Skip to main content

Deciding what to have for dinner is hard. So many elements go into the decision: time available for cooking, ingredients in the fridge, which picky family members will be eating the meal, and general interest in cooking dinner at all. This is much like wedding planning. But so much bigger! Faced with dozens of decisions like this everyday, the potential stress associated with planning a wedding can be much more daunting. To lighten the load, we love the idea of having a destination wedding. For a solid handful of reasons a destination wedding can be less stressful, cheaper, and a ton of fun. If you’re considering if a destination wedding is right for you, here are the top six reasons why we love destination weddings.

1. A destination wedding is potentially much cheaper

Weddings in the US heavily vary in price with the median cost coming in at $33,900. This number is broken down by state in the 2019 study from The Knot. Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah are the three states that come in slightly under $20,000. Rhode Island is the most expensive with the average wedding costing $49,800.

A destination wedding, however, can be significantly cheaper. The average cost of a destination wedding in Mexico comes in at $8,000 with many resorts offering packages far below that. Jamaica boasts similar numbers. For those planning a wedding on a budget, a destination wedding may save thousands simply because of the lower cost of goods and services in some foreign countries.

couple on beach

Most resorts offer packages for those looking to get married on property, and this often comes with a few free nights or extra perks during your stay on the property.

We often have the impression a destination wedding will cost much more than one nearby to home, but it’s likely the exact opposite. 

2. Your honeymoon is included

Imagine walking into your favorite restaurant to find that tonight is a buy one meal, get one meal for free night. Pretty great deal, right? A destination wedding is similar – but on a slightly larger scale. It’s a wedding and a honeymoon wrapped into one! The cost of your flight, accommodations, and all the extras are serving two purposes with a destination wedding, rather than just one.

Ordinarily there’s the whirlwind of wedding activities, followed by frantic packing, and hopping on the flight to your honeymoon. However, with a destination wedding, the two are wrapped into one nicely packaged present.

champagne wedding couple

If there’s concern your honeymoon at the same destination as the wedding won’t feel special, go ahead and move resorts or head to a new location nearby. Many of our favorite tropical resorts for weddings like Sandals have many properties in each location. Consider checking out a sister property. Or change rooms, like upgrading to a dreamy overwater bungalow

3. All-inclusive is the ultimate celebration

When it comes to taking the relaxing path in life, it doesn’t get any better than all-inclusive vacations. Take that one more step to an all-inclusive wedding where almost everything is taken care of for you. You won’t be calling up the catering company the night before, nor wondering why the flowers haven’t arrived yet. An all-inclusive package ensures all of the arrangements are taken care of.

You and your wedding guests are left to enjoy the benefits of the resort’s amenities and perks of all-inclusive from drinks to meals to activities.

4. More time to celebrate

Most modern weddings include a small handful of celebratory days, if we include the pre-wedding events. The event itself, however, only spans half of a day at most. A destination wedding is likely many days of celebrating with your closest family and friends.

bachelor party

Beginning when everyone arrives, there’s sure to be a “get to know each other” gathering, followed by numerous meals and activities together. Instead of one event, almost everything for a few days before and after the big day will be a celebration of the new couple. 

5. Less stress with planning

The options upon options and decisions to make about a wedding leave some couples feeling daunted and overwhelmed. Rightfully so, we might add. There’s a lot to consider when planning a wedding. A destination wedding takes away a ton of these, especially if you’re opting for one at a resort. Packages will come with just a few options, instead of the dreaded 800 options.

There’s also less stress in planning given that most people prepare for a destination wedding with guests really far in advance. Couples can leisurely pick and choose the details of menu, cake, and flowers in less of a frantic rush to get coveted spots with a popular vendor.

wedding celebration

Logistics for a destination wedding are often much simpler and easier to manage, ensuring your wedding is a positive experience, rather than an overwhelming one.

6. Memories of a lifetime

We’ve all been to all sorts of weddings from the “highlight of the year” kind of wedding to the “is it rude to leave right after cake?” kind. Not only is having and attending a destination wedding the best wedding of the year, it’s often the best vacation of the decade.

Think about how you feel on vacation versus at home. More relaxed on vacation? Check. More present in the moment on vacation? Check. Ready to make great bonding memories on vacation? Also check.

Sri Lanka destination wedding

We don’t need to tell you that everyone loves vacation. A destination wedding is an excuse to get the people you love to vacation with you, ready for the most ideal conditions to make memories that will last a lifetime. You might even get people out of the country for the first time ever!

A destination wedding is assured to be talked about for years to come. It’s a way to make amazing memories. The kind that ends up on canvas hung up the hallway, written about in the holiday card, and cherished forever.

Wondering if a destination wedding is right for you?

We understand it’s not always a straight-forward decision when weighing the options of a wedding close to home versus a destination wedding. Each option has pros and cons for many couples. Above are six of our biggest reasons why we love destination weddings, but the reasons why one might be the right choice for your wedding could be totally different!

If you’re weighing options, get in touch with us and we’ll offer any and all expertise we have on the matter! Combined, we have decades of experience with finding the best location for each couple’s special days. 

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.