice. The ceremony was held on the golf course near the water at Ocean’s Edge. It was a bit windy that day, so perhaps that’s why everyone’s eyes were watering – but more likely it was due to the incredible connection that Cindy and Matt share, which was evident from the moment they saw one another at the altar and pledged their lives to each other.

After the ceremony guests were transported a short distance up to the top of the Rose Hall property where the reception was held. Built in the 1770s, the famous Rose Hall Great House is a mansion in Jamaican Georgian style set high on the hillside with a panorama view over the coast. Cocktails took place under a 150 year-old ficus tree, and a beautiful clear-span tent housed the rest of the evening’s festivities, including a throwback video dance party!

See more of Cindy + Matt’s wedding in the Autumn/Winter 2016 issue of Blush Magazine, and do not miss their incredible highlight film by A Love Story – it’s such a great testament to why you should invest in a wedding video!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Jamaica Wedding Planning + Design
Destination Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Wedding Planning + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Retrospekt Design 
• Videography: A Love Story 
• Officiant: Rev. Egbert Harvey
• Ceremony + Reception Music: Jamaica Wedding DJ
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Invitations & Stationery
• Florals: Tai Flora
• Rentals: Tai Flora
• Cake: Cakes by Noida
• Transportation: Koolspot Tours
• Hair: Iberostar Rose Hall Spa
• Makeup: Ladies did themselves (lesson from Sen Studios)
• Bridal Gown: Novelle Bridal Shop
• Accommodations: Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Resort
• Travel Agent: Mary Thomas from Holiday Events & Travel

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Nicole + Blake were married at the Castle of the Rocky Mountains – The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. We worked with this fun-loving couple from start to finish to plan and design their mountain destination wedding.

The wedding was designed to enhance the dramatic elegance of the venue with a non-traditional colour palette to reflect the unique personal styles of the bride and groom. Mixed metallics and laser-cut stationery details hinted at the medieval characteristics of the hotel, while lush brightly coloured florals added romance and femininity. Some unique décor elements included a custom black glitter aisle runner, a metal seating chart and laser cut place card wraps around the napkins.

Guests received two custom flavours of fudge from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory that were hand selected by the bride and groom. They also took home an evergreen seedling plant in honour of Nicole’s late father. Duelling pianists were brought in as the evening entertainment, and they kept guests on the dance floor all night long!

Carey Nash’s jaw-dropping photography in a picturesque destination was a perfect match. Read more about Nicole + Blake’s Banff wedding weekend in the latest issue of Blush Magazine.

{Winner of the 2014 Canadian Wedding Industry Awards for
Best Event Planning AND Best Wedding Invitation, Alberta Region}

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Banff Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Wedding Planning + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Carey Nash Photography
• Marriage Commissioner: Jason Fernandez
• Ceremony Music: Music Mosaic Duo (Violin/Cello)
• Duelling Pianists: Jamie Mahn + Lesley Pelletier
• Invitations + Stationery: Pinkpolka Design
  
• Florist: faBLOOMosity
• Lighting: PSAV Banff
• Décor: Special Event Rentals / Elegant Touches
• Custom Aisle Runner: The Original Runner Co.
• Favours: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (Fudge) and Evergreen Memories (Tree Seedlings)
• Cake: Cake Sensations
• Hair: coucouhair(Melissa and Sarah)
• Makeup: Olivia Tassone
• Dress: Pronovias Duende from The Bridal House

Chock full of personal details and unique touches, it’s no surprise that Alexis + Tom’s charming summer wedding was featured in the latest issue of Blush Magazine.

The entire celebration was held at Christ Church – a beautiful 1920s church in the heart of downtown Edmonton that looks like it belongs in Europe! An intimate late afternoon ceremony flowed right into an outdoor cocktail hour complete with delicious appetizers, lawn games and an assortment of refreshing drinks such as cucumber water and strawberry lemonade. 

At the reception guests were treated to a decadent family style dinner catered by Culina and an illustrious dessert table full of cakes and pies made with love by family members.

Her keen eye and love for bicycles made Blake Loates the perfect fit to photograph this wedding! Enjoy a glimpse of Alexis + Tom’s big day below.

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Wedding Coordination + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Blake Loates
• Catering: Culina Catering
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design
• Florals: faBLOOMosity
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
• Cake: Cake Couture
• Reception Music: Mr. Entertainment
  
• Hair: Headlines
• Makeup: Suzanne Dargis
  
• Gown: Paloma Blanca from jojobride