When you are planning a destination wedding, there are many decisions you will have to make. You will have to decide where you will have the reception and dinner, if you will have a sit down dinner or just a video or live broadcast of the ceremony and reception. The next decision you will have to make is where you want to have your ceremony and reception. Keep in mind, a destination wedding does not need to be abroad (although it can be). A study conducted recently by a university found that most destination wedding events last year took place within the continental U.S., especially in states such as California, Florida, Michigan, New York and New Jersey.
There are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to getting married in one of these top five best destination wedding locations. For starters, some couples may find the location boring and not exciting enough. While getting hitched in these popular places does offer spectacular views of the ocean and other natural wonders, getting married there also means you will be stuck in your choice of romantic settings for your nuptials. Others may not be comfortable in settings that are unfamiliar to them, or unfamiliar with the customs and traditions of their respective cultures. A destination wedding, therefore, also presents its bride with the possibility of having to spend some time away from her family and friends for the duration of the wedding preparations. There is also the matter of privacy and the fact that many couples want an open reception that they do not have to worry about being subjected to intrusive questions from people they do not know.
In spite of these disadvantages, many couples choose to get hitched in these popular but less than exciting destinations. One of the top destinations for best destination weddings is Florida, located on the panhandle of the state. This southern state offers everything from the beautiful beaches to the warm waters of the Atlantic to the warm, humid climate that makes for a wonderful locale for a wedding. Couples who wed in Florida have to look, though, to make sure they do not fall into the trap of choosing one of the hottest spring break spots (such as Mexico’s Marlin Beach, for instance) to get married in.
The best destination wedding locations, as it turns out, tend to be inland locations, like those found in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. These popular destinations provide brides and grooms with a variety of options when it comes to finding the perfect spot to get married in. While the beach is an obvious no-no for a destination wedding, there are still some inland locations that offer ideal venues for this type of celebration. Maryland is a particularly good destination for a destination wedding because of the state’s beautiful stately mansions and gorgeous gardens.
Another factor to keep in mind when getting hitched in a less than exciting destination are your own families’ particular tastes and interests. While the beach is great for many couples, some (though not all) may prefer a more formal venue. Families, after all, can become divided over just which destination offers the best get-together with their loved ones. In other cases, parents may simply not want to attend the wedding, at least out of respect for the individual who will be making the wedding happen. This can serve as a good point of reference for which areas should be considered for a destination wedding; if there is a particular family tradition that you want to honor, this may be an easy way to get that desired treatment, without having to worry about the reception.
Planning for a destination wedding can take some time, so it is important to give yourselves plenty of time before you choose one of the many ideal spots to get hitched. This way, you can avoid making any bad decisions on location or time of day. Of course, a wedding can sometimes seem to come down to money – although a good deal of effort has to go into getting the perfect spot to get hitched, it still does not have to cost a fortune. If you use a bit of creativity and put in a little extra time before you choose where you are going to get hitched, there is no reason that you cannot plan a wonderful wedding and get the reception that you want.