According to The Knot’s ninth annual Real Weddings Report, which surveyed over 27,500 newly married couples in the year 2021, destination weddings are now more popular than they have ever been in the past. In fact, you may have actually planned a destination wedding before without realising it. Perhaps you were having a cruise for your honeymoon and suddenly became obsessed with a particular Caribbean destination. Or maybe your friends or family suggested a spring retreat for you and your sweetheart to go to, and you just knew from talking to them that you should definitely go. This could easily happen if you’ve been looking at wedding destinations lately, because many couples are actually choosing unusual locations for their ceremonies and receptions this year.
In many cases, the location you choose is no longer taboo. In years past, many couples would wed in quaint country churches, or behind large, ornate homes in the city. But with the real estate market crash that we’ve experienced recently, more couples are choosing destination weddings that are less expensive than typical ones.
It’s no secret that celebrities are increasingly open to going destination weddings, so it’s no wonder that you’ll find them going to unique locations that offer a more private setting for their reception. Celebrities who are choosing these kinds of nuptials include: Jason Lee, the singer for Green Day; Jared Leto, the actor who played the lead role in the Divergent series; and the punk rocker, Ska, who performed at this year’s Coachella Music Festival in California. (This couple’s celebration is still the most costumed event of the night.) These couples are not only saving money on hotels and resorts, they are also cutting down on transportation expenses, because travel costs can often eat up a big chunk of the reception budget.
Another reason that more couples are choosing destinations for these types of weddings is that many of these weddings will take place during the week, instead of on a Saturday. If you choose a place that is less popular, or a resort in a less popular area, when compared to a popular area, you will find that your cost of travel is much higher. However, by choosing an off-site location, you will enjoy the ambience of a hometown celebration without having to deal with the high cost of hotels and resorts. Many on-site wedding resorts are located within a short driving distance to the bride’s hometown, so these celebrations often feel more like the destination wedding that you had pictured.
When you think of destination weddings, some people probably think of a beach wedding, because that is probably the most popular option. However, if you look a little deeper into the choices, you will find that there are many beautiful wedding locations for you to choose from, including state parks, historic estates, and cemeteries. Many couples prefer destination weddings that take place in cemeteries because it allows them the chance to create a more personal and unique environment for their ceremony and reception. Another reason that people opt for these types of wedding locations is because the bride’s family is able to help pay for the entire wedding. This helps to make the day even more special for the bride and groom, since they have helped with the costs of the big event. Another nice perk of destination weddings is that they can fit into any time frame that you want for the event.
When you are deciding where to have your honeymoon, you will also need to decide which locations you would like to take place. If you want a private island paradise, then you may want to consider going to a destination that is only accessible by boat. These include places such as Caribbean islands such as St. Lucia, or other non tropical locales such as Mexico. You could also choose to go to Europe and spend your honeymoon at one of the many castles, palaces, or inns. You can also choose to have your ceremony in a historic estate or manor, where your wedding would take place just one day each year.