Consider the costs (and the guests’ journey)
A wedding budget goes much further in just about Thai city than it might in New York. “It’s not so much cheaper, it’s more bang for your buck,” Jenn says. Still, they knew it was an investment for their 110 guests, about two-thirds of whom would be traveling from the United States, and they wanted to be respectful of that. “It’s always been a dream to get married on the beach. I wanted to do [Koh] Samui, but Samui would be a bit of a trek for everyone,” she says.
So while they were open to many locations, the couple did set some parameters before beginning their venue search: “We wanted a place with an international airport. We wanted to be in a beautiful beach town. And we didn’t want people to have to take a plane and a boat and a bus to get there,” says Jesse. “The travel time is already insane,” Jenn agrees. To make it as easy as possible, they landed on Phuket.
Zero in on a list of nonnegotiables for your venue
Jenn’s parents, who are based in Bangkok, kindly took the initial, in-person meeting with the wedding planner that the couple researched online and ultimately chose, Wedding Bliss Thailand, and they also toured many of the venues the planners recommended. The bride and groom weren’t obsessed with any of them, though, so Jenn made a trip out to tour some with the group. “They just did four days of touring Phuket: every hotel up and down the water, from the north to the south, FaceTiming me every day, calling me every day, sending me videos every day,” Jesse remembers.
They wanted a hotel that could potentially house all of their guests, with enough exterior space that all of their wedding events could be held outside, and which was updated and modern but still affordable. The Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa was that unicorn property. “The Renaissance just ended up feeling like the perfect blend of great hotel, modern services, and really beautiful grounds,” he says. “It was quiet, private—and only a 20-minute drive to the airport.”
Prepare for longer response times
Once they locked in their planner and venue in spring 2022 for their December 2022 celebration, there wasn’t much else to do regarding smaller vendors for a while…which stressed out these two type-A, business-leading New Yorkers immensely. “In the States, everything has to be locked down, planned out a year or a year and half out,” says Jenn. “In Thailand, it’s very quick. Everything is easy and it’s a very fast turnaround.” Their floral arrangements, for example, weren’t discussed until the month of.
Both the bride and groom swear they were the more stressed one, and their spouse handled it better. “I felt like they were responding once every three weeks, every month. It’s just the way they work. Jenn knew that, but I was so not used to that form of slow communication,” Jesse says. “I’d be like, ‘What is happening?! Things don’t feel like they’re in control,’ and freak out constantly.” Jenn’s parents once again came to the rescue, gently reminding the uneasy duo that their Thai vendors were handling everything normally and responsibly, and that their anxiety was uniquely, culturally American.
