Whether you’ve been planning the wedding of your dreams your whole life, or just began to think about it after you said yes, destination weddings can certainly be intriguing! Like most weddings, when it comes to destination weddings, there are many options for couples out there. You can plan to elope just the two of you and have a romantic ceremony, or have the most extravagant affair with friends and family involved, but there are many factors to consider to know what is right for you.
If getting away to say “I do” is something you are considering, start by having an honest conversation with your partner about budget, expectations, guest list and musthaves for the wedding. If you absolutely must have someone by your side or to walk you down the aisle who has a disability, a beach wedding may not fit. Or if having your grandmother in attendance is really important, but she has health concerns, flying may be out of the picture. Knowing what is most important to you both will start to narrow in on the choices. Other things to consider when contemplating a destination wedding are the number of people anticipated to travel, any issues with getting timely passports, which countries allow certain types of ceremonies (for instance uncommon religions or same sex marriages), weather patterns, and of course - price!
If you really want to get away for the wedding, but are flexible on dates, this can save you precious money! Working with a travel agent to find out who has the best deals based on your parameters can be priceless.
According to Bowling Green travel agent, Christi McGown, owner of Happy Place Travel, there are still many resorts which offer wedding packages, specials, and even free weddings based on the size of your group. Knowing your budget will help to narrow down the options and find you the best deal for your dollars.
HAPPY PLACE TRAVEL
Christi says the most popular locations for Destination Weddings outside the US, tend to be the Mexico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Hawaii. Mexico typically offers the best value for the couple and for guests. Popular travel spots include Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto Vallarta and Cabo. Jamaica and the Dominican Republican also offer many all inclusive resorts with great deals and wedding packages, but flights can tend to run a little more. For the couple who wants to keep guests in one location and have plenty of mingling and group activities, all inclusive resorts are a great way to go. The fees include food, beverages, and resort activities which can help wedding guests plan in advance and know if they are able to make the trip. These resorts normally require upfront payments so it’s important to plan with enough time in advance to allow people to budget, save and get the needed time off of work.
Once you’ve planned your destination wedding location, the details become very easy working with your travel agent and resort. Your travel agent can handle all accommodations for you and your guests and the resort will plan the details of your big day with your wishes in mind. Many resorts have a questionnaire to fill out with your vision and desires for the ceremony, reception and activities during your stay. Once you’ve communicated those thoughts, it is normally very hands off until about 30 days before when they will confirm details. It can make the engagement period very relaxing and stress free. If you really want to make sure everything stays stress free consider bringing your travel agent along as well to help welcome your guests and coordinate the wedding day activities.