Many spouses-to-be dream about saying their vows with the sand between their toes and the ocean at their backs. Some of the most picturesque weddings take place in tropical island locations and the possibility of having this dream wedding is becoming more and more accessible. Many major Caribbean resorts are adding one more aspect to their repertoire: a destination wedding planner. With so many resorts jumping on the destination wedding band wagon, how can you be sure you are getting the location you want without even having been there?
Here are a list of do’s and don’ts when planning your destination wedding.
Do:
- Look into the resort’s activity options and make sure it is suitable for your guests (ie: kid friendly, available expeditions, etc).
- Check into weather patterns for the dates you are considering.
- Get to know the resort wedding planner and make sure you can see eye to eye on details.
- Keep in mind that destination weddings can be less expensive. On average, destination weddings cost $17,000 for 100 guests and receptions cost 41% less than receptions for traditional weddings.
Don’t:
- Don’t plan to make everyone else happy. You will never succeed if you are trying to accommodate everyone else. Plan according to your tastes and everyone else can follow along. After all, this is your wedding.
- Don’t expect everyone on your invite list to attend. Even fewer people who are invited to destination weddings, as opposed to weddings at home, actually attend. This can be related to cost, time away from work, and many other factors that come into play when it comes to taking a week off for a wedding.
- Don’t be thrown off by the easy going vibe of the island people (namely your planner, and others involved with the wedding). They are professionals and have likely been doing this for years.
Top 10 Favorite Destinations:
1. Hawaii
2. Jamaica
3. Mexico
4.Tahiti
5. St. Lucia
6. Italy
7. U.S. Virgin Islands
8. Aruba
9. Las Vegas
10. Bermuda
Top 10 Most Affordable Destinations:
1. Mexico
2. Las Vegas
3. Florida
4. Jamaica
5. Dominican Republic
6. Bahamas
7. California
8. Hawaii
9. Canada
10. Poconos