Choosing Your Ideal Destination Wedding Location

Choosing a destination for your destination wedding is, needless to say, one of the most important things. Once you’ve chosen a location, all the other details will start to fall into place and planning your wedding will become more about co-ordination and communication than anything else. In fact, that’s one of the major benefits of a destination wedding, once the location is chosen there is very little for a bride to do but take care of the fun stuff, like choosing your attire, while someone else takes care of the rest.

First, you’ll want to sit down with your fiancé and brainstorm to come up with a wide range of possibilities. Though most men still shy away from planning when it comes to traditional weddings, you’ll likely find that he’s very interested in discussing the choices for your destination wedding. You’ll want to define your choices by your mutual interests. For instance, surfer couples might be keen on a trip to the North Shore. It’s also important to dismiss choices that won’t fit both of your needs. If he is the type who burns in five minutes flat and you’ve got your heart set on sandy beaches, there is going to be a bit of compromising to be done. In this particular case, finding a destination with beaches and a temperate climate is going to be a top priority. Ceremony induced sunburns and honeymoons do not mix well.

Most couples planning a destination wedding are choosing to do so because they want a more casual approach to their wedding day than most traditional weddings dictate. Some crave the simplicity of a destination wedding, but want to maintain a level of elegance. Which category you fall into will influence your destination choice. You are less likely to find more refined options in more remote locales, so it’s something to consider when narrowing down your list.

Of course, you don’t have to limit your choices to exotic destination wedding locations. There are some phenomenal wedding sites within North America that you might want to consider. There are beautiful vistas in the Rocky Mountains that would be a perfect backdrop for your wedding vows, and adorable chapels in the Arizona desert that might be just what you are looking for. Some of these locations will have full service weddings and others will require a bit more work on your part. If you are planning a destination wedding to make your workload lighter, then you’ll want to avoid those locations where you’ll have to put significant time into ensuring all the details are attended to.

Once you’ve figured out your wants and desires as a couple, it’s time to talk about your guests. Strictly speaking, guests are expected to pay their own expenses to attend the wedding; however some couples will spring for airfare and accommodations for parents or special friends that they consider essential to the celebration. You’ll want to decide if that applies to you and if your budget can handle the expense with each of your destination choices. You’ll, of course, only want to invite guests that you really want there. Some couples are tempted to invite just about everyone they can think of, assuming that many will not attend due to the costs. However, this can backfire badly if you really didn’t want them there as many will use your wedding as a good opportunity to travel to an exotic destination.

Once you’ve determined your criteria for your dream setting, it’s time to start researching the options, comparing the choices and making the final decision. From there you’ll be able to establish your to-do list, set your date and really start working towards making your destination wedding dreams a reality.

Some potential destinations to consider:

If you are considering a tropical location for your destination wedding, the Sandals Resorts and Spa’s are a great choice not only because of their multiple locations in the Caribbean, but also because they are all-inclusive and can be a cost-effective, wonderful, carefree, escape not only for you but your guests as well. At any Sandals destination wedding location, your wedding coordinator is also complimentary.

A new alternative that many brides and grooms are now considering are cruise destination weddings. What could be more fun or romantic than sailing to different ports of call in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Mexico or Europe, and then getting married in the port of your choice? Carnival offers wedding packages to fit every budget as well as both on-board wedding nuptials or shore-side exchange of vows at various ports of call, based on where their ships are sailing to. They offer various packages to meet differing couples desires and needs.

If you are looking for something more along the lines of a mountain resort setting, or a more traditional setting within the continental United States or Canada, then check out the many locations that Westin Weddings offers. They also have fantastic beach locations in places like Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, and St. Maarten as well, so don’t necessarily rule them out for a great beach wedding either.

Best Wishes! And don’t forget to come back and post a comment telling us about your great Destination Wedding! We want to hear all about it!