5 Things I Love About Destination Weddings

I'm writing this blog sitting here on my couch, exhausted after a late-night flight back from the Dominican Republic. I just spent the last five days in Punta Cana as a guest at a wedding. I dare say that it was one of the most enjoyable weddings I have ever been to, which is a pretty bold statement coming from a wedding planner. There are a lot of considerations when deciding whether you should have a destination wedding. So I decided to share a few things I love about destination weddings.

1. The Adventure

This point is an obvious one, in my opinion. I love to travel, especially to places I have never been to before. So to get to go to a new country, especially and participate in one of my favorite celebrations, is a win-win in my book. Usually, with destination weddings, you're staying for more than just a few days to get your money's worth out of the trip. So there will be time to explore the area and participate in a few excursions. For example, while we were in the Dominican Republic, we swam with sharks and stingrays, walked the ruins of La Romana, and toured the capital city of Santa Domingo! Experiencing the culture was probably my favorite part of the entire trip, excluding the wedding, of course.  

2. Intimate Guest List

This one may seem like an insignificant point, but having a smaller guest list saves you money and really lets you focus on the people in your life that can make it to your wedding day. Now don't get me wrong, I know you'd love to have every single member of your family, every person in your sorority, or on your soccer team; but in the end, the few people that surround the two of you with love on your wedding day will make it as exceptional as you envisioned it.

Destination weddings are expensive, not only for you but for your guests. The expenses of traveling to the destination alone may be too much for some of the people you invite. When planning, be realistic about the number of people you should be expecting. This isn't a bad thing! When you have a large guest count, it sometimes takes away from the special moments you share with your new spouse because the two of you are focused on pleasing your guests and spending time with everyone there. Take the opportunity to really enjoy the company that surrounds you in love on your special day. 

3. It's A Package Deal

This point goes hand in hand with the first point. Since you're typically taking more than a few days in the destination location, couples tend to combine the wedding and their honeymoon in the same place. Which I think is an excellent idea! Take advantage of it and ride the high of getting married in a cool location. Take the time to explore it as a newly married couple and start your marriage on an exciting note! 

4. Quality Time

Similarly to the point about having an intimate guest list, having to entertain fewer people really lets you enjoy the time you have with the few that are there sharing it with you. This is something that I really appreciated as a guest at this most recent wedding. I got to spend a ton of time with the bride and groom and their families. Everyone was invited to dinners, on excursions, and just generally hanging out together at the main resort bar. 

To be honest, I was a plus one to this wedding and did not previously know the couple (kind of weird, right?). I joined my friend who's husband was unable to go the last min because of work, and they could not get a refund for his portion of the trip. When she reached out for me to go with her, I was a bit worried I would be intruding or feel like I didn't belong there, but I decided to go anyway. Let me tell you that those thoughts couldn't have been further from the truth. I was welcomed with open arms, and because of the small number of guests, I made a genuine connection with everyone there and cannot wait to spend time with them again here at home.  

5. Less Pressure 

There are a lot of reasons that having a destination wedding takes the pressure of an actual wedding off. Now, that's not to say that it's less stressful, because it has its own unique problems. Typically some issues that you may run into while planning are not being able to see the venue in person, to have a tasting of cake or the dinner options, having to bring any decorations you want with you, etc. 

In general, though, you get to be more hands-off while planning and turn it over the hands of a wedding planner and the venue coordinator and trust that they know what they are doing. While this may sound a bit stressful to Type-A people like myself, not having to do anything but say "I want this" or "it should look like this" is freeing.    

All in all, I loved the destination wedding I attended as a guest and am stoked to plan destination weddings in the future of my business. 

With Love,

Macy