THE FUNDAMENTALS OF PLANNING A MOUNTAINTOP WEDDING

We aren’t going to lie to you: there are countless lists with the top 3, 5, 18 rules you must follow for a destination wedding. So, we are going to keep ours to what we consider the fundamentals for planning a destination wedding: mountaintop edition.

HIRE A PLANNER

Bottom line: don’t be a hero and plan your own mountaintop nuptials. Local planners are going to know the fine print for all resorts, know all of the local vendors and have an in on the pack mules needed to get your deluxe tent up the side of the mountain.

VISIT OFTEN

Even with a planner, plan for 2 or 3 site visits. Focus the first on making your major decisions such as venue and menu. The second should focus on secondary items like flowers and photos. The third should be all about experiencing first-hand how your guests will enjoy your locale.

ELEVATION MANAGEMENT

Weddings at elevation can leave your guests winded and drunk! Alcohol in the blood interferes with hemoglobin's absorption of oxygen, so drinking can magnify the effects of having less oxygen at higher altitudes. Make sure you leave time for your guests to adjust to the elevation before throwing them into an activity and depending how high up you are, consider having an oxygen bar on hand! Encourage your guests to stay hydrated. And, help them manage the impact of booze on high by serving weaker drinks and smaller pours on the first night.

BACK IT UP

Mountain climes can change on a dime, so make sure you, your guests and your venues all have back-up options no matter the weather. Bring layers if you're celebrating into the night. And be sure your venue can hold up if the weather's a fright.

And, now for some of our favorite top 3, 5, 18 lists (and forgive some of these are from bridal sources!): Conde Nast, Martha Stewart and Real Simple.