10 Reasons to Have a Destination Wedding
ARE YOU CONSIDERING A DESTINATION WEDDING BUT YOU’RE NOT REALLY SURE IF IT’S FOR YOU? CHECK OUT THESE 10 REASONS TO CONSIDER HAVING A DESTINATION WEDDING.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: LEAH DANIELS PHOTOGRAPHY
1.You can get married and say I do ANYWHERE! Big or small!
This is the fun part. If you’ve always dreamed of getting married in Bali, or along a quiet hill in the Irish countryside, or even somewhere in the USA at one of our amazing National Parks this is where you can dream big. You can have a symbolic ceremony anywhere - many locations require you to either already be married legally (proof of a courthouse document), or you can have a civil ceremony there, and you can have a religious ceremony as well. You just need to register with the correct paperwork which is quite easy once you Google your dream location and their requirements. If you have a good TA they can guide you in the right direction.
2.Save Money. Yes really.
Yes, you can really save money here. Many times couples choose to just get married alone (called an Elopement) and they just pick a nice location, some very sweet attire, some florals and they’re done! The most they spend could be on the flights to get there and they can make a fun adventurous day out of it or do whatever they’ve dreamed of on their wedding day… Fancy a ride in a dune buggy sipping champagne!? You can totally do that! Also, if you decide to have a destination wedding in the Caribbean - or really any tropical location - many resorts include a FREE ceremony if you stay a certain amount of nights… like what?!?! Yes, this is totally true! Also, you may have fewer people in attendance so that’s fewer mouths to feed. Win-win!
3.You can have a vacation, wedding, and honeymoon all in one!
This is always the winner for me. You can have an extremely memorable vacation prior to the day you say I do in the most memorable of locations. It’s then followed by an epic wedding day/night, ANNNNND then you get to kick back, relax and enjoy your honeymoon immediately following. All without having to leave the very spot you’re in! Some couples do choose to head off to a different location after their wedding day - but truly you can’t beat not having to leave.
4.You get a dedicated personal wedding planner at the resort/cruise line/location of choice.
Many tropical resorts that specialize in honeymoons and destination weddings have an entire team focused on destination weddings and vow renewals. Once you sign the paperwork a dedicated wedding specialist will contact you and you’ll be able to work with them directly to come up with the wedding of your dreams. You can keep it super simple or you can go all out. It’s their job to make that happen in the most streamlined way.
5.You can earn some serious perks working with a TA! For example, free room upgrades and even money back!
With destination weddings at locations that specialize in honeymoons, destination weddings, and vow renewals they have perks when you fo with a group rate. Sometimes even when you stay a certain amount of nights. When you work with a Travel Agent they will be able to guide you in the right direction and help you get these awesome perks. Many couples get a room upgrade to the presidential suite rooms or receive free nights if a certain amount of rooms are booked in their group, and they sometimes even get money back!! Who doesn’t love the sound of that?
6.Virtually no stress
With fewer people in attendance and the entire event feeling like a getaway/vacation there is a sense of ZERO stress because everything is being handled for you by the staff. Sound good yet?
7.Save on decor/attire and completely customize your wedding day. Save where you want to save.
You can save on decor items because many resorts have bouquets, boutonnieres, and wedding cakes included in their wedding packages. So if your goal is it keep it simple you can choose from a very basic assortment of items, bring along your dress or tux and not even have to wear shoes if you don’t want to! After all, the beautiful backdrop you’ve chosen and some candles really do make for a gorgeous setting. So no need to go all out if you don’t’ want to.
8.Have a smaller more intimate guest list.
Having a smaller more intimate guest list equals less stress. You can also spend more time with those guests instead of feeling like you didn’t get enough time hanging with all of the friends and family you wish you could have at a larger event.
9.Get treated like royalty
When you’re on a resort and it’s your wedding week you get treated like royalty. The entire staff seems to know that you’re the couple getting married and treat you as such. From upgrades to special desserts, massages, and more you’ll feel like royalty the minute you step onto the property.
10.Do it your way.
This is your chance to do exactly what you’ve always wanted to do on your big day. As I mentioned above there is no limit. If you want to get married in a small boat near the Italian Dolomites, you can! If you want to say I do on the beaches of Jamaica with rum in hand, YOU CAN! If a trip through the Hawaiian islands is your dream and saying your vows in the lush mountainside, go for it! You only get 1 wedding day and you should totally go for what you want.
There are so plenty of other reasons to have a destination wedding but these ones take the cake. If I’ve convinced you and you’d like more info on having your destination wedding in the location of your dreams I’d love to chat to help you get started. Click the button below to get in touch with me. I can guide you every step of the way. And if you need wedding photography as well I’ve got you covered in the area too!