Destination Weddings: Are They For You?

Amy and Michael were excited to be getting married. What they weren't excited about was the hassle of pulling together all of the details involved in pulling off a wedding. This left them with three options:

• Grin and bear it.
• Hire a wedding planner to take care of everything.
• A Destination Wedding.

They chose the destination wedding and it turned out to be the perfect choice - for them.

They got married on a perfectly manicured lawn ringed with volcanic rocks, palm trees, and orchids against a back drop of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. Their destination wedding was almost like a fantasy.

But that's not the real reason it worked out for them: The real reason it worked out for them is that with a destination wedding couples tend to be more focused on the big picture as opposed to the details.

In a wedding in an exotic or far away locale you have to let a wedding hosting company or at least a wedding planner in that locale that takes care of the details. Indeed many exotic locations you may not have many options for the various wedding related disciplines because the location you choose may well only have two florists, a caterer, and five photographers. With a destination wedding you have to let go of these details and accept things as they are.

This allows couples to view their wedding celebration as a fun-filled get-away - where they are getting away to some exotic location with only a few guests to help them celebrate this most beautiful time of their lives.

As a matter of fact, destination weddings often turn into a combination wedding, honeymoon and a family reunion vacation all wrapped up in one.

There are several downsides to destination weddings to consider before you make your decision:

• Your guest list is severely limited since most of us don’t have friends and family with the resources to pick up and travel to whenever or wherever they want.
• You have to be able to relinquish control over the details of your wedding and be happy with whatever the planner / hosting company provides you with with a destination wedding.
• You have no opportunity to meet with your photographer in advance to see if his or her personality will set you at ease so your wedding photographs might not be a great value even if the photographer is incredible with the camera!
• Cost. While a destination wedding sounds great, the reality is that the expense makes it impractical for most people. At the very least you will have to give your guests ample warning so they can budget and schedule the trip. But in many cases the bride and groom end up footing much or all of the cost for all of their guest's travel expenses. Ouch!

For these reasons, weddings in exotic locations tend to be more popular with older couples who can handle the financial burden and are less interested in the guest list and wedding details or wedding photography than they are with making memories with their loved ones.

In Amy and Michael's case, this option worked despite being a young couple because they are not detail oriented people and a destination wedding by the sea with their family and closest friends was the best memory for their wedding day that they could imagine.

Destination Weddings