A Wedding and Honeymoon all in one!

Planning a Destination Wedding

Looking to cut costs for your wedding and honeymoon? Saving money on a Destination weddings are becoming extremely popular for those couples who want to deter from the traditional church wedding and go for the more exotic (and, yes, frugal)option of having a fun wedding at another location! There are travel agencies that offer great destination wedding savings on package deals for your travel, hotel and wedding accommodations.  Please keep in mind, if you’re planning for a huge affair, this idea is not for you.  Planning a destination wedding involving a large party would be a huge headache; it’s almost impossible to have your friends and families arrange their schedules to accommodate your event.  If you’re planning a small wedding, read on…

Why a Destination Wedding?

Planning destination weddings is great for numerous reasons. The rate of destination weddings has risen in the past few years, especially now that we have entered a recession. The reason for the sudden popularity?

• Budget -friendly for couples who don’t want (or need) the fuss and expense of a fancy wedding.

• A chance for those who would like a small, intimate affair with just close friends and families. Also, friends and family can take advantage of this and use this as a vacation as well.  There are options for the bride and groom where they can have a free honeymoon if the wedding party and families book a certain number of rooms at the resort.

• Blended families? Bring the kids along! There are couples where one or both may be entering their second marriage and may want to have a wedding that differs from their previous wedding.. Resorts and hotels now have kid- friendly activities and entertainment, as well as on-site babysitters to supervise the children, giving much needed privacy for the newlyweds.

• Most resorts now offer marriage services and arrangements, such as on-site wedding coordinator, florists, photographers, catering, ceremony/ reception, marriage license, and officiator.

Before you say “I Do!”

Before you say ” I Do”, please look into the rules and regulations of the marriage laws of the state or country where you plan to marry. Research the laws and ask questions before you plan your destination wedding further. Here are the questions you should ask the travel agent or resort that you’re interested in holding your nuptials:

• How much experience the hotel/ resort has in planning destination weddings.

• The weather; find out the typical climate for the month or season you plan to marry.

• If the wedding location is in a non-English speaking country; will there be English-speaking staff members available to assist you? I can’t think of anything worse to have a wedding where the language barrier prevents you from making your wishes known.

• Will your home state/country recognize a wedding held in another state/ country as valid?

• Are blood tests are required? If so, what documents will you need to bring?

• Is there a residency period before the marriage can be performed?

• If divorced or widowed, will I need proof of documentation?

• What are the destination wedding fees for the event? Are there special hotel rates for members of the wedding party?

This article should help you in preparation of your nuptials. Remember to relax and have fun planning!