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Just Said Yes February 2022

Destination weddings: good or bad idea?

Ashley, on February 7, 2020 at 12:31 AM Posted in Planning 0 9

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My fiance and I have no idea where to have our wedding since we have friends and family scattered throughout the US. We recently went to a wedding expo and found info on destination weddings... we want our family and friends to come to our wedding but don't want to favor one side over the other.. another thing to consider is cost. The lady at the expo made it seem more realistic to have a destination wedding for the amount we planned to spend (which is not that much).. yeah, we were also surprised. Well long story short... we are torn. HELP. We could use the advice!

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9 Comments

Latest activity by Pirate & 60s Bride, on February 7, 2020 at 10:04 PM

Super February 2020
Andrea · on February 7, 2020 at 2:24 AM
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We are doing a DW in Hawaii. And honestly minus the travel and accommodations it is a lot cheaper than having a wedding in LA. Since it is a DW we decided to keep it small, so we aren’t spending tons on a reception. But instead we are gifting travel and accommodations to our immediate family. It’s a mini-vacation and wedding.
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Super March 2020
Jennifer · on February 7, 2020 at 7:28 AM
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We are having a DW in Sedona,AZ for the same reasons you mentioned. I didn't want to get married in a barn and unfortunately that is the most common venue around us so traveling was our best option. I didn't find it to be much cheaper than a wedding back home but it gives me the opportunity to expand our vision and go outside the norm for our area. Another thing to note, a lot of people can't make it. Our guest list will be about 20 but we have to be okay with that!
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Legend November 2019
Caytlyn · on February 7, 2020 at 7:38 AM
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Destination weddings are typically cheaper because you're passing a large portion of the expense on to your guests. Unfortunately, it seems like most of your guests are going to have to travel either way, so you may as well choose a destination that you love.
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Master November 2022
Chrysta · on February 7, 2020 at 8:43 AM
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We decided to do a DW for the same reason- we have family & friends spread all throughout the U.S. We figured no matter where we chose to have it, a lot of people would have to travel... so why not give them somewhere fun to travel?! So far, everyone is super stoked about it?
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Master May 2019
Cyndy · on February 7, 2020 at 10:37 AM
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We had a DW and didn’t find it to be cheaper necessarily but it was great. We knew our close friends and family would come no matter where we had it. That’s definitely something to consider
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VIP October 2020
Ingrid · on February 7, 2020 at 11:17 AM
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We're having a DW in Jamaica because its ending up cheaper. I was nervous to bring it up to my fiance because his family is in Ca where we reside. But he was completely on board. I thought it would be a mini vacation for everyone but quickly found that many immediately came up with excuses why they couldn't go early on even with a 2.5 year notice. It deflated me for a while but I'm getting over it and focusing on me, him and our children being there.
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Expert October 2021
Megan · on February 7, 2020 at 12:49 PM
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Weddings nowadays are much more difficult in general than in the days of old. not only are they much, MUCH more expensive in general, we've added in so many Pinterest-worthy elements with the internet/Instagram that spike the prices. On top of all of that, because the world has gotten smaller (we all move around the country/the world and stay connected through the internet), almost all weddings are Destination Weddings for SOMEONE on the guest list.

DW used to be thought of as incredibly rude (plus, unpopular, since you usually just married the boy/girl next door and all your family still lived in the same town anyway), but that's obviously not the case anymore. Caytlyn is right that DW can be cheaper because the financial burden is typically lessened on the bride/groom side and put more onto the guests due to travel and accommodations onto top of attire, gifts, etc. I agree that you should go somewhere you love for your wedding, but keep in mind that popular vacation destinations are often going to be more expensive for everyone (you AND your guests) then, say, meeting in the middle of the US, or choosing a beautiful but less-populated destination or an off-season destination. That will help bring costs down for everyone.
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Master September 2018
Jennifer · on February 7, 2020 at 1:58 PM
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If I had to choose to be a guest at a destination wedding or one close to my home I would choose destination. I would esp love it if it was to a place I had never been to!
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Legend March 2017
Pirate & 60s Bride · on February 7, 2020 at 10:04 PM
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Beware that DWs are very expensive for guests (I’ve declined about 1/2 the DWs I’ve been invited to). You may get a high decline rate. And good hosting at a DW is proving extra (a welcome dinner, or paying for breakfast, I’ve even been to one DW where the couple paid 1 night of the hotel).

We ended up doing a micro DW (15 guests) because it would have been too expensive for us and our 40+ guests. We had a local reception a few months later.
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