We plan a lot of destination weddings here at Mindy Weiss Party Consultants. A lot. We’ve been around the world to some exotic locations but we’ve also seen a rise in more domestic destination wedding locations this year. I love a good wedding weekend filled with activities and events, regardless of where it’s at. A destination wedding extends that celebration and we all know I love a good party. If you’re considering a destination wedding but still on the fence about it, consider these 5 reasons to host a destination wedding (and a tip or two to go with them)!
1. Your guest count is usually smaller. Fewer people will travel for your wedding than attend at home. If you were hoping for something more intimate, this is one way to achieve it. You’ll also find you have less obligation to invite co-workers or people you aren’t as close to since the expense and ask you put on a destination wedding guest is much higher.
2. Your celebration can last longer. My favorite perk of a destination wedding is that everyone is together for several days in a row. That means multiple parties! This can impact the budget so keep that in mind. Hosting a welcome party, a rehearsal dinner that includes everyone, the wedding day and a post-brunch (in addition to an activity or group excursion or two) keeps the party going for days. When the wedding day flies by so fast, why not enjoy the experience a little longer?!
3. You get to vacation with your favorite people in the world. This is an obvious one! How often do you get to go on a vacation with your extended family and best friends!? Big bonus to get to travel together. Though be sure to take your honeymoon without them, even if you’re simply changing cities, hotels or islands in the area.
4. You get the chance to expose your loved ones to something different. If you’ve selected a destination wedding because of your love of travel or the place, you know how enriching it is to experience other cultures and countries. But not everyone invited to your wedding appreciates it the way you do. This is a great opportunity to open the eyes of others to places, experiences, beauty and cultures that you love. To see it through their eyes for the first time is such a gift, and one that doesn’t always come with wedding planning.
5. Your budget might be better off. Of course it all depends on your choices. But typically if your guest count drops, so does your budget. If you get married in a country where the cost of goods and services are much less than the US, then your money goes farther. Keep in mind the costs of hosting multiple events however and consider spending that budget on experiences instead of more people if you’re going the more intimate route.
If a destination wedding sounds daunting, remember, you don’t have to go far to have a spectacular experience. My team and I have been producing more and more regional destination weddings this year. These are just a few hours away, sometimes even a drive distance for the families. Places like Las Vegas, Montana and Colorado have amazing venues and resources without anyone needing a passport or a second language!
Are you considering a destination wedding for your big day?
xoxo,
Mindy
