Congratulations, you’re engaged! This is such an exciting, and overwhelming, time in your life. Make sure you take some time to soak up the bliss and excitement, but remember that there are lots of decisions to be made. The idea of running off and eloping in a destination wedding can seem very tempting and like a quick way out of all the planning… but is it the right decision for you? Today, we’re going to look over the pro’s and con’s of having a destination wedding or elopement and whether or not it’s a good fit for you and your beau!
Guest List
Have you always pictured having a big wedding? If so, a destination wedding might not be the right fit for you. Chances are, travelling to a destination may not be in the budget for everyone on your list. At a minimum, you’re looking at multiple days of hotel, food, and travel expenses which all add up pretty quickly. If you’re only planning on having a few select guests, it’s still important to make sure they’re willing to spend the money to make the trip. Nothing is more heartbreaking than missing the ones you love most on your big day.
Budget
There’s more of a budget factor here than you may think. Smaller wedding does not necessarily equate to a cheaper wedding, especially if there are travel expenses involved! Some couples opt to combine their honeymoon with their destination wedding, which can be a good option, but be sure you really look at all the costs beforehand. Having a ceremony at a destination resort most likely means selecting from a variety of preset packages, which means there’s less wiggle room in the budget.
Traveling
Traveling is so much fun, but travelling for your wedding adds a certain level of stress. There’s not much room for error in your packing! If you’re headed to a remote destination and forget your wedding shoes or earrings at home, you’re most likely going to end up getting married without them. You’re also constrained to certain sized and weighted bags, unless you’re willing to pay some extra fees. Most flights will have a certain amount of space for hanging bags (i.e. your dress/tux) but it’s best to call ahead in an attempt to guarantee the space.
Planning
A lot of the planning is out of your hands with a destination wedding. Most likely, you can’t actually be on site to oversee things or preview the area. If you’re more laid back, then this is totally fine! But if you’re the type of person that likes to oversee and be involved every step of the way, this may not be for you. You’ll also have to potentially deal with not being able to have the exact vendors you would like. As we said, a lot of destination resorts offer you a list of packages to choose from, which means you aren’t selecting your own caterer or florist or sometimes even photographer.
Destination weddings can be a blast and absolutely beautiful! Just make sure you’re really reviewing all the information with your partner and closest loved ones before making the final leap.
