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With “traditional” wedding costs once again on the rise
more and more couples (not to mention moms and dads) are looking at
Destination Weddings as a romantic and unique alternative to that “big
event”. When couples sit down and really take into account what “the
wedding” really entails they can see why the Destination Wedding has
become so popular over the past decade.
First you have the aforementioned $18,000 to $24,000 average
cost - Let’s say our pay-your-own-way couple could get away with just
$12,000 … Does that include the Rehearsal Dinner – not a chance! …
Add anywhere from $350 to $3500 for the Rehearsal Dinner – let’s say
they spend $1,000 … Does that include the Honeymoon – not even
close! - Add anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 (with an area average well
over $4,000+) so let’s use $4,000!
So our pay-your-own-way couple or the parents of a wedding
couple can, jointly look at easily spending anywhere from $17,000 to
$35,000+ once the rice and confetti clear…and that’s NOT looking at
some of the more elaborate affairs that often will double these numbers!
With all-inclusive resorts growing in sophistication and popularity over the past 20 years, the Destination Wedding has come into its own. Realizing how popular and affordable these special events can be, many of the “all-inclusives” now include a basic wedding package
FOR NEARLY FREE when you and your wedding party stay at their resorts.
If you’re not really familiar with the
“all-inclusive” concept, at the better resorts it means your stay is
“all-inclusive” with your accommodations, all meals (generally from
at least 3 to 6 restaurants on property), all beverages (that includes
everything from soft drinks, through beer, wines, champagne and all
other alcoholic beverages), water and land sports (skiing, sailing,
scuba, tennis, golf, et al), all tips (no tipping allowed at many of
these resorts), all taxes, room service, nightly entertainment, and at
some resorts you
also have spa treatments included plus even laundry and dry
cleaning included!
The advantage of an all-inclusive destination wedding? Well, for starters, with everyone staying on property the cost of the rehearsal dinner is INCLUDED, the cost of the wedding is
INCLUDED, the cost of the reception is
INCLUDED (unless you want something even more extravagant than what is usually offered at these great resorts) and then the cost of the honeymoon is…well, you’re already there, aren’t you?
Couples generally offer friends and family options of 2-night
to 7-night stays (pay your own way please) while often including in
“cost of the wedding” the wedding couples travel and accommodations
for at least a week, the cost of two sets of parents for 3 to 7 nights
(many parents also see this as an opportunity to take a vacation or
second honeymoon of their own) and either pay for their one or two best
friends to travel or at least supplement the cost of the best friends
trips.
Suddenly you have a unique, romantic tropical wedding for fractions of pennies on the dollar – you can have as many friends and family as want to participate (nearly all of them at their own expense) and you will have everything planned and done for you with nearly NO
STRESS and NO
STRAIN
on your part. This is likely why so may encore brides absolutely LOVE the idea of a destination wedding.
If you plan far enough in advance (let’s say six months to
a year) you will find many more of your friends will be able to plan
vacation time around your wedding date. We see nearly as many weddings
with 20 to 40 additional guests as we see the smaller 3 to 5 couple
wedding party.
What does it take to have a destination wedding?
First you want to find a great travel agent who knows FIRST
HAND the destinations and resorts being offered. This same travel agent
should also have extensive destination wedding experience, and it sure
doesn’t hurt if the agent also knows the on-site wedding coordinators,
the on-site managers, etc. SECOND, you should be able to sit back and
relax – the agent and the property management will handle 99% of all
your work and requests.
Where can you go?
Well, the most popular all-inclusive destinations include
Jamaica (number one by far), St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Kitts, Nassau, the
Yucatan (Mexico from Cancun to Cozumel including the Mayan Coast) and
then the Turks & Caicos, St. Johns and finally Fiji.
How about the most popular time to go?
June through September traditionally have the most inexpensive charter
flights to many of these destinations and afford couples the opportunity
to invite many more people at a much lower cost to the people invited.
Following the summer months November is the next most popular time and
then “high season” which runs from Christmas through Easter each year.
Where do you get married?
Generally you will have a number of choices for the wedding
ceremony. Most resorts offer you the beach, a wedding gazebo or special
garden area of the property. Some resorts offer indoor facilities while
one we know of has a beautiful yacht. While you can always make a
selection before you go, many sites will have the wedding coordinator
meet with you the day after you arrive and walk around the property with
you to show you all of your choices!
Is the marriage legal and accepted in the U.S.?
You bet it is! As long as it has been handled properly from
this end (and your travel specialist should know all the requirements)
and as long as you meet the basic requirements of the country or state
you are getting married in, the wedding is legal and recognized in the
U.S. (and as long as you are planning a wedding at one of the
destinations mentioned in this article). You will have different
restrictions in different countries but for the most part your paperwork
needs to arrive at your resort at least 30+ days prior to the event and
the wedding couple must arrive at least 2 days prior to the wedding
(some destinations require “2 business days” which means weekends
don’t count).
Is a destination wedding for you?
If you think this is really a great idea STOP for a moment
and start thinking about the immediate families. All too often the bride
and groom think “this is the way to go” and then have an awful time
with the parents who want it to remain local, or with friends who
don’t feel they can afford to go. Once you believe the destination
wedding is right for you make sure you discuss this with friends and
family and get their input… it’s amazing how may couples are paying
their own way but are pressured by family to have a wedding the way the
family wants them to have it.
Do you need additional people with you to make the
wedding legal?
No, you sure don’t. Many of these resorts
provide you with the officiant, witnesses, music, flowers, photography,
cake and champagne as a basic NEARLY FREE. Optional
items may include an expanded photo package,
Videography, live musicians, additional flowers or floral
displays, or specially prepared meals.
What about a cruise ship?
Can we be married on a cruise?
Can we get married by the captain at sea or in a
port-of-call?
The answers are yes, no, yes or maybe! While a cruise is
generally not really an all-inclusive destination (tips,
shore-excursions, beverages, etc. are almost always extra) it’s close
enough to add to our list in this article.
YES you can be married on a cruise ship but you must be
married BEFORE the ship sets sail from its American port of embarkation.
Dozens of couples every week are allowed on their cruise ship before the
rest of the passengers; they are also allowed to bring anywhere from 8
to dozens of friends and family onboard for the ceremony. Then those not
taking the cruise disembark prior to sailing. These weddings are seldom
free but are always very inexpensive (usually just a few hundred
dollars).
NO the captain can no longer marry you. You will have to
acquire a marriage license from the state the cruise ship is leaving
from (you can do this through the cruise line or your travel agent). The
captain will, however, most often than not have a cocktail party for the
newlyweds (shared with other newly weds on board).
YES you can get married in a number of ports-of-call but only
IF you have met the requirements and made the proper plans for the
wedding prior to sailing. This can be difficult and sometimes
frustrating… and then there is the MAYBE… the MAYBE
means that even if you plan to be married in a particular port-of-call
and even if all the requirements and planning are complete and you have
everything in order… well, the ship may not stop at the destination it
is scheduled to stop in!!! Every year dozens of ports are by-passed or
itineraries flip-flopped due to bad weather or other unusual
circumstances. This cannot be predicted but does happen, which means you
may have a wedding planned but just can’t get there! The smart money
says “don’t plan on getting married in a port-of-call during a
cruise”.
While the more traditional wedding and wedding plans still
reign supreme and are unlikely to be replaced by the Destination
Wedding,
more and more couples are learning just how easy,
hassle-free and fun a destination wedding can be. So if you are
looking for something a little different, a lot easier, more cost
effective, and a
whole lot more fun you may want to look into the
warm nights and tropical breezes-side of weddings… the Destination
Wedding.
End of Article
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