Destination Weddings are on the rise and becoming more and more popular. Many couples just want to skip all the detailed planning at home and have a wedding consultant at a beautiful resort in a romantic location do all the work for them. I can’t say I blame them and destination weddings can take the stress out of wedding planning!
As a travel agent who has helped plan a lot of destination weddings throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and places like Fiji, there are several important factors to consider when selecting the perfect spot for your destination wedding.
The first thing you have to ask yourself is whether or not you want/expect your family and friends to be a part of this special occasion. If the answer is yes, then you absolutely have to not just pick a destination and resort based on YOUR budget, but you should consider your guests and what you would expect YOUR GUESTS to be able to afford. Do any of your prospective guests have children? If so, then you will want to consider a family resort rather than an “adult only” or “couples only” resort like Sandals or Couples Resorts where often a destination wedding can be free even if no guests stay at the resort. Along the lines of budget, you need to consider which cities most of your guests will be flying out of and look at how expensive airfare is to your destination of choice. The easier and more affordable you make it for friends and family to attend, the more will!! If you want to have a smaller and more private ceremony, then somewhere like the Fijian Islands is a fabulous choice providing you pick the correct time of year for weather.
Other factors to consider are the requirements in each destination for getting married there. Some destinations require 4 or 5 days residency before you can be legally married and they usually do not count the day you arrive, weekends or holidays. So if you have a limited timeframe, then you might consider somewhere like Jamaica where 48 hours is required and the day you arrive counts. Other factors to consider are requirements like blood tests (Mexico) and translation of wedding documentation in countries like Dominican Republic.
When I work with couples planning a destination wedding, I usually go through these factors right off the bat so we can eliminate spots that won’t work and get right to the best options that fit what the couple is looking for. Budget and time of year you want to get married are some of the other things that play a large role in finding the best spot for a destination wedding. We have three Royal Chairman’s Club Sandals Specialist in the office and we each have planned many destination weddings all over the world from Tahiti and Fiji to Hawaii, Mexico and the Caribbean. Give us a call if you need help picking the best spot for your destination wedding. We are happy to help take the stress out of the planning any way we can. You can reach us at www.totemtravel.com or call 1-800-321-7907 and ask for Patty, Sandi or Linda.