out of town brides

graceandjake

Are any of you planning your wedding from far away?  We live in Jacksonville right now and it looks like we might have to move to Tennessee soon (Jake is in the navy and we are getting new orders.)  Did you plan a weekend to get everything done or did you just not meet your vendors in person?  I appreciate any advice.

Tiffayqp12

I am planning from out of town and so are a lot of other ladies on here.  I just made a few trips to meet with vendors in person and do my trials and it worked out fine.

Good luck with your planning!

melinda.reider

I planned the wedding from Los Angeles. My wedding planner was a big help. We met most vendors in person and had most trials during 2 or 3 trips planned over the course of the year we were planning. I found it really helpful to have someone in the area to help me with things. And of course SoFla knotties were a huge resource as well. All in all, I'd say it's definitely doable.

TtotheG

We are planning a NY wedding from Sofla. Week trips, IMO, are the best. Take one or two and book everything you can. It'll all get done

marnie80

I'm from South Fla but I live in Alabama now, wedding in Maimi the best way is to plan week trips, make sure you line up all the vendors you want to see and then make decisions on who you want etc. You can keep in touch with them through e-mail etc, it has been pretty easy so far for me.

shanfitz

I am from Ft Lauderdale area and am in DC planning a Ft Lauderdale wedding. It hasn't been too bad except the days are really long when you go for just a brief visit. I probably didn't meet with as many potential vendors as some others but I think I made some great choices. GL! It is def doable!

PS...If it helps I am also trying to find a new job and move back to Ft Lauderdale and I am still getting everything done with that added stress!!

allik1981

I'm planning from Atlanta for a wedding Delray Beach.  I haven't been able to come down as much since I'm working full time and going to school so week trips were never an option for me.  I've taken a few weekend trips and then the week of Christmas (although most vendors weren't working that week so I could really only go to my venue and cake tasting)  My parents live in South Florida so my mom and dad are a huge help and I got a wedding planner - definitely  recommend getting one!  Basically they've been the ones meeting with majority of my vendors in person for me and then otherwise we utilize Skype - it is a major help when you can't get down to Florida but need to talk with a vendor.   If you have any questions let me know!

chadandlaurakennedy

I recently moved to Denver and am planning a wedding in Miami Beach.  I think the hardest thing to do was book the venue because it was hard for me to get down there.  Luckily, I have my sister who sent me tons of pictures so I could make a decision.  It would be very helpful to find some there to help you in case you can't be there.  I still have about 11 months to go and I'm just starting to look at all the other things so I will post if I find anything helpful. 
I would also say that the knottie community has been my most treasured and valued resource!
GL!
Laura

TravelingFin

I'm planning our Miami wedding from Boston. We already knew our venue because we had stayed there for a vacation several years ago...but just about everything else was done online! Chat boards such as this one definitely helped to narrow things down. We made one trip down in early February to take care of those details I felt I just HAD to do in person (decor, walk-through, tastings, hair & makeup trials). It's definitely doable. Good luck and have fun!

mdojr01

We are planning from Phoenix, and what we did was book an all-inclusive pkg. We paid pretty much one price, that includes, dj, photography, flowers, cake, location etc...that saved us from meeting with vendors.

RemyAlexandra

I'm planning a Palm Beach County wedding from Long Island.  Whenever I go down, which isn't often, I plan certain wedding things that I want to accomplish, and make appts, etc. to do that.  On my first planning trip down, which was in April, I got my venue, planner, and photographer.  Now that I have an amazing planner, it'll be even easier for me to plan from long distance.  It's definitely doable!!

citytoshore09

I'm from NYC but got married in Miami - and it's exactly what the girls said, I went down for a week, two or three times, and planned everything out in one shot. A couple vendors I booked without meeting, some my parents met on my behalf, and a few I waited till we could have an appointment. USE THE KNOTTIES! They have tons of info and reviews on the best vendors in South Florida.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

AlphaMuffy6

I agree with having your parents help out as much as you can (if they live in the area).  I also take advantage of girls who I will eventually be picking for my bridal party.  The ones who already had weddings are very helpful, and the ones who haven't love getting ideas for their own future wedding while looking for you! :0)  GL!!