Short answer: pick the date early, give out-of-town family 9 to 12 months' notice, book a hotel block near the venue, and choose a local coordinator who can be your eyes and hands in Florida. Plan the maticoor (matikor), haldi and ceremony around when most of the family actually lands, and keep one shared plan so the aunties in New York and the cousins in Trinidad all see the same thing.
A lot of the families I work with moved down to Florida from New York, or still have half the family in Canada, Trinidad or Guyana. Here's what makes it easier.
1. Lock the date and tell people early
Flights from New York, Toronto, Port of Spain or Georgetown get expensive fast. Send a save-the-date 9 to 12 months out, with the city and the weekend.
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2. Plan the weekend around arrivals
If most of your family lands Thursday night, the maticoor can be Friday. If they land Friday, consider moving the pre-wedding events closer together. Don't plan an event before the people who need to be there have arrived.
3. Book a hotel block near the venue
Pick one hotel close to the venue and get a group rate. It keeps family together, makes rides easier and means fewer people driving late after the reception.
4. Find a local pundit (pandit), or plan travel for yours
If your family pundit is out of state, you'll need to cover their travel and stay, and check what items they need for the ceremony. Or ask them to recommend someone local in Florida.
5. Get your outfits sorted early
If your lehenga, sari or sherwani is coming from India, Trinidad or Guyana, or from a family member up north, plan for shipping time and alterations here. Have everything in Florida at least a month before.
6. Have one person on the ground in Florida
When you're not local, or your family isn't, you need someone here who can visit venues, meet vendors and run the day. That's what Cynthia does: she builds the plan with you on Zoom, and she's here for the walkthroughs and the wedding weekend.
Our lead planner, Cynthia, learned this the hard way at one of her first weddings, when she was only the decorator. The groom had to drive an hour home for his shoes, and the bride was left alone to decorate, too short to reach half of it, and called Cynthia in tears. "If you hire me as a coordinator and I have assistants, you wouldn't even have been at the location without me or my assistants there," she says. "Something's bound to go wrong. If somebody has to run back to pick something up, you still need hands to get things done."
7. Keep one shared plan
Make one shared document with the timeline, addresses, hotel, rides and dress code for each event. Send the same version to everyone. It saves a hundred phone calls.
8. Make room for the people who can't come
Some family won't make the trip. A livestream isn't something we offer, but your film and a quick teaser help: we deliver a 60-second teaser within 7 days of the wedding, so the family back home sees it fast.
Common questions
How do I plan a wedding in Florida if I live out of state? Hire a local coordinator, do your planning on video calls, and plan one or two trips for venue visits and tastings.
How early should I tell out-of-town family about the wedding? Nine to twelve months ahead, especially for international flights.
Can my pundit travel to Florida for the wedding? Often, yes. Plan to cover travel and stay, and confirm what they need for the ceremony.