Destination Wedding VS Local Wedding

We are having a smaller DW with just close family and friends, and then having a party a few months later once we have pictures and video back. It won't be a second reception (I won't be wearing my dress, so wedding-ish things, no gifts), just a fun party to celebrate with our extended families and for them to see the photos/video.

I like Jessica's idea - showing the video and pictures/slides would be a great thing to have at the party!

I also like Jessica's idea! I know I wouldn't be financially able to travel for most DW's, but I think an at home party can be a great way to compromise!

I'm going to get yelled at by someone here, I'm sure, but... I think the idea of throwing a true party when you get back is a better idea than trying to recreate the wedding (with a wedding dress, bridesmaids, etc.). It's more fun and truly people celebrating and having fun.

For me, personally, I just don't understand DW's. I feel like you should just have your honeymoon wherever you want to go. I am all for big weddings and including all your family/friends. And if your FH really does want that, and wants to have everyone witness the wedding, then he may not want to settle for just having a party with everyone when you return.

I am having a DW, but its a wedding with all the traditional stuff. I am having a ceremony in a church, reception (dj...everything I would have here). We have about 25 Americans flying and 50-75 Italians from Italy attending. For us, instead of having a 350 person wedding in Florida, we wanted an intimate dream wedding for a week. I wanted to spend it with the people I love truly, and the 350 people who would have attended our wedding here would be many of his business associates, distant relatives...all a show.

Plus its going to be like a family reunion for his side of the family. I couldn't imagine doing it any other way and feel so blessed to be able to do it.

To answer your question, It just depends on what you want and how you see your wedding and what Jessica suggested is a great idea. For me, I didn't want to have my reception separate but I can understand why those chose to do it that way. I am lucky because everyone I want to be there will be.

I know everyone considers the only destination to be the Caribbean or Mexico... but there are lots of destinations in the US that could give you the best of both worlds.

you are already willing to entrust all planning to someone you probably won't even meet until you arrive for the wedding. so why not choose a beautiful location that offers your family and friends other options for transportation other than an international flight, or requiring them to stay for at least 3-4 days to make the cost worth it.

the west coast of florida is still on the gulf, warm and beautiful and a sunset ceremony would bring a tear to everyones eyes.

don't rule it out

We are having a DW in the Bahamas which is NOT my honeymoon. We are having a party 5 weeks later when we come back. We are going to show our video of the ceremony at th beginning of the party. We will be having our honeymoon later . It's been so nice not dealing with a lot of the drama I have seen ladies on here dealing with.

Could you have it stream live online? I know they have that on some of the cruise ships? This way they could be still part of it?

My uncle did this for their wedding. The two of them went away and got married then came back and had a reception and showed the video and pictures. I cried and felt like I still got to witness all the love they have for each other.

I am having a destination wedding and we have 40 guests, which I am so thankful everyone can make it. I hope you're able to come to a favourable decision for you two.

Nicole is right.. I live in North Florida, but I am having my wedding in Clearwater, FL which is the west coast of FL. Everyone has to travel, and the beaches there are just like the Carribean. A lot of the hotels and resorts there have really good deals, and it is actually cheaper for us to get married there than locally. We did this because we wanted the opposite effect.. I didnt want to feel obligated to invite certain people, and I surely didnt want people just showing up because they thought they were entitled. By making it out of town, we restrict certain guests. The important people already agreed to travel wherever, so all of our guests will be there.

I also made it on a weekday to save even more money lol. If you give guests enough notice they can save to be there for your big day!

Many of my couples either elope to here or have a small destination wedding (immediate families).

Then when they get back home, they have a reception. And I don't see anything wrong with wearing your wedding attire at that type of reception -- everyone wants to see the bride's gown!

We were supposed to have a small DW in Vegas, but DH kept inviting people so, like, 45 people ended up flying to Vegas to attend our wedding so it didn't end up being small. We got a large suite (two floors!) and just had everyone back to the suite for a reception (we had a caterer bring appetizers and got a cake and did a champagne toast, no dancing, bouquet toss, etc.). I just wanted to be able to casually socialize with our guests. Had we gone to dinner, we'd have been stuck sitting in one spot...

1.5 weeks after the wedding we went on a separate honeymoon by ourselves for a week.

Then on Dec. 7th we had a local reception that was originally meant for those who didn't come to Vegas, but in truth probably half of the people at that reception were also in Vegas... We had a lunch buffet, got a photo booth, and showed the video of the ceremony and a slideshow of pictures from the honeymoon and wedding. I didn't wear the dress again or anything like that.

cont...

In hindsight I wish we had fewer people in Vegas or perhaps did something a little more casual back home (like an open house at home rather than paying for a venue, dealing again with headcounts & RSVPs, etc.). Or maybe planned the local reception even later. We were fussing with getting RSVPs back for Vegas around the same time we were needing to start mailing the invites to the local reception. I WAS SOOOOO OVER DEALING WITH INVITES. After the wedding and honeymoon, I had also run out of steam with planning another wedding-related event...

I've been to a post DW party and totally enjoyed it. Still had that very special celebration feel, even though it was just a bunch of us with a keg, iPod and potluck at a park.

We are compromising…I wanted a destination wedding to Italy and he wanted the big wedding. We live in Northern California so we decided to have it in Sonoma Wine Country instead and keep the numbers to below 100. We are getting a vacation rental for our bridal party for several days before the wedding as well so we can have that destination experience. We love wine country and travel often and feel like it's the perfect way to enter into our marriage. Find something that works for both of you….we did and we are thrilled with what we've come up with!

Our wedding is a destination wedding for just about everyone but US! We are having a local wedding, but most of our friends and family live far away. Out of 110 people on the guest list, 80 are from out of town, representing 15 States and 3 countries. Whew!

We are having a destination wedding that is not too far away. We live in Los Angeles and are getting married in Las Vegas. It is far away enough to allow us to have a smaller guest list, but it is still close enough for our close friends and family to drive there. I was also able to get a hotel block with room rates of $60 and $30 so it is very affordable.

We are getting married in Florida in October and are from Michigan.

Our tentative plan is to do a small beach wedding and maybe BBQ after if the place we are staying at allows it. We're inviting 30 people at the MOST to this. Hoping to cut it down to 20.

Then when we return do some kind of party for everyone else at home. Not a full reception with dinner/cake etc. but cocktails and hor d'ourves. I do love the idea someone mentioned about showing pictures/video at the party after.

I'm having a local wedding but I have had an uncle as well as my FHs friend has done a destination wedding with a reception afterwards. Both of them happened to choose Vegas and then later had the reception which turned out fine and that is the best way to incorporate the two.