How much does/did your destination wedding really cost you?

Our DW with 51 guests is currently around $45,000.

My DW was not less money. I was surprised at how much I spent and how much my guests needed to spend. In the end, I'm not sure I'd say I'd recommend a DW. I'd probably discourage it.

Also, keep in mind you're probably not getting wedding gifts, or they'd be small, and you might not even have a shower thrown for you because people are going to the DW and spending a lot so that also impacts your net costs too - but in a different way.

Don't do a DW to save money because it's unlikely you will. Do it because a traditional wedding wouldn't make you happy

Also 5k is completely unrealistic - unless the only people you invite are you, fh and your kids. And keep in mind Zika and that certain guests will not travel to places like Mexico because of Zika

@FeliceAKASummer A closer destination might cut down on travel expense, a destination like Cabo could be a great option and many resorts are all inclusive and can offer affordable wedding package. Hope this helps!

I am having my DW in Bahamas and will spend about 18-20k for 32 people, not including airfare and hotel and rings. My stomach turns a little Just thinking of the cost. It would actually be cheaper to have a wedding here in N.Y. with wayyy more guests, but I don't want a typical big wedding. So as many others have said a DW should not be chosen to save money by any means!

I am having a DW in Mexico next summer with around 100 guests and from the options I saw with my travel agent you can definitely do it for $5,000 if all of your guests stay the minimum at the resort (typically 3 nights). You need to find a resort that caters to larger groups where you will receive more complimentary aspects for the size of your group. If you are comfortable with using the more basic package and not adding a bunch of extras you can keep it within that budget. We are having a less traditional wedding (legally married in states and a fun celebration in Mexico) so I avoided costs of a legal ceremony there. You can likely get the basic ceremony set up with decorations and music as well as a 2-3 hour reception with buffet or seated meal and sound system. It would be extra to have a DJ, photographer, etc. so you need to consider what things you absolutely have to have when considering different packages. The trip will be fun and the setting beautiful so you don't need a lot of frills to make it special like you would for a wedding at your home location in a typical wedding venue (IMO)

For me personally, our average travel cost is $1,000/person for airfare and 3 nights (it fluctuates slightly depending on airfare). We are keeping the total cost of wedding below $10,000 (that does not include our travel and accommodations-just the wedding events). We have a welcome cocktail reception the first night, rehearsal dinner second night, wedding festivities the last night. We are arranging a group brunch for the last day but that isn't extra because we are just designating which place and time to meet that morning.

@Brooke- where in Mexico are you getting married? I'm recently engaged and we are looking to have a DW in Mexico in mid to late June. We will also have about 100 guests (possibly more) so I'm trying to figure out what the cost will actually be. It's hard to figure out when looking online since most all-inclusives give you the cost for 20 people, not for 100.

We are in the final stages of our DW in Rivera Maya, Mexico. with travel (flight + 9 nights hotel) will be around $12K. (travel is the biggest line item). there are plenty of ways to cut down expenses though! symbolic ceremony vs. a legal wedding (in Mexico is $1k). resort level (5 star is spendy, 3 star may be more reasonable). some wedding packages include free semi-private meals in a restaurant, or you can upgrade to a private reception. some packages include flowers, etc some do not. We paid a fee to bring in an outside photographer (second biggest line item) vs. hiring a cheaper photographer from the resort.

ETA: honestly - it's all in the resort and the package they offer.

Wedding in Jamaica no guests, Flights and honeymoon for 6 nights $5500.

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Hey Erin.. sorry I just saw this! We are going to Moon Palace Cancun. They give you hours of events based on how many "room nights" are booked in your group. The max is 75 (so 25 rooms for 3 nights) gets you 9 hours of events. We can use 4 one night and 5 the other so our welcome party/rehearsal dinner is Saturday and our ceremony/cocktail hour/reception on Sunday. That includes our basic setup of chairs/tables and food/drink for those events. We have to cover extra decor, photographer, DJ, etc. and those are slightly upcharged given what you get for free so it somewhat balances out but seems to be a good deal still. The resort is huge and that is sometime a pro/con for people but for us it was a pro because we want our group to be able to spread out and have fun on their own since many are staying 4-6 nights to make a vacation of it. We are still in the preliminary planning stages because most things cannot be finalized until a little closer to time but so far I am very pleased!

We chose Cancun because it is the shortest flight for the majority of our guests and we ended up doing a Sunday ceremony since we just finalized the resort in November and the Saturdays we wanted were booked! So some of our guests are just coming Friday-Monday to be there for the actual wedding festivities. We are there Tuesday-Tuesday and have several guests staying longer with us!

Hi im having my DW in DR and I’m surprised with how expensive these weddings are. I have 45 guest and it will cost 15K for the ceremony and the reception only not including hotel and air fair. I hope this can help

Our wedding is for 45 guest and we are a little over 15K. Our wedding will be in Miami Beach, so travel expenses are not breaking the bank. Destinations wedding required for you to find a place that will provide almost everything for you bc you are not there do things yourself. The convenience of having everything ready for you will come at a certain price.

$2500 for a "basic" DW in Punta Cana for 24 people.

We ended up having 80 people and upgraded the location to a beach gazebo, nicer reception area, and added some extra decorations, bouquets, etc, so the total was $9K. Another $4K for DJ, photo/video; $3K for a group excursion the day after the wedding provided by us; then another $10K in expenses such as our flight/hotel for 8 days, my wedding dress, gifts for BM's and groomsmen, hair/make-up, parents gifts, wedding party favors, decorations we brought, etc.

Total around $25K, but if you want it to be basic and small (25 people), you could get away with $5K not including your travel expenses.

Realistically, if we had a local wedding here with 80 people, it would def be over the $13K we spent for the venue/DJ/photo/video. You can cut back on gift and wedding dress expenses no matter if it's local or a DW.

We considered the DW route - and were planning to invite about 30 people and were going to spend about 10k-14k minimum, based on the quotes we were getting.

We ultimately changed our minds and decided to do a wedding at home, are inviting 100 people, and it is going to cost us the same amount of money, possibly less when you factor in what our own travel costs were going to be. I don't think it's worth it for a DW unless you keep it REALLY small or do something really lowkey for you guys and your children.

We are having a DW this July and we will spend about 7,000-8,000 which is what I was expecting to spend.

Both my siblings got married locally and both were 20,000 so my parents are happy with my price lol!

I believe it was the best decision my fiance and I made!

I think it varies from place to place, but for a ceremony service, say in Jamaica or Mexico, I believe the cost to be about $1,200-$2,000 including ceremony, cake and sparkling cider toast (they can't have alcohol on the beach). If you are having a meal or luncheon right after that or an evening sit down, that is extra. They do give breaks on the accommodations when booking blocks of rooms. Logon onto: https://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best-affordable-destination-wedding-spots/

This is the best article from US News that gives the best info without trying to sell you a package. So do read and share.

Here's some advice from Brides.com which I find to be helpful:

1. Choose a meaningful location.

Keep in mind that your destination must have all of the resources you need; that charming beach town where you spent your childhood summers won’t work if it only has one hotel that can’t accommodate all your guests.

2. Notify guests well in advance.

This is one of the most important destination wedding tips. It's important to give your nearest and dearest have plenty of time to calculate if they can afford the cost of traveling to your ceremony and reception.

3. Embrace the setting to save big.

Slash your décor budget by incorporating local blooms — think olive branches and grape leaves in Tuscany or exotic flowers and plants in the tropics — and serve local specialties at the reception, like conch fritters in the Bahamas or carnitas in Cabo, to cut catering costs.

4. Consider your guests.

Try to put everyone in one reasonably affordable hotel. If price is an issue, find a less expensive spot 10 minutes away — 15 tops. Don’t set your date until you’re sure there’s room availability for everyone.

5. Hire a pro.

Make sure to find a planner or coordinator that specializes in destination weddings. This way, instead of spending hours on phone calls trying to overcome a language barrier or making executive decisions about flowers and ceremony site from miles away, you have an expert on hand to take care of it all for you. Or, if a planner isn’t in your budget, look for a resort with a strong on-site coordinator.

6. Visit in advance.

Ideally, you’d see your venue once before booking and again three to four months before the wedding to finalize details. If a second trip’s not possible, arrive at least five days early to make those decisions and do a hair and makeup trial.

7. Pick your vendors in person.

In advance of your first site visit, set up meetings with the better-known florists and rental companies in your destination. But also ask for referrals from your venue on the ground; you might uncover local talent you didn’t know about.

8. Budget for vendors.

If you decide to bring specialists from home, expect to cover their travel and lodging costs; a clean, safe hotel within 30 minutes of your venue is a must. Negotiate these expenses up front so things don’t get out of control.

9. Stuff that suitcase.

I’ve yet to find a destination outside the continental U.S. that has the same quality and selection of rental linens. Shipping overseas is risky and expensive, so I always pack as much as possible into checked luggage.

10. Tailor your wedding dress to the destination.11. Never check your dress.

Always carry your dress on board the plane, even if it means having to fold it. Just make sure someone at the other end can press and steam it.

Having a Cruise wedding in Jan19, the cruise leaves out of Miami and we are getting married in Key West. It is a 4 day cruise and the other stop is Cozumel Mexico. The "wedding" itself is costing us approx. $5.5k which includes a beach ceremony for 40 people (chairs, arch, photographer for 1 hour, officiant, 2 tier wedding cake, 1 bouquet/ boutonniere, speakers for music, brunch at a local restaurant (alcohol isn't included), and transportation for everyone from the cruise dock to the ceremony location.

I'm expecting to spend roughly $15k all said and done but that includes estimated $605 travel costs (flight, taxis etc), $2k for the cruise itself (we splurged and got a more expensive room and paid for the alcohol package), (the cruise itself could cost around $500-$700 if you got the cheapest room), $1.5k for a house 5 days before the cruise leaves for us and the bridal party, $2.2k on my gown and accessories, $2k for a videographer and extra $500 for photographer for more than the hour included - among other little things.

I am obviously splurging on some items and I could have deff saved more costs however we are already saving approx. $15k by doing a DW so it is worth it to me (I live in the Philly area and the cost of weddings are approx. $30k average)

Last note - I am using a vendor from Key West, not going through the Cruise line. When I was planning the wedding the cost through the cruise line was WAYYYYY more expensive however they recently changed their costs which are now less expensive. (my best friends sister went through the cruise line a few years ago and she didn't spend a lot of money - she had the ceremony on the beach and had a short "Reception" back on the ship)

Good luck on your planning and Congrats!

View Quoted Comment 👋🏼 I’m thinking about having my DW in punta Cana as well. I was wondering how much was the final cost and which resort did you use?

hoping to hear from you soon!

Hello there, initial budget was 6k...well, we figure out that wouldn't do since we added uncles/aunts and first cousins - we are getting married in two weeks and out total amount will be $17k (with dress, favors, welcome bags (not necessary but FH wanted to do it), suits... I mean ALL things besides tips are in this amount).

We had a little flexibility but I would have cut a bunch of things if it was up to me.

Some people think that DW are cheaper but in reality it would be way cheaper for us to get married at home - I have found amazing venues with very good pricing for caterer that would be costing less if we had the same amount of people, but for us the place we're getting married has always been "the place" so we made the decision to follow thru with the DW.

View Quoted Comment That sounds like a very reasonable price. What service did you use? I'm beginning to plan my wedding now and that's the price range I'm looking for.

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Hi Megan- I’d love to follow up with you foe more info about the house you rented and the catering company you used for the reception at the house. Can you please share any info you can? We’re having a hard time finding a house that will let us have a party! LoL thanks!