Small destination vs. big & local?

Look at your budget and then decide.

I was in the same boat you're in! I had the hardest time trying to decide. FH was pretty much always team destination wedding but I had a hard time accepting the fact that a lot of people wouldn't be able to come. I felt out people who I knew without a doubt I wanted to be there and when they all said they would be able to make it we decided to go forth with a destination. We are inviting over 100 people, we know that not everyone will come but we are anticipating around 50, so far we have 35 people who have actually booked their trip. My only suggestion would be to feel out your friends and family, if there is anybody who would be a deal breaker if they couldn't come that could help you make your decision. Its tough! Just try to find some reassurance that no matter what you decide it will be amazing

Budget-wise we can really do either one! Even our 'big' wedding wouldn't be that large. More like 150.

We chose destination wedding after ensuring that our closest family and friends could go!

150 is a large wedding. I had 140 and my wedding was perfect, but most people consider anything over 100 to be pretty big. Have you talked to those that you absolutely can't imagine getting married without and found out if they could attend a dw? That might help you.

We originally planned on a traditional wedding at home, but it was never really for us! We talked to the people we would absolutely not get married without and made sure they could make it to our DW! That definitely made things easier for us to decide. We will be getting married on the beach in FL. so happy with our decision!

I scrapped the idea of a medium local wedding (100 or less) for a 7-person DW with immediate family. No regrets, I loved the intimate atmosphere, the location, and the focus on our union instead of a party.

We originally started planning a traditional wedding near home with a guest list of 250. After visiting about 10 venues and realizing that I was stressing myself out way too much trying to make it work with our budget, we decided on a DW. FH wanted to get married in Mexico from the beginning so he was all for the idea. We are now inviting about 90 people. We know that not all of them will be able to make it, but that's ok with us. The smaller beach wedding fits us much better.

I would say, talk to your FH and decide which wedding is a better fit for you guys. If you decide DW, think about the guests you both absolutely want to be able to attend the wedding. Then, talk to those guests about your plans and go from there.

I had dreamt of having a nice big wedding. As the planning starts to get real, I would honestly love to elope. I asked my FH and I got shot down quick. Our wedding is going to be about 300 people, maybe even more. It's extremely stressful, but if you actually have the option to go DW, I would do it.

We had an intimate destination wedding as well. It was wonderful to spend time with our closest family (we had 12 guests come with us). We also loved being able to explore a new place together, and our families really bonded.

I say go for it if you think it's right for you! You can always plan a reception back at home for your extended family and friends to come to.