By Laura Tracy for The Travel Exchange
Congratulations on getting engaged! How wonderful for you and your betrothed that you have made the decision that you want to spend the rest of your lives together. It truly is an incredible thing to do and you are both so lucky. Enjoy the rest of your beautiful, perfect night, because everything is about to get crazy.
Time to get started: If your dream has always been a big, extravagant wedding, and you like the stress of getting everything organized, hearing endless complaining, encountering unexpectedly rude behavior from family and friends (so you really can’t say anything), and having to negotiate the strong preferences (and personalities) of two families, then this article is not for you. By all means, enjoy. If you have often looked at your guest list and thought “I only really want to celebrate with half of these people” or “really? who cares what color the table linens are?” well then read on…..
Time to get started: If your dream has always been a big, extravagant wedding, and you like the stress of getting everything organized, hearing endless complaining, encountering unexpectedly rude behavior from family and friends (so you really can’t say anything), and having to negotiate the strong preferences (and personalities) of two families, then this article is not for you. By all means, enjoy. If you have often looked at your guest list and thought “I only really want to celebrate with half of these people” or “really? who cares what color the table linens are?” well then read on…..
| 250 guests….and counting: The guest list is one of the most difficult parts of planning a wedding. You have this magic number (based on most reception site requirements) and whether you are under or over, it can be very stressful. I have heard friends tell me that there were at least 50 people at their wedding that they didn’t even know! By planning a destination wedding, your options are more open ended because more of those “polite” invites are not going to plan their vacation around your wedding. |  |
Going to the chapel: Sometimes it’s just not that easy. Between navigating religious requirements, ceremony rehearsals, site fees, officiant fees, who to invite to the rehearsal dinner (and someone ALWAYS gets mad), and so on, your blessed event could start to feel a lot less bliss and a lot more frustration. What could be better than having someone worry about all of that for you? Essentially, just show up with the dress, lol.
Nice little extras: Having a destination wedding can make it easier for you to show appreciation to your guests who made it all the way out. Leaving things in their room, a welcome reception in place of a rehearsal dinner, late night s’mores on the beach, the possibilities are endless. But whatever you end up doing, it will be much easier since you know where everyone will be!
Get there and stay there: What a relief to not have to worry about transportation for you OR your guests. No need to worry about limos or buses or even hotel shuttles.
Get there and stay there: What a relief to not have to worry about transportation for you OR your guests. No need to worry about limos or buses or even hotel shuttles.
Let someone else do all the planning: You will have a destination coordinator, but why not get a travel agent also. Most travel agents would jump at the chance to help you with your wedding booking and, since it is technically group travel, they will likely go above and beyond to ensure that you and your guests are happy. By hiring a travel agent, you get the added value of not having to worry about yours or anyone else’s travel arrangements for the value price of $0 (travel agents are paid by the supplier). The other nice thing about having a travel agent is that they do not work for the resort, so you could use them to get some honest feedback or even advice before you pick a final destination. They can also help setup group excursions and transportation for extra fun that may be out of the resort contacts prevue.
Get out your checkbook: Not really! A destination resort has an interest in wanting you to get married on their property because it is a guaranteed group booking. Often times they will offer you freebies, your group a discounted rate, special meeting rooms and other free perks, and even help you keep the ceremony and reception costs down. Don’t be afraid to ask about those specials because the financial savings is the biggest perk of a destination wedding!
One final tip: This is not just your wedding, this is your guests’ vacations. So be a little understanding about folks wanting to spend some time with you while you are all there together, but make sure to plan an exit. Consider actually starting your honeymoon a day or two after your wedding on a different island or at a different resort. This way people are not offended that you want some alone time, you deserve it!
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