Destination weddings 101

In this series of articles, we will give you the basics of Destination Weddings.
Written by Stacey Goodale, Travel Consultant, Destination Weddings and Honeymoon Specialist
Congratulations!  You’re engaged!  It’s a very exciting and happy time for you, but also busy and stressful because you’ve got a wedding to plan in addition to your day job.  There are a lot of choices to make about your special day— from big picture decisions, such as budget, wedding venue, and honeymoon destination, to small details, such as selecting the type of chairs, napkins and flowers.  With so much planning and expense involved with a traditional wedding, more couples are choosing Destination Weddings as a way to maximize budget, minimize planning time, and celebrate with family and friends in a unique way.

Part 1 - What is a Destination Wedding and Why Choose a Destination Wedding?
Simply put, a Destination Wedding is a wedding held in a gorgeous exotic location away from home.  

A destination wedding may be right for you if you want:

1.  Stress free wedding planning.  A major consideration for couples is the stress free planning of a destination wedding.  We as your travel agent will help you

• Decide the best wedding location and resorts
• Make suggestions on the appropriate wedding package based on your needs
• Take care of all travel arrangements for you and your guests
• Connect you with the on-site wedding coordinator
• And anything else needed to keep your stress to a minimum!

 
2.  To optimize your budget.  With the increased cost of a formal wedding and separate honeymoon and the time spent planning both, a destination wedding is an excellent option if you want to optimize your budget and spend more time enjoying your engagement and celebrating with family and friends.  

Our trusted resort partners offer several different wedding packages at different price points and provide on-site wedding coordinator to take care of all the details.   Many of our partners offer our clients perks for based on wedding size. Perks can include special wedding check-in for guests, discounted or complimentary group events, late check-outs or special gifts for wedding VIPs.  

3.  A beautiful wedding location. Many couples opt for a destination wedding in the Caribbean or Mexico to take advantage of the beautiful beaches and all-inclusive resorts that are prevalent there.  If you are not envisioning a sunset beach wedding at an all-inclusive resort, then you might consider European destinations. Especially if you have a special connection to a particular country or city. Or, you could choose a US destination, like Hawaii, to avoid overseas travel.  

4.  To make the most of your travel expenses. With such a high level of mobility these days it is not uncommon for the couple to have close friends and relatives dispersed across the US. Since even a traditional wedding often involves travel expense for someone, many couples choose a destination wedding to level the playing field requiring travel for everyone to a popular vacation destination for all to enjoy.

5.  To combine your wedding and honeymoon. A destination wedding as an opportunity to combine the wedding ceremony with the honeymoon, which can be a huge cost savings over having both events separately. At first glance it may seem that having family and friends joining you on your honeymoon would impact the traditional vision of a “romantic honeymoon.”  However, for couples that choose an all-inclusive resort, many resorts have special “romance” amenities included in the cost that elevate the romance factor, such as special turn-down service on the wedding night, breakfast in bed after the wedding night, and couples massages.  

If your resort is chosen strategically you can have the wedding in one section of the resort and the honeymoon in a more secluded section of the resort or you can say your farewells to family and friends and move to a nearby resort for more privacy. All without the extra plane fare.

6.  To reunite friends and family: Destination weddings can often become a de facto family reunion for guests who rarely get to see each other.  Because everyone is together in one location, they can continue the celebration even after the wedding ceremony is over.  For some couples, this time for family and friends to be together is just as meaningful as the ceremony itself.  

If any of these reasons resonates with you, I’d love to talk to you more about how Enlighten Excursions Romance Travel can help you plan your Destination Wedding!  Contact me at [email protected] or call us at 800-672-2919 today!

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