A destination wedding is by definition a romantic getaway. When Frank and Lindsay met on their way for a destination wedding, they quickly find out that they’ve got lots in common: they hate the groom, the bride, themselves, and everything about the wedding. As the days of the week continue to drag on, their mutual cheerfulness quickly isolates them from everyone else at the party – and when the events of the day continually make them together, their mutual boredom comes out in their arguing. Things heat up when an older couple who knows the couple well shows up at the party late one night and proposes a toast to the happy couple. Things really heat up!
To most new grooms, a destination wedding may seem like the most dreaded thing in the world. They’ve heard so many horror stories about planning one – the disorganized bride, the discombobulated groom, etc. – that they automatically think that things will run smoothly this time. Frank and Lindsay, however, have yet to learn that when things go wrong at any event, it’s usually because the couple didn’t work on it early enough. And when you’re planning a destination wedding – which is probably why they’re going there in the first place – you need to be especially careful that you keep things running smoothly from start to finish.
One of the biggest ways that you can help make your destination wedding run smoothly is to make sure you plan everything long in advance. As mentioned above, by having your reception and wedding ceremony planned way in advance you can significantly reduce your costs. You can also save money by deciding on a place to have both your ceremony and reception, as well as where you’ll have the reception after the ceremony. Many couples who are planning a destination wedding save money by only inviting close family and friends to the wedding and then holding a separate reception at a location of their choice.
Another way you can lower your destination wedding to cost is by not booking everything on hold. Most wedding planners charge fees for them to book everything on hold. They’re not cheap – in fact, if you’re booking several weddings for the same couple, you could easily spend in the hundreds of dollars to get them all booked and ready. And the more weddings you have scheduled, the more you’re going to be paying. If you’re planning a destination wedding on a budget, try to pick a weekend or a single evening that you know you can get all your events booked and set up – and then have the rest of the event booked way in advance.
Finally, when you’re planning a destination wedding you should always check with your city or county to see if any government assistance is available. In some cases, like if your wedding will be held at a park or at a historically significant site, there may be discounts available through the city or county. Also, if your city or county offers discounts for such events, ask if they apply to your destination wedding. It never hurts to ask.
Hopefully these tips will help you cut your destination wedding planning cost down. Keep in mind that it’s not a bad idea to hire a wedding planner for this type of special event. They can take some of the stress out of planning your wedding and make things go much easier for you. But as with anything else, if you do your homework and make smart choices, you can save as much money as possible and still have a truly memorable destination wedding.