So, the question has been popped, you’ve got the beautiful bling on your finger and you’ve started the hunt for your big day inspiration. You’re scrolling through the internet, skimming through pages of wedding magazines and picture after picture is always of one super-smiley bride, bare-foot, wind-swept and flower adorned hair, posing on a pristine beach with the ocean and clear blue sky as her back-drop. A destination wedding: who hasn’t fantasized about it? However if the mere mention of saying your “I do’s” in a far-off idyllic place instils concerns of logistical disasters, guest-list dilemmas, sky-high stress and ski-high cost and “isn’t it too luxurious for the average-Joe couple” apprehension, get ready to think again!
We’ve put our heads together and set our sights on kicking these misconceptions to the curb. Intrigued? We are true advocates for the destination wedding and have put together 10 fabulous reasons why you should choose to pack your bags and jet-set off to somewhere truly special to get hitched (we reckon you’ll love them too):
A destination wedding: who hasn’t fantasized about it? However if the mere mention of saying your “I do’s” in a far-off idyllic place instils concerns of logistical disasters, guest-list dilemmas, sky-high stress and ski-high cost and “isn’t it too luxurious for the average-Joe couple” apprehension, get ready to think again!
The world is your playground
Ever dreamed of a wedding in your own fairy-tale castle, or on a mountainside over-looking the Italian lakes, or walking bare-foot on the pristine white beaches of the Whitsundays (obviously this one is our favourite) – The world is your oyster and you can say your ‘I do’s’ almost anywhere that strikes your fancy! Forget hunting for a beautiful venue – Mother Nature has got it covered! With the location itself so beautiful you simply can’t go wrong!
Tropix Photography
Nearest and Dearest
Weddings simply fly by. From start to finish, the happy couple’s day is jam-packed with taking photos, formalities, catching a bite to eat if you can and jumping from table to table trying to make sure you say hello to every guest. A destination weddings runs to a completely different time schedule: you can opt to spend a good few days with your loved ones, as opposed to just the one day. Now that you have all of your nearest and dearest together (those family and friends who wouldn’t miss your day for the world – no matter how long the flight!), you can actually take enjoy spending some quality time relaxing, talking, laughing and indulging with them!
Lisa Michele Burns
Far from the maddening crowd
Now you have that valid excuse not to invite that third cousin twice removed, your partner’s slightly irritating work colleagues, your mother’s best friend’s daughter… and the rest. A wedding in your hometown means that you feel obliged to invite not only your nearest and dearest, but your “we were kind of close-ish once, a while back” (you certainly don’t wait to appear rude!). A destination wedding however is the perfect excuse to slash that guest list and ensure that you are spending it with those that mean the most to you both. Even if you do invite hundreds, the chances are that ‘unwanted’ guests wouldn’t devote their own time and money to travel, your ‘wanted’ guests will, or will genuinely try – you’ve made your wedding day politely exclusive. Think they will still be miffed? Throw a big post-wedding party when you get back home.
Iconic Bride Photography
Believe it or not – it’s easier!
Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of selecting your centrepieces, finalising your seating plan, ensuring the menu appeals to all and the floral arrangements ‘wow’ all? A destination wedding keeps it all so simple! Leave the actual planning and stressing to a professional – The view provides the ‘wow’, the holiday atmosphere appeals to all, and everything else can be arranged by either your resort (which often have in-house wedding services) or look to hire your own friendly, happy-helper Wedding Planner to take care of all those stressful details so you can relax and enjoy the whole experience!
… Oh also, believe it or not – it’s cheaper!
Surprise surprise, it won’t break the bank! Worried about the looming ‘budget’ and continually rummaging around in your old jeans pockets or under the couch cushions for a few extra cent? Fear not! A destination wedding is cheaper than you think! A smaller guest list means less people for you to feed and shout booze for and finding a destination wedding package can combine all of the necessities required, often with plenty of charming discounts and deals – that leaves you with more money to enjoy your holiday with so you can stress less and soak up that sun completely care-free!
A destination wedding is cheaper than you think! A smaller guest list means less people for you to feed and shout booze for and finding a destination wedding package can combine all of the necessities required, often with plenty of charming discounts and deals – that leaves you with more money to enjoy your holiday with so you can stress less and soak up that sun completely care-free!
Stand out from the Crowd
Rather than struggling to find a hometown venue that your mates haven’t already tied the knot at, there is nothing more romantic and memorable than doing something completely different, somewhere completely different! Not to mention keeping up with the new trends – a destination wedding is fast becoming the fashion of the moment and ‘doing it different’ is the theme of the big day.
Lisa Michele Burns
Give your guests a break…
Give them a holiday!!! This isn’t just attending a wedding, this is the perfect holiday for your guests as well! A destination wedding gives your guests the opportunity take a break, kick-back, and celebrate time with family and friends. Ultimately, everyone will have a blast! Your own wedding will always be the most memorable day for you, and now your guests will never forget either! Plus with your guests around for a few nights together, you don’t just have to have the one party, you can have a different one every night should you wish, just saying 😉
The ‘Weddingmoon’
You both ‘do’, the bride’s been kissed, cake’s been cut and you’ve danced the night away – at this point most couples want to kick off their happily-ever-after straight away and jet-set away for their honeymoon! By having a destination wedding (or ‘weddingmoon’ as we like to call it) the holiday begins before the I do’s. There is no last minute rush remembering to pack your sunscreen and ‘kini’s the night before the wedding day, or rushing to the airport, or even waiting patiently through those tedious days between the big day ending and the holiday beginning. It’s two birds with one stone, you’re already there in your paradise! Plus, lots of wedding packages will be extended to offer upgrades and discounted activities for the bride and groom – let the fun begin!
Your day, Your way
Fancy wearing a bright, short dress instead of traditional white? Want to spend the night before your wedding day getting excited with your fiancé as opposed to being apart? Or don’t see the point in spending precious coin on an elaborate wedding cake when all you really want for desert is ice-cream? Do away with the ‘something old…’ traditions and make it all ‘…something new’! Versatility is always attractive: take liberties with those stereotypical customs (add in some funky new ones) and really make your wedding day unique and perfect to you! A destination wedding provides the perfect excuse to escape the expected – it’s all your call! Trade in your high heels for your thongs, ditch the veil (you look stunning, why should you cover it up!?), the groom need not fear the donning of a tuxedo, the bowtie, performing all those formalities (que the sigh of relief!) – A destination wedding allows you to make your own rules, it your day after all!
A place in your heart
When you plan a wedding in a far-off location, from ‘this day forth’ that place will always hold a special place in your heart! Now you have somewhere to return to for anniversaries, holidays, to show your kid’s and tell them the ‘when we got married here…’ stories. Whether it is a Fiji, Paris, Mexico or Timbuktu, the mere mention of the place will always bring a smile to your face for years to come.
There may be a challenge or two (as with any wedding), but having a destination wedding truly allows you to escape undesirable conventions and ensures you something truly unforgettable!
Have we convinced you?
Wedding trends have transformed in leaps and bounds over recent years. Sure, you can stick to ball rooms and banquet halls, large guest-lists and ‘convenience’ for one and all, but should you want to think ‘outside the box’ and go beyond routine and expectations then the world really is your oyster. There may be a challenge or two (as with any wedding), but having a destination wedding truly allows you to escape undesirable conventions and ensures you something truly unforgettable!