Simple Destination Weddings
Destination weddings are a popular choice for many couples, because they combine the marriage ceremony with a dream location. Destination weddings come with a few challenges as well, including more expensive travel for you and your guests and the need to plan the wedding from afar. However, not all destination weddings need to be complicated. You can still plan an incredible destination wedding and keep it relatively simple.
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Benefits
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Simple destination weddings have a number of benefits. The wedding site doubles as the honeymoon destination, so no additional travel or planning are required. Destination weddings tend to be smaller because of the guests' need to travel.
Having fewer guests means lower overall costs compared to what you might expect to pay for a well-attended wedding held in your hometown.
Popular Destinations
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People get married all over the world, but some locations are more popular than others. California and Florida beaches are popular sites for simple destination weddings for U.S. residents. It's generally cheaper for couples to travel within the United States than to other countries, and they do not face as many legal issues as they do abroad. Paris and Hawaii are also common choices, though they tend to be more expensive, mainly due to travel costs. But, the more expensive the wedding travel costs, the more simple the wedding can be because the guest list is smaller. Cruise ships are another popular option. They are simple because you do not have to worry about lodging and meals, which are included with the cost of your cruise.
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Legal Issues
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One of the more complicated aspects of destination weddings is the legality of the marriage. Different states and countries have different rules for what makes a marriage legal. To keep things simple, many couples choose to get married in a courthouse before they leave for the wedding destination.
Planning Considerations
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Many couples choose to simplify the wedding planning by hiring a wedding coordinator who lives and works in the destination area. The coordinator helps couples choose vendors, venues and other details, and can make good recommendations based on budgets and experience planning similar weddings. The Internet makes planning from afar easier, as you can view photos and communicate with vendors electronically. One popular strategy for planning is coordinating travel arrangements. Depending on the wedding size, a couple can charter an airplane for guests or consult with a travel agency to set up airfare and hotel costs in one package, so guests only pay one set price.
Downsides
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While many couples desire a simple destination wedding, they are not ideal for all situations. Couples who wish to have a wedding with 50 or more guests usually do not choose destination weddings, mainly because most guests will not come to the site. Couples on a tight budget also tend to steer clear of destination weddings since they must pay for their own travel and hotel costs.
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References
- Photo Credit winter wedding on beach bride groom image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
