Don't you just hate it when someone answers your question with a question? Well, when couples ask me how long it generally takes to plan a destination wedding, I have to ask them: "How much time do you have to devote to planning?" Planning a wedding far from home can be complicated, and it always takes longer than you would hope for all of the pieces to come together. In the first flush of excitement couples can make a good start, but they quickly realize that research and follow-up take time, and little progress is made when they can only steal a few random hours a week for planning.

Dreaming is easy. Making your dreams a reality, on the other hand, can seem overwhelming. When I wrote DESTINATION BRIDE: How To Plan A Wedding Anywhere in the World, I broke the process down, step-by-step, as a roadmap for couples who know they want a destination wedding, but don't know where to begin in planning one.

Here, I'll give you an overview of the planning process: the time it takes, and roughly when you do what (though that is in some respects a matter of personal preference).

If you are inviting more than a few guests, especially if you plan to have a large group, I recommend planning at least one year in advance. As a rule, the larger the group, the more complicated your plans will be, and the more time you should allow for planning. If you don't have the time to devote at least ten to twenty hours a week to this work - to organize, implement, and stay on top of it - you should seriously consider enlisting professional help, or get started even earlier.

This, in general terms, is how that planning year might be spent. This is a pocket map, to help you see what is involved, and when; a more detailed planning schedule can be found in my book, DESTINATION BRIDE.

Phase One: Ready, Set, Go!

• 12 Months Before: Organization

  Gather your planning documents, insurance, budget, and professional resources.

Phase Two: When and Where in the World

• 11 Months Before: Destination Research

  Research potential destinations, venues, legal and religious requirements.

• Decide on a date, research travel and accommodation options.

Phase Three: The Dream Team and the Details

• 10 Months Before: The Planning Trip

  Reassess your need for professional help. Take planning trip to destination to tour potential venues, meet potential service providers, research logistics, entertainment, décor options.

• 9 Months Before: Contracts

  Schedule and contract service providers, get legal, religious documents in order, make travel arrangements

• 8 Months Before: Design and Guest Communications

Register for gifts, decide on wedding style, theme, planning web site, design and plan for Save-the-Date cards and invitations

• 7 Months Before: Fashion

  Select and order bride's gown, groom's tuxedo, suit or outfit, wedding party attire, select and order wedding rings

• 6 Months Before: Design Details and Updates

  Finalize menu, cake, choose music/entertainment, decide on ceremony details

• 5 Months Before: Gifts Fiance, bridal party, parent gifts, order welcome gifts, favors
• 4 Months Before: Invitations and More

  Finalize and send invitations

• 3 Months Before: Updates and Welcome Letters

  Update budget, budget, order of events, website, travel arrangements

• 2 Months Before: Responses and Marriage License

Seating charts, rsvps, finalize marriage license

Phase Four: Confirmation

• 1 Month Before: Final Orders

  Finalize documents, reservations, order of events, travel, accommodations

• 3 Weeks Before:

  Confirmation e-mails, organize payments

• 1 Week Before:

  Finish Packing

Phase Five: Coordination

• 3-5 Days Before:

  Arrive at destination, meet with service providers, get gown steamed, have facial, manicure.

• 1 Day Before:

  Totally Relax!

How long your wedding will take to plan depends on you, and your wedding. How complicated and detailed will your wedding be? How many people will be involved in the decision-making process? Obviously, the more people who have an opinion, and a say in each decision, the more complicated the process will become. How quickly do you make decisions? I have worked with couples who are quite clear throughout the process: they want to see perhaps three options for each major decision, and they choose among the three. Other couples want to see more choices; they want to know that there is no option that they have not considered. This takes time!

In terms of the complexity of the wedding, you can probably imagine yours within a range from easiest to most complicated. The "easiest" destination wedding to plan would be a package wedding at a large resort. The couple can choose from a few possibilities for their setting, cake, décor, and colors. Such a wedding is simple and straightforward, and it appeals to many people who want to skip the fuss and enjoy their wedding and time away without having to make a lot of decisions. The next level of complexity is a traditional wedding, without too much in the way of "extras" or changes from the norm.

The most complicated wedding to plan is one that is unique and singular, with every detail designed for the couple. Obviously, these vary as well, and their complexity is determined by how many guests, and the couple's budgets (both in terms of finances and time).

As professional planners, we estimate that for a custom wedding that reflects the couples wishes and aesthetics, we spend between 100 and 150 hours of time consulting, planning and designing. Couples will still have plenty to do when they work with a planner: meeting, making final decisions, choosing a gown, etc. But they are not doing the legwork, or sweating the details, on the bulk of the requisite planning work: the researching, planning, sourcing, compiling, contracting, confirming, and designing.

Of course, every wedding is different, and variations are the norm. Without knowing the specifics of your wedding, it is impossible to estimate how much time will be involved in planning it. (Although with a consultation we can provide you with that information, and more. link) But hopefully, I have given you an overview of the planning process: what it involves, and roughly how long it takes. Short of having a very simple wedding, there are no shortcuts to careful planning, especially for a destination wedding.

What can save planning time? Organization, consistency (devoting adequate time throughout the process, not just in little "spurts"), streamlined decision making, and experience. As professional planners we can save couples huge amounts of time because we know the process, we often know the areas and venues, and we know "what works," in countless situations from planning to design, from beginning to end, based on our experience.

Remember: if you have the time to devote, you can plan your own wedding. It certainly can be done, and I explained the process in my book. If you don't have the time and energy to devote to planning, consider hiring a professional, either from the beginning, or along the way, to help you bring it all together. However you choose to get it done, I hope that you can enjoy the process!