Wedding Tips with Caila Quinn: Destination Weddings, Planning during COVID-19, and More

The Bachelor-alum spills the deets on her dream wedding in Italy, her advice for wedding planning during a pandemic, and everything in between.

Last week, we had the chance to chat with Caila Quinn–the Bachelor-favorite turned lifestyle blogger–who just happened to get engaged right before the world went on a synchronous lockdown. Although the timing may have been discouraging to some, Quinn acknowledges that she, and over 800,000 couples around the world, are dealing with finding their own workaround at the same exact time–a subtle nod to her uplifting, and contagiously positive attitude that her nearly 400k followers can attest to.

For the Good: I know that you and your fiance live a busy lifestyle in New York, but with everything that’s happening right now, and living in quarantine, how has that changed your lifestyle? How are you continuing to plan your wedding during this time?

Caila Quinn: It’s been interesting. I think for everybody it’s been a lot of change. We’re lucky because we have our wedding date planned for far out, but the only thing that’s changed for us is that we just have to be more flexible and understanding. I think this time is teaching everyone patience and forgiveness. Everybody is having a hard time–work has slowed down for Nick and I–so saving up for a wedding has been different. Adjusting our budget to accommodate our wedding plans has been different.

FTG: Is there any advice you would give to couples who are in the planning stages but have been impacted by everything that’s happening now?

My biggest advice would be to make decisions quickly. I don’t want anyone to rush into a venue or into any other important decisions, but wedding dates are booking up like crazy. Next year there will be twice as many weddings in half the dates. Really locking in those dates as soon as possible is the most important job right now.

IG: Any tips on planning a wedding in a different state from where you’re from?

FTG: We may be biased, but having a wedding planner who’s familiar with your venues and your location is essential. A lot of times our couples are looking for somebody who has that local insight who knows the in’s and out’s of the industry. Even having a consultation with a wedding planner that’s based in the area that you’re getting married in will give you a good foundation for your research and the beginning of your planning. 

CQ: There are two different options if you’re starting your wedding venue search. First, you can do all the research yourself–I suggest WeddingWire.com–but we found it was pretty overwhelming. The second option is to hire a company that helps your venue hunt. Finding a local who is an expert is a great second option. If you’re planning a destination wedding, getting the expertise from a local wedding planner is the best option.

FTG: Tell us a little about your wedding!

Nick and I are planning two weddings. One in Italy–which is our destination wedding–and one in Ohio two months later–for the family who can’t travel. Both are significant and important to us. The one in Italy is in Lake Como and it’s going to be a really intimate, 60 person wedding. The one in Ohio is going to be about 250 people–which is going to be the blowout bash! I’m going to wear my dress at both–just to give my family the same moment–and maybe change later into something fun.

IG: Why are you having two weddings?

When you’re a bride, there are two different directions you’re pulled in. You’re often pulled in your own dream direction, and what your family dreams for your wedding. Nick and I fell in love as we were traveling during our first year dating in Europe–so it reminds us of when we fell in love. This destination wedding was our dream. My grandparents, unfortunately, are unable to travel, so that’s why we decided to have two weddings. We can have our dream first, and still continue the celebration later and have a wedding in a place that’s convenient for everyone.

Even during quarantine, some people are still having their ceremony for ten people or less on the date that they had, and then they’re having a wedding later. It’s just becoming more common–and you don’t necessarily have to spend more money.

To me, I see no downfall in celebrating our love twice–I would have ten weddings if we could afford it!

This interview has been edited for brevity and content. We also included some of the questions that were asked during our Instagram Live Session that you can find on our IGTV tab on our page.

all photos featured in blog taken by: Stephanie Sunderland: www.stephaniesunderland.com