Your checklist for planning a dream destination wedding in Scotland

A wedding is one of the most important milestones in a person's life and when it comes to luxury weddings, Scotland offers some of the most scenic and exquisite locations to make your fairytale wedding a dream come true.  

Planning a high-end destination wedding in Scotland requires meticulous attention to detail and careful planning throughout, from the choice of venue and accommodation, to the finer details to elevate your big day to a magical experience for you and your guests.

To make the planning process a little less overwhelming, we’ve shared a handy checklist using our years of experience from planning large luxury weddings in Scotland for couples near and far…

Photo credit: Caro Weiss

Wedding checklist for 12 months out

Determine your budget

The first step in planning your dream wedding is deciding on your overall budget. Consider the luxury you want to infuse into your special day and the price tag that comes with it. For large destination weddings, it’s often a good idea to consult a financial advisor to ensure everything is aligned with your overall financial goals.

Decide on your guest list 

Alongside setting your budget, deciding on your guest list is another important first step to make when planning a wedding. Creating a tier system is a great way to refine your guest list from your immediate relatives, to more distant friends or associates who you want to be present on the day - particularly if you’re planning a large wedding with hundreds of guests.

Hire a wedding planner

This is an essential for a luxury, large-scale wedding - and even more so if you’re organising a destination wedding from overseas. With an experienced wedding planner, you can tap into their years of experience and knowledge of local vendors to make planning a luxury destination wedding less overwhelming and bring your vision to life.

Decide on a wedding insurance package

Large-scale destination weddings take a huge amount of money, so it’s crucial that you protect your finances. Taking out wedding insurance gives you financial protection should you need to cancel or rearrange, or if one of your suppliers face financial difficulties. This gives you a protective cushion so you can plan your special day without any fear of the unexpected.

Choose your wedding venue and date

Next, you want to make sure you’re setting the scene for an unforgettable wedding by choosing the perfect venue not just for your ceremony, but for the reception, rehearsal dinner and any pre and post wedding day celebrations. Scotland has a multitude of venues to choose from, whether you prefer a luxury hotel in the capital city, an elegant country estate or a historic castle.

If you want to reserve multiple venues over the course of your multi-day celebrations, make sure you do your research and ensure your chosen locations aren’t too far apart to make travelling easy for your guests.

Book your caterers

Of course, no luxury wedding would be complete without incredible food and plenty of beverages to toast the happy couple. For a destination wedding in Scotland, opting for cultural cuisine on each day of your celebration is an excellent nod to the beautiful location you’re tying the knot in. From high-end catering to fine dining with a custom menu, sommelier services to bespoke cocktails, there’s a lot you can do to ensure your wedding is an unforgettable experience for your guests in terms of the food.

Photo credit: Colin Ian Ross

Wedding checklist: 8-11 months out

Decide on your music and entertainment

The entertainment options you choose for your wedding can really elevate the occasion to the luxurious event you’ve dreamed of. For music you could choose a live band or orchestra, a high-end DJ or even a celebrity performance, while for entertainment you could have a firework display, an owl meet and greet or a whisky tasting experience - the sky really is the limit.

Make sure you have some variety for each day of your destination wedding celebrations to create an unforgettable experience for you and your guests.

Book your photographer and videographer

When going to the lengths of planning a large-scale destination wedding in Scotland, you want to invest in the best photographer and videographer to capture all the special moments during the course of your entire celebration. Consider drone footage for breathtaking aerial shots of your venue, a film photographer for a vintage look and feel to your wedding photographs, or a high-end videographer to capture the movement and moments in their full emotional spectrum.

Decide on your theme and formality

This is when your wedding planning starts to tackle the finer details. For a luxury wedding, having a clear theme helps to elevate your celebration to an elegant and carefully considered event for you and your guests. Decide on your preferred colour palette, aesthetic, flowers and even any custom installations that resonate with your story as a couple. 

Say yes to the dress

For a luxury  destination wedding, it’s not just about having an incredible wedding dress for your ceremony - you want to ensure you have showstopping attire for each day of your celebration that suits your personal style. Consider high-end designers for a one-of-a-kind gown or suit, multiple outfits and any traditional attire you want to incorporate - and remember to book final fittings for you and your bridesmaids 1 month before the big day.

Photo credit: Colin Ian Ross

Wedding checklist: 5-7 months

Book accommodation and transport

Accommodation is a key consideration for a luxury wedding in Scotland when you’re travelling from afar. Ensure you and your guests are well looked after for the duration of your destination wedding with five-star hotels or resorts - ideally where you can book a block of rooms or an entire property. If your ceremony and reception are at separate venues from the accommodation, arrange transport such as luxury cars or limousines to make getting there just as opulent as the day itself.

Organise beauty and hair stylists

To ensure you look flawless for your wedding and the days surrounding it, book a professional hair stylist and make-up artist for you and your bridal party. For added luxury, consider any specialised treatments before the big day and make sure they’re booked well in advance. It helps to have a vision in mind for your chosen look and find a team who can meet the brief perfectly. Most bridal parties arrange hair and makeup trials with their chosen professionals, so they can test out different looks before the big day.

Order your invitations

When planning a destination wedding, it’s important that your invitations not only look impressive, but have all the travel and accommodation information provided for your guests, and are ready to be sent out well in advance. Don’t forget to start collating the addresses of your guests ahead of time to ensure you can send the invitations out as soon as they arrive!

Decide on your table settings and order your wedding cake

For a large-scale wedding, it’s essential that your table arrangements are well considered and combine high-end luxury with a touch of personalisation. Choose a table shape and size that will work for your number of guests and venue, select the linen and chair style, liaise with an expert baker who can bring your chosen wedding cake to life.

To ensure your celebrations are infused with elegance, consider the smaller details such as custom place settings and additional rental needs, such as ornate chinaware, custom glassware, utensils and napkin fold.

Photo credit: Colin Ian Ross

Wedding checklist: 2-5 months out

Ceremony personalisation

At this stage, you want to make sure all the personal details are taken care of; from the ceremony programme, menus, table cards, and any stationery you want for your wedding day and the days surrounding it, to the officiant, any readings for the ceremony and your song list. Decide on thoughtful wedding favours for each of your guests and any special displays you want to incorporate throughout each day of celebrations.

Confirm travel itinerary and book flights

By now, the finer details of your destination wedding should be decided, so at this stage you should confirm the timings of your rehearsal dinner and any finer travel arrangements for your guests, and get your flights booked for your wedding celebration in Scotland.

Organise the details of your wedding attire

With the dress bought, it’s important not to forget the accessories that create the full ensemble for your most unforgettable outfit. If you’re sentimental, purchase your veil and organise something old, new, borrowed and blue, order your wedding lingerie and other essentials such as shoes and jewellery for you and bridesmaids. Don’t forget to purchase any accessories for the groom too, such as a shirt, tie, cufflinks, pocket squares.

1 month to go

Confirm any outstanding details

With the wedding day fast approaching, you want to ensure that all the little details are finalised to make your destination wedding the unforgettable multi-day celebration you’ve dreamed of. Confirm toasts and speeches, make sure you order the right beverage quantities, pick up your wedding bands, review your ceremony details and seating plan and confirm all your appointments and transport.

1 week to go

Pack for your most memorable trip

After all your planning and preparation, it’s time to pick up your wedding dress and pack your cases for your dream destination wedding in Scotland. Don’t forget to wrap your bridal party and groomsmen gifts and include a heartfelt note, provide vows to your officiant and print off your final guest list, vendor list, contact details and wedding day timeline just in case. If your guests are travelling from afar, it’s a thoughtful touch to arrange the delivery of welcome baskets for their arrival.

Ready to make your dream destination wedding in Scotland a reality? Our expert wedding planners are here to help make it happen…