Destination Weddings

Betsy and David were excited to be getting married. What they weren't excited about was the hastle of pulling together all of the details involved in pulling off a wedding. This left them with three options.

• Grin and bear it.
• Hire a wedding planner to take care of everything.
• A Destination Wedding.

The chose the destination wedding and it turned out to be the perfect choice - for them. They got married on a perfectly manicured lawn ringed with volcanic rocks, palm trees, and orchids against a back drop of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. It was almost like a fantasy.

But that's not the real reason it worked out for them: The real reason it worked out for them is that with a destination wedding couples tend to be more focused on the big picture as opposed to the details. In a wedding in an exotic or far away locale you have to let someone else take care of the details. Indeed many exotic locations may have only two florists, one caterer, and three photographers. With a destination wedding you have to let go of these details and accept things as they are. This allows couples to view the event as a fun-filled get-away - where they're getting with only a few guests to help them celebrate this most beautiful time of their lives.

As a matter of fact, destination weddings often turn into a combination wedding, honeymoon and a family reunion vacation all wrapped up in one.

There are several downsides to destination weddings to consider before you make your decision:

• Your guest list is severely limited.
• You have to be able to relinquish control over the details of your wedding and be happy with whatever the planner / hosting company provides you with.
• Cost. While a destination wedding sounds great, the reality is that the expense makes it impractical for most people. At the very least you will have to give your guests ample warning so they can budget and schedule a the trip. But in many cases the bride and groom end up footing much or all of the cost for all of their guest's travel expenses. Ouch!

For these reasons, weddings in exotic locations tend to be more popular with older couples who can handle the financial burden and are less interested in the guest list and wedding details than they are with making memories with their loved ones. In Betsy and David's case, this option worked because they are not detail oriented people and a destination wedding by the sea with their family and closest friends was the best memory for their wedding day that they could imagine.