Is a destination wedding right for me?

The million-dollar question! More and more couples are choosing to get married in a far-flung destination, and it can be an absolutely magical experience….or not. There are some important things to consider before deciding on a destination wedding, and your answers to the questions below may help you figure out if it’s the right option for the two of you:

  • Are you hoping/expecting that all of your friends/family will jump on board with the idea and come along? Will you be okay (or even happier) if they don’t? Even the most supportive and enthusiastic guests can end up changing their minds about attending a destination wedding once they see the actual commitment required from them in terms of time and money.
  • Are you looking forward to planning out all the details of the ceremony and reception? Are you a DIY-fanatic with Pinterest boards galore? Planning a wedding in a foreign country really forces couples to be a little bit more “laissez faire” about the whole thing  – the resort’s wedding coordinator might take 48-72 hours to respond to your emails;  the local, seasonal flowers may not end up being the exact shade of pink that you had envisioned;  and it can be cost-prohibitive to ship all of your hand-made favors through customs in advance.
  • Does your union come with any special circumstances? Even the most basic wedding in a foreign country requires some extra hoops/hurdles in terms of paperwork and logistics (residency requirements, blood tests, documents, etc.)  If yours is a same-sex wedding, or involves a previous divorce or annulment, you’ll need to think about the extra steps involved and decide if it might be easier to get married at home first to make it legal and then do a symbolic destination wedding ceremony with friends and family. 

If none of these questions phase you, and you’re excited about sharing some extended time with your closest friends and family in a romantic destination, with – oh yeah –a wedding thrown in, then you are probably the perfect candidate for a destination wedding!

Check out this video from Megan and Derek’s recent wedding in a romantic villa overlooking Puerto Vallarta, and give me a call if I can help you plan something just as magical 🙂

(photo and video copyright Carolyn Meers 2014)

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