Thursday, February 5, 2009

Destination Weddings - The New I DO

by Lisa M. Fondell

Picture a beautiful tropical beach, full of pure white sand against a turquoise background of perfect water. There is a gentle ocean breeze swaying the palm trees. At this moment, all seems right in the universe.

This, for many, is the ideal honeymoon setting. It is also, for a growing number of couples, the perfect Destination Wedding.

Destination weddings are growing in popularity every year, and have become a specialty niche of their own in the travel industry. There are as many reasons for deciding on a destination wedding, as there are destinations to have one.

Cost-Effective

The typical honeymoon accounts for almost 15% of the total wedding costs. By combining the wedding and the honeymoon into one location, you can actually save money, over the traditional wedding and honeymoon.

Both Sandals Resorts and Palace Resorts actually offer basic wedding packages at no additional charge.

Distance Travel

Couples are marrying at an older age than they were 20 years ago. Many times, they have moved away from their home towns for their careers. If both of them are from different cities, the couple is also faced with deciding where to have the wedding.

For couples that have to travel anyway, a destination wedding just makes sense. The wedding party and guests get to attend the wedding, and combine the travel expenses they would have had anyway, with a relaxing vacation for themselves.

One-Stop Shopping

Let’s face it- there is a LOT of work that goes into planning a wedding. Then, you are still faced with planning the honeymoon. A destination wedding is going to cut that planning in half! The best destination wedding resorts have an on-site wedding planner, that will work closely with you or your travel agent to ensure that everything goes just as you have always envisioned.

Your agent and wedding coordinator will help you with everything, the out-of-country marriage requirements, guest arrangements, décor, dinners, and photography, etc.

Once you have decided on what you want, you can turn it over to your trusted planners, and begin to enjoy just being the ‘bride-to-be’.


Popular Destination Weddings

Mexico, Jamaica, and Hawaii, are among the most popular Destination Wedding locations. Also very popular are Las Vegas, Disney, the Bahamas, The US Virgin Islands, and weddings aboard cruise ships.


Second Chances

The high number of couples that are getting married for the second time are also contributing to the rise in popularity of the Destination Wedding. For many of these couples, they feel like they have ‘been there, done that’ with the traditional wedding, and now want something more exotic.

Many of these couples have children, and want them included in the wedding. For them, the Destination Wedding makes sense. Resorts like Beaches Family Resorts not only offer wedding services, but additionally have superior children’s’ programs. Mom and Dad, aka Bride and Groom, can have their family with them, and still have their private time.

Perfection

A dream is something you envision in perfection, and your wedding should be your dream realized.

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