So you’ve decided to get married! Unless you’re planning a little backyard affair with only close family and friends, it’s time to start planning! But wait. You’ve seen all these amazing pictures on Instagram of celebrities getting married on tropical islands and you’re thinking that’s what you want to do!
Obviously, you probably don’t own your own island (we can’t all be Johnny Depp). So your option is a destination wedding.
Now there are so many options. You can go to Europe, the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda… the options are endless. There are even websites devoted to finding you the perfect destination, resort, wedding planner and package for your perfect wedding. While that’s all well and good, is a destination wedding even right for you?
We’ve compiled a list of pros and cons that you can use to see if jetting off to a foreign country is right for you.
~Pros~
- You can have a smaller wedding and a good reason to go with it.
Are you looking to have a smaller wedding but don’t know how to tell all your friends and extended family that
they’re not invited? This is a helpful way to only have the few people you want at your wedding without making
a million excuses. - Most destination wedding venues have seasoned wedding planners to plan your whole affair.
This takes away from the stress of having to find a planner all by yourself, and paying out thousands of dollars
for someone who may not have any destination wedding experience. - You don’t have to lift a finger to plan the wedding.
If you’re a control freak, this may be the opposite of what you want. But since many destination wedding venues are full service, all you have to worry about is getting there, and getting your wedding clothes and rings. Cake, flowers, set-up, food… they’re all taken care of (depending on your package). - Your budget doesn’t really matter.
Unless you’re having over 30 people at your destination wedding, it is highly likely that you will only be paying a fraction of the cost you would be paying to have a wedding in your hometown. Since everything is through the venue, you’re not paying multiple vendors for every little detail. And there are packages in every price range. - There are more than just a few options.
When you choose a destination wedding, you’re choosing to have all the options. There are so many different countries to choose from, and within each country, tons of different resorts and venues to decide between. You’ll have your choice of what sort of weather your’re looking for, as well as what kind of aesthetic and view. - There will probably be less family drama.
Worried about planning a wedding that is full of family drama? Well, this may be the type of wedding you should have. Not only do they not have a say in what you choose, they won’t have access to your wedding planner in a different country. And, if the drama is simply that bad,you don’t have to invite the drama queens. - It can be both your wedding and honeymoon.
You’re already there, all you have to do is stay for an extra week… or three after your guests have all gone. Some resorts out there will actually include honeymoon time into their packages so that you can stay and celebrate your new relationship status without having to pack up and go somewhere else.
~Cons~
- RSVPs become very important.
You’re about to fly to another country. You need to know ASAP who is coming and who is not. This is not just about food or seating. It’s about hotel rooms. Don’t allow people to wait until the last minute. - You should be prepared for everyone you invited to accept the invitation.
Don’t invite people on the off chance that they will decline. On a similar note, don’t send invites to people you don’t want there. People like destination weddings, it’s a chance for a mini vacation. It is entirely possible that everyone you invite will be there. So use your invites sparingly. - You will have little to no control.
While this is a pro for a fair amount of people, it can also be a huge con. If you have this perfect vision in mind and nothing else will do, a destination wedding is probably not for you. The venue’s planner will have control over everything and there won’t be enough time once you get there to change everything. - If you somehow end up with a bad wedding planner, your whole wedding could be ruined.
You’re probably not going to meet the wedding planner until the day of or day before. You don’t know their reputation or the weddings they’ve planned before yours. If you’re not so willing to trust a wedding planner you’ve never met, this could end up being a huge issue for you. - It could be prohibitively more expensive.
If you’re looking to fly all 100 of your closest family and friends out to a resort, you may end up spending way more than you’ve bargained for. Unless you have a massive budget, destination weddings are best kept to small size… especially if you’re paying for everything. - Issues may arise with health and lack of passports.
Not everyone has a passport and not everyone is well enough to fly. This could cause a rift between family members or friends, not because they weren’t invited, but simply because they can’t come due to special issues. If you give them enough time, they may be able to get a passport, but those who can’t fly because of health related issues? Well, they’ll just have to stay home. - Documentation and legal measures must be explored.
There’s always paperwork involved. Even when you get married in your home country, there’s still a marriage license to apply for. However, getting married in a different country does require some extra paperwork. We won’t get into it here because each country is a little different, but expect to be doing some research on how to make sure your marriage is legal.
So is a destination wedding right for you? Maybe. What kind of wedding you want, the number of people you want to invite, and your family situation could all be factors in whether jetting off to another country for your wedding fun is right for you. Hopefully our pros and cons list has helped you come to a decision. For more wedding tips and tricks, subscribe to our newsletter.
