The question has been asked, the ring is on the finger, you’re high with excitement, and then pop – you think about hosting the wedding in your hometown and your bubble is burst. For some, the idea of having a wedding surrounded by hundreds of their friends and family members, while immersed in a familiar environment, sounds like a dream, but if you’re someone who contracts into a stress ball at the thought, check out the following list to see if you’re a good candidate for a destination wedding.
1. You’re a Workaholic
If you’re a constant “doer” it can be tricky to be amongst the physical to-dos of your hometown without knowing how to sign off to enjoy your wedding. I’m such a habitual “get stuff done-er” I was emailing while in labor with my son. So yeah, a destination wedding was a must for me. Getting out of Dodge, or Phoenix, or New York, or wherever you hang your hat, can be the exact prescription you need to fully immerse yourself in the romantic, let your hair down, in the moment, goodness of your wedding time.
2. You Have an Overflowing Potential Guest List
It’s tricky to not send an invite to a buddy who lives a few minutes from your wedding venue, without them getting a little peeved. Save yourself from the hassle of peeved friends by jetting off to a location that will be sure to cull down your guest list to only those that would move mountains (or invest in a fab vacation) to be there for your big day. If you’re still yearning to celebrate with those that can’t make it, throw a simple pre or post wedding celebration near your home.
3. You and Your Honey Have a Special Spot
Do you have a place that seems to peel off every layer of your stress? A place that makes you feel more like yourself? A place that turns you and your fiance into love struck romantics? Yes? Then maybe you should get married there. A wedding can easily turn into business time (and not the fun kind) when you’re in the environment where you take care of business. But, when you’re in your special spot you become more receptive to the sweet drops in every moment of your wedding.
4. You Want Quality Time With Your Closest Friends and Family
The term “your wedding will go by in the blink of an eye” is a cliché for a reason – it’s true. The day flies by and can leave you feeling like you didn’t get to share more than a half hug and a “thanks for coming” with your guests. Destination weddings usually span a minimum of three nights and pluck your guests out of stress and drop them in the blissful waters of vacation, allowing everyone to be more open to fun and bonding – and you’ll actually have the time to join them. And, if you feel bad asking your loved ones to shell out the dough for the travel remember that many of them will already need to travel to your wedding, even if it’s five minutes from your house.
5. You Want to Keep the Party Going
Destination weddings often include a platter of party opportunities like a welcome dinner, rehearsal dinner, reception, and post-wedding brunch. Instead of feeling like you need to jam all your grooving and whooping into one event you’ll get to keep the good times rolling.
6. You Like Doing the Hard Work on the Front End
If you’re considering a wedding over 100 miles from your house you should expect to invest about a year of planning. But, the light in that to-do-filled tunnel is that once you reach the destination, the wedding planner, who is almost always tacked on to a destination wedding, will take the reigns.
7. You Like Saving Money
The average cost of a wedding in the United States is about $26,000. (So, if your destination wedding is in the U.S. the savings may not apply to you- sorry!) But, if you’re going international, say Mexico or Central America, you might be greeted with big savings. For example, my destination wedding on a beach in Nicaragua, with 40 guests, cost $12,000, not including travel fees. And, because we also wanted to honeymoon in Nicaragua we would have been handing over a majority of the travel costs anyways.
