Planning a wedding is no easy feat, and location does not make it any easier. It is even more challenging for people who live abroad or are planning a destination wedding. The good news is that remote wedding planning has been made possible through the use of advanced digital tools and professional wedding planners who offer virtual consultations. Modern couples that leverage technology are able to celebrate their wedding no matter where they are located.

When it comes to remote wedding planning, the first step is dedicated to creating a timeline and establishing communication guidelines. Couples should establish a budget, guest count, and vision for the wedding well in advance. Available communication options include digital project management tools such as Asana, Google Docs, or Trello. Maintaining a detailed checklist will prevent any tasks from being forgotten during the planning process, such as choosing a venue or catering service.

Picking a venue online may prove difficult, but many modern wedding venues allow virtual tours and live video calls. Couples should get high-quality videos, 360-degree walkthroughs, and photos of the venue ahead of time to fully understand the setup of the area. Moreover, local wedding planners can offer their services to further familiarize one with the area, venue, and other places that might assist them in planning their reception and weddings, whilst checking the already available reviews online can help make their decisions easier. 

One of the most stressful elements of planning an online wedding is choosing the vendors. Luckily for modern couples, they can easily reach a plethora of service providers ranging from photographers to florists, caterers, or entertainment services. Couples can have calls with a vendor before deciding to put the deal in place to discuss important details and examine their portfolios. Websites such as WeddingWire and The Knot aid couples by providing verified vendor reviews in order to make their choices easier and more educated. It is also a reasonable thing to have some expectations of the offered products and request fabric samples or cake tasting in order to verify that the quality matches the standards.

For long-distance wedding planning, digital invites have gained popularity. Couples can utilize services such as Paperless Post, Evite, and Greenvelope to send stylish e-invitations and track RSVPs in real-time. Even for those who prefer sending out traditional mail invites, there are many stationery vendors on the internet that offer custom design options and ship staples across the globe. Guests can be updated through a wedding website or private social media group, which saves time and guarantees everyone is up to date.

Brides and grooms who can’t step inside a boutique can do their shopping online. Many bridal and men’s wear have also jumped on the bandwagon of online consultations, custom fitting, and shipping trial sets to the customer’s residence. For bridesmaids and groomsmen, it is easy to get matching colors and styles with mood boards or Pinterest. With sufficient time to make alterations, ordering dresses and suits ahead of time is recommended.

Couples who are unable to travel to their wedding destination might need the support of an on-site coordinator or a close family member. Surrounding the ceremony and reception, decorators, officiants, and entertainment providers can be arranged with virtual planning meetings. Everyone involved can stay up to date in real time with a wedding planning app.

Some remote planning means that a few guests will most likely not be able to attend in person. Live streaming via Facebook Live, Youtube Live, or Zoom allows family and friends to still be a part of the ceremony and celebration. For effective streaming, professional videographers offer great options so that virtual guests feel as if they are part of the event.

No matter how organized everything is, there is always room for last-minute changes. Designating a main contact person at the venue helps deal with any extra challenges that come along, whether this be a wedding planner or a friend. To minimize stress, making sure to ship the wedding necessities to the venue beforehand and confirming timelines with vendors is vital. Having a final video call with key participants is essential so that everything is ready before the wedding.