How To Choose Your Vendors For Your Wedding Abroad

Happy couple embracing at their wedding, looking lovingly at each other

Are you thinking about having a wedding in a location that is nowhere near where you live? You brave soul you, and congratulations! So how do you go about making this wonderful event happen?

Step 1: Ask for help! Do you know someone that you trust in the city you plan to say "I do" in? If they are willing to give you honest feedback about your potential venues this could be invaluable to your wedding day!

Step 2: Find the right team of vendors! The right people will understand your ideas and run with it, making it as stress-free as possible.

Step 3: Keep scrolling to find more great advice from this in the know bride! Oh and don't miss the full gallery where we are showing off more of Larissa Cleveland Photography's amazing photos!

Elegant bride in a lace wedding dress in a vineyard

Elegant white roses and green leaves bouquet on dark background Happy couple posing in vineyard on their wedding day

Elegant bride in white lace dress and veil at outdoor wedding

Advice For Abroad

From the Bride: We wanted to create an environment that “felt like us”, and we wanted to incorporate the natural beauty of Calistoga. My family has a beautiful place in St. Helena which has become a second home to us, a place where the whole family can get together and share quality time. We wanted to share this special place with our guests and to create a very personal and warm environment for everyone who came from around the world to join us in this special celebration. It was very important to us to work with vendors who could interpret our vision and bring it to life.

Because we planned our wedding from abroad, we knew we needed to find vendors who we could trust and who could be very proactive and creative in the wedding planning process. We were lucky to find Lisa Feldman, who was a dream to work with— she, and our florist Nancy Liu Chin, worked together to coordinate everything and had no problem face-timing with us from abroad as we described the classy, simple “Napa chic” style wedding that we envisioned; they certainly delivered. It was important for us to find people who were very detail oriented — especially since I didn’t know a thing about the whole wedding planning process. Our wedding planner thought of it all— and it really made a difference!

Wedding invitation with fan and favors on green grass

Bride smiles as guests clap during her wedding ceremony Groom lifts veil to reveal smiling bride during wedding ceremony

Marrying Wedding Traditions

In terms of the actual ceremony— My husband and I both met while living in Tel Aviv. He grew up in Belgium and I grew up in the US and while we both had very similar customs, our vision for the “ religious” part of the wedding differed. We decided on a traditional Jewish wedding, but we also wanted to make it relatable to our guests. Finding a way to weave in those traditional customs, while also creating an inclusive environment was very important to us.
Most memorable moments of the day? One of the most memorable moments of the day (there were a lot) was when my husband approached me during the Bedeken (this was the first time I saw him) which is the ceremony where the groom veils the bride in a Jewish wedding. We were surrounded by our closest friends and family, who were clapping, singing and celebrating with us as we signed the Ketubah (marriage certificate).
Unique Detail

Bride Carried a prayer book that was also carried by her mother, grandmothers on their wedding days. She also wore their family jewelry.

Wedding ceremony set up with floral arch and table

Wedding chairs adorned with white roses and greenery for a ceremony Two flower girls hold a basket, wreathed in blooms, outdoors

Bride and groom at wedding ceremony, beautiful floral arch

Newlyweds walking down the aisle after their outdoor wedding ceremony

Elegant wedding couple enjoying a beautiful outdoor moment together Bride and groom in loving embrace on their wedding day

Newlyweds share a kiss in a vineyard on their wedding day

Making Memories

Of course, I also loved the “getting ready” part with my mom, my sister and some of my closest friends building up to the big moment. It was nice to be able to relax and have some fun girl time before the big night. Oh and, the dancing was great. I’m not usually a big dancer, but we had an awesome band and I couldn’t wait for my turn to be lifted in the chair!
I also would advise other brides not to sweat the small stuff and to keep in mind what this day is really about. At the end of the day, guests aren’t going to realize if the wrong song came on, or the napkin color was off and it's not worth getting upset over. I actually found out the day before our wedding that my husband never told his groomsmen that they were supposed to wear the same thing! While at the time I wasn’t thrilled, when I look back now, it was actually pretty funny— and the wedding was perfect!

Elegant wedding place cards with floral decorations and greenery

Outdoor event space with tables and chairs under trees Waiter serving champagne flutes on a tray, ready for celebration Elegant close-up of a beautiful white orchid blossom in a floral arrangement