Like any new bride, you’ve probably flipped through the pages of a bridal magazine and fantasized about the destination weddings featured inside. The examples are numerous. There’s the couple exchanging rings at sunset on a Tahitian beach, the scuba divers who somehow declare ‘I do’ through snorkels, and the bride clad in ermine who marries her prince at a Michigan wedding as snow rains down around them.

If these scenarios sound more enticing to you than a traditional wedding at your local place of worship, go ahead – take the chance. Build the destination wedding of your dreams and realize that every season is destination-wedding season. Unlike the stereotypical ‘June’ bride, you are free to marry on Christmas, New Year’s or even Halloween. You are only limited by your imagination.

The following tips should help you as you further plan for your destination wedding.

• Take full advantage of any on-site help. Coordinating a wedding in Jamaica may seem difficult if you are back home in Michigan, working a 40-hour week and dealing with a fiancé who knows nothing about planning a nuptial event. However, the best event planner can completely remove the stress from the situation. For example, if you are planning to wed at a resort, ask to speak with the events director. These people are often extremely talented and detail-oriented, and you may have fewer details to iron out than you ever dreamed imaginable.

• Destination weddings that turn into extended vacations are a welcome respite for your guests. Don’t expect people to fly hours to reach your Italian villa or hillside winery and then turn around and leave the next day. Plan events leading up to and following your wedding day, or at least give people information regarding local happenings. You’ll receive many more RSVPs of ‘yes’ this way.

• Make a list and check it thrice. Leaving your garter back home may not be that big of a deal, but leaving your dress is. Ensure that you have every item you need to make your wedding go off without a hitch. Then check your fiancé’s suitcase yourself to make sure they do not forget anything either. You can trust their word, but a hurried future husband who forgets your wedding ring on the bedside table is not going to start your new union off right.

It’s always the season for destination weddings. Planned correctly, yours will be one that your guests will rave about for years to come.