.
.
While planning your wedding is exciting, it can also be very stressful and tiresome. Planning a destination wedding can seem even more difficult, mainly because of the fact that you aren’t actually living in the location where you’d be making all of these decisions for your big day, so how can you make these decisions with ease? Surprisingly, planning and executing a destination wedding actually can be less stressful and benefit you more in the long run.
How is this possible?
There are many unexpected benefits you might not have considered if choosing a destination wedding. And, if you haven’t decided on which route to take yet, here are some surprising reasons why you might want to choose to go with a destination wedding.
.
.
.
.
LESS ANXIETY AND STRESS
The biggest takeaway from planning a destination wedding is that it is overall a less stressful process. Because you have everything figured out ahead of time - where your guests will stay, what places there are to eat, etc. it takes that stress factor out of it. Most destination weddings take place in a resort, where everything is right there at easy access. It makes it easy to remove all of the stress in having to plan out or make suggestions or block hotel rooms.
The biggest takeaway from planning a destination wedding is that it is overall a less stressful process. Because you have everything figured out ahead of time - where your guests will stay, what places there are to eat, etc. it takes that stress factor out of it. Most destination weddings take place in a resort, where everything is right there at easy access. It makes it easy to remove all of the stress in having to plan out or make suggestions or block hotel rooms.
Many resorts and locations for destination weddings make planning a one-stop-shop, so it’s easy because you don’t have to worry about contacting all kinds of vendors. Adam Michaels, wedding industry veteran and owner of the wedding entertainment group Around Town Entertainment, states that “when choosing a destination wedding, couples can let the on-site wedding planner decide on the big things while making the simple decisions yourself. Most of the time, the vendors your coordinator will select are all local companies, so you will have a curated list of choices that make things less complicated.”
.
.
ENJOY THE VACATION / HONEYMOON RIGHT AWAY
Since you will have less stress, you can truly look at the experience like you’re already on a vacation. You can sit back and enjoy yourself while the wedding plans have already been taken care of. Something about being away from home calms you down and lets things just happen. You can check a location off your bucket list and have your wedding somewhere you’ve always dreamed of visiting. Relax and enjoy your time in a beautiful location while focusing on the most important reason for your trip - that you are about to marry your best friend. And one of the best parts is that the honeymoon begins as soon as the ceremony is over!
.
.
.
.
QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR GUESTS
The fact that a destination wedding has everyone in vacation mode not only puts you at ease but your guests as well. Your guests will be able to enjoy the experience, making them ultimately more attentive to the event at hand, because they won’t be rushing off from the reception to do other things since they’re on vacation too.
Typically you would arrive at least a few days prior to the ceremony, so this gives you a few days to spend with your friends and family, giving you real quality time with your guests. Also, since typically destination weddings help to cut your guest list down - they tend to be smaller turnouts, so you’re not rushing from table to table at the reception to try to say hi to each and every person who came. There will be fewer people, which means fewer tables, and less time for you rushing around. You will even have more time to sit down and actually eat!
YOU ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY
You would be surprised to know this is true. But typically the cost is actually less expensive. You can typically fly to an all-inclusive resort for a week and book a wedding for the cost of just over a few thousand dollars, maybe around $5k tops. The typical cost for a wedding nowadays is over $44k! Think of all the money you will save by choosing a destination wedding.
Another way you save money with your wedding budget is with the actual attire. Wedding dresses and grooms wear tend to be on a more casual level, leaning on the relaxed rather than the ultra-formal. Instead of spending thousands just on the dress, you would only spend a few hundred, making it way more affordable. You could even buy more than one dress - for the ceremony and for the reception since it is so cost-effective.
.
.
.
.
ELIMINATES THE FAMILY FIGHTS
Since you don’t have to pick whether to do things the way your spouse’s family wants versus the way your own family’s tradition is, you eliminate any family drama. Destination weddings are unique and completely catered to you and your spouse’s needs, rather than needing to please your family members. You are creating your own traditions and starting your own life together, so there’s no need for the family to give you their input or take control of the decision-making with a destination wedding.
PICTURE PERFECT MEMORIES
While in a beautiful location of your choosing, you’ll be able to fully take advantage of all of the amazing photo opportunities. In your own hometown (or your spouse’s), your areas for photo ops will be limited, and most likely places that have already been utilized many times for special events. But at a destination wedding? You’ll have your pick of the Italian countryside, the white sand on the beach with crystal blue waters, or the amazing sunset on the sound. You have the added ability to get some truly epic shots for your keepsakes.
Planning a destination wedding is not an easy task, but the benefits far outweigh the cons. The simplicity, size of your wedding, and the opportunity to spend more time with those who truly matter are more than enough of a reason to consider this route in your wedding plans. These surprising advantages will have you jumping at the opportunity to make your wedding one amazing and unforgettable getaway.
.
.
.
.
This blog post was written by Donna Maurer
As an experienced content creator, Donna has written about weddings and marriage for numerous publications. She is a newlywed herself and a former writer for a wedding planner; she’s conquered the realm of wedding coordination and is now fully immersed in married life. Donna can often be found sharing the insight she’s learned from past weddings she's worked on, along with anything she tackled in her own planning process.