Destination Weddings: Coming to a Wedding Near You!

Destination weddings has been all the rage among wealthy people and celebrities for a long time. Nowadays however, this pleasure isn't necessarily a perogative only for the independently wealthy. It is true of course that most of us can'f afford to spend millions of dollars on our wedding, but as travelling is so commonplace today - each and every one of us can really go for something only celebrities could dream about in the years past.

Not just for celebrities and athletes, destination weddings are becoming more and more popular. There are countless websites devoted to planning them, and a bridal magazine focused solely on destination weddings. What is a Destination Wedding? A destination wedding is when your wedding takes place out of town (often somewhere tropical or romantic), and your guests travel there with you. Popular destination wedding spots include Hawaii, the Caribbean, Disney World and beaches worldwide.

Destination weddings are usually somewhat smaller than traditional weddings, and for that reason it is quite common to have another reception - one for all those who couldn't make it to your actual event - when you return from the honeymoon. For thos participating in the live event, it is popular to also arrange some activities that go well with the location you have selected for your wedding, such as sightseeing, dinner or some kind of adventure. 

Why go for a Destination Wedding?

For some, choosing a destination wedding is a simple as wanting to get married in a special place. For example, a couple who dreams of getting married on the beach, one who wants to get married at the camp where they met in high school, or one who wants to say their vows at a special vacation spot. For others, a destination wedding is a way to both reduce the stress and cost of planning a wedding. Planning is made easy – most resorts that have wedding facilities have a wedding coordinator on-site to meet all of the bride and groom’s needs.

Because you are planning a wedding out of town, the planner takes care of all the details; you just tell them your preferences. Most brides who have had a destination wedding rave about the planning – they have one meeting with the planner (often over the phone) where they pick out everything. It is so much easier (and so much less stressful) than the countless hours that go into planning the traditional wedding. For many couples, the cost of a destination wedding is also significantly cheaper. Getting married at a resort in Hawaii instead of a hotel in your hometown costs almost the same.

But because most couples only invite their closest family and friends (20-40 guests is the norm) destination weddings cut cost by cutting guests. And many all-inclusive resorts have packages that are actually significantly cheaper than those in major US cities.

Many of the resorts available to you actually have lower rates than many you can find in major US cities. But in an effort to cut down on the costs, most people invite only family and their closest friends. Between 20 and 40 guests would be a typical number of guests.