I know that the wedding industry and Hollywood like to pretend that every woman’s dream is to plan a wedding. But for a not insignificant number of us, the real reaction to getting engaged goes something like this. “OMG we’re engaged, yay! Oh wait, I have to actually… plan an event? With like venue searches and menu tastings and day-of-timeline planning? NO THANK YOU.” And then you begrudgingly start your Googling, while daydreaming of a world where everything is taken care of for you, and decision fatigue never happens. Maybe with a beach. And one of those drinks with the little umbrellas.
It’s easy to assume destination weddings are more complicated and cost prohibitive than traditional weddings. Because anything involving a tropical location and unlimited drinks must have some kind of catch, right? Except, surprise! It turns out that destination weddings can actually be the more chill option. And even more surprising? Sometimes they’re the more affordable option too. So if you’ve just started wedding planning and are feeling like maybe putting together a big event isn’t for you (but you still want to have your closest people there when you get married), we’ve partnered with DestinationWeddings.com to give you five reasons why it’s totally okay to ditch your plans and run away somewhere warm.
One for the money, two for the show
If you had to guess how much the average destination wedding costs, how much would you guess? $20,000? $30,000? Try a lot less than that. The average DestinationWeddings.com wedding costs $10,000. I KNOW. How is that possible at a place with its own swim up bar? Because destination weddings work differently than normal weddings. Most all-inclusive resorts are already set up to provide you with unlimited food, drink, and entertainment, so they’ve got the infrastructure for a wedding built in. Plus, since you’ll already be in a lovely tropical location, you can roll your wedding budget and honeymoon budget into one. (Some resorts even offer an extra few days for free to the couple getting married, so you get a mini-moon built into your wedding package at no cost.)
People, Places, and Things
I once photographed a wedding for a couple getting married in Puerto Rico. Their sole reason for choosing a destination wedding? Complicated family dynamics. They knew with a destination wedding, they could keep things small and that their guests would be entertained and out of their hair. Which brings up an important point: destination weddings can actually be really awesome for guests (and as a byproduct, really good for your stress level). Let’s be real. Traveling for a wedding anywhere that’s not within driving distance is already complicated. Sometimes it costs more to fly to Kansas than it does to get to the Caribbean. So if most of your guests are already flying in from out of town, they may be thrilled at the idea of getting a vacation out of the deal. And that goes double for out of town guests with kids. Lots of all-inclusive resorts are kid friendly, with special kid zones and even babysitters on hand. On the flip side, if you’re looking for a convenient excuse to keep the guest list small, a wedding in Mexico might just do the trick. (What? I’m not judging.)
Speaking of people, here’s a hot tip: wedding vendors are always talking about how much they love to travel, which means they are usually willing to waive some or all of their travel fees to go somewhere they’ve never been before. So if you’ve got your heart set on that super cool photographer across the country, there’s no shame in making that work for you.
Let’s Talk About that Catamaran Tour
The week before a wedding is usually intense, jam-packed with errands, last-minute projects, and general running around. Which means there isn’t a whole lot of time for… fun. But the days leading up to a destination wedding? Think snorkeling with your boo or taking a catamaran tour with your guests. So while you might spend the same amount of money as you would on a more traditional wedding, there’s also the opportunity to get way more fun out of it. And when you book with DestinationWeddings.com, they throw in a $200 credit toward cool excursions to do with your best people. All I’m saying is… I have a lot of far away weddings to go to this year, and if one of them involved the option of sailing along crystalline waters while jamming to Beyoncé and sipping champagne, I wouldn’t complain.
#Lazygirl planning for the win
If choosing a venue and doing menu tastings is sort of your personal nightmare, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that picking table linens and place settings is probably also high on the list of things you’d rather not bother yourself with. No worries, because with an all-inclusive resort, you don’t have to think about any of that. Their complimentary wedding packages usually include everything you could ask for (ceremony decor, reception space, music, chairs, linens, etc.). All you have to do is pick option A, B, C, or D and boom, all your decisions are done. And with DestinationWeddings.com, the planning service is even included at no charge. Plus, how much do you really care about napkin colors and place settings when the beach is your backdrop? Answer: none.
So if you’re ready to give up on planning a wedding, but still want… a wedding, and you’d prefer if said wedding cost roughly $10,000, then it might be time to reframe how you think about destination weddings. And then let someone like DestinationWeddings.com do the heavy lifting for you. Because that’s straight up what they are there for.
This post was sponsored by DestinationWeddings.com. DestinationWeddings.com is a one-stop destination for all your wedding planning needs. Their all-in-one packages include exclusive savings starting at $4,570 (and up!), and better yet, their services are 100% free of any service charge. Choose from top resorts in amazing locations, and even get credit toward fun adventures and excursions. They’ll do all the boring stuff for you. Click here to start planning your destination wedding with DestinationWeddings.com today.
