Destination weddings today are what your grandparents called eloping in their youth and, these days, more than ten percent of brides and grooms opt for wedding ceremonies away from where the bride (or groom) lives or grew up.
These away-from-home weddings have grown in popularity since the early 1990s. And because of its flexibility, a ceremony in a foreign or unusual locale is the choice of many for a variety of reasons.
Christina Kosta, editor of "Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine said, "Some couples getting remarried are looking for an alternate wedding style than the formal one they had the first time. Another reason is that couples are getting married later. They've traveled more. They're generally more sophisticated." Even first-time couples, who don't want all the hoopla of a big wedding, are attracted to the often simpler ceremony and less formality of a destination wedding.
And if budget concerns are what keeps you from chosing the destination of your dreams, you'll be happy to know they're actually more affordable.
Since the average wedding currently costs $20,000 it's helpful to know that the a typical destination wedding is $5,000.
How is that possible? It has to do with the wedding size. On average, a destination wedding involves 50 guests or less in attendance. Whereas a typical stateside wedding will have 150-200 guests invited to an elegant reception.
If you think your family and friends will be disappointed because they weren't invited, you can always host a party on your return. And, since it's not an actual wedding reception, you can choose a more casual, less expensive approach to the event.
There are other cost advantages too. Since many of these ceremonies take place in a colorful locale, additional decorations may not be needed. Also, standard sit-down dinners and cocktail gathers usually replace multi-course reception extravaganzas.
And, while you may wish to pick up the tab for your attendants' rooms, they and your guests will be paying for their airfare and other expenses. This, too, results in a huge savings.
Knowing the advantages, are you destined for a destination wedding?
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