Recently, I had to book a flight to Mexico. No, it’s not a romantic getaway or a fun girl’s weekend in Cabo.
It’s yet another destination wedding.
Destination weddings are becoming more popular. You can bet our parents and grandparents never went to destination weddings, unless the destination was a temple or church in the next town. Maybe they are more popular now because people think they are being original or maybe it’s because the divorce rate is so high that people decide to do destination weddings for their second, third, forth (you get the picture) weddings.
Regardless, one thing is for certain…destination weddings are pricey…for the guests. Usually when you plan a trip it’s because you have saved your money and have vacation days coming to you at work. But in this case, you are planning a vacation (whether you can afford it or not) because someone else told you to.
There are definite ‘pros’ of destination weddings. Usually they are beach locations. Pro number one…a tan! You also get to use it as an excuse to go on a vacation that you otherwise couldn’t afford. The most notable ‘cons’ are the money you have to spend and the extra time off from work that you may have to take.
As with every other kind of wedding, destination weddings have a broad range. Mostly this range is directly correlated to the money that people spend on their weddings. Some are like an all you can eat buffet that actually include an all you can eat buffet. Others are like a high school spring break gone wrong laden with kegs of Coors Lite. It all depends on who is planning the event. Once you ask your guests to pay for a flight and hotel, do you then make them pay for all of their own meals and entertainment as well? Some brides and grooms use the destination wedding as an excuse to not pay for anything. Most resorts will give the bride and groom a cheap rate for the party if they get people to book rooms in the hotel. (this should not be shocking to anyone). So in some cases, it is almost as if your guests are paying for your wedding.
Others will take steps to make their guests feel extra welcome and to thank them for traveling such a distance to attend. Gift bags, spa treatments and group activities are good ways to make such an effort.
So as I hit confirm on the Jet Blue screen I sat wondering, will this one be worth the $400 flight and $350 dollar hotel room (not to mention the dress, the car to and from the airport, the wedding gift, the babysitter and all of the other ancillary costs associated with another ‘vacation’ wedding)?
Destination weddings are becoming more popular. You can bet our parents and grandparents never went to destination weddings, unless the destination was a temple or church in the next town. Maybe they are more popular now because people think they are being original or maybe it’s because the divorce rate is so high that people decide to do destination weddings for their second, third, forth (you get the picture) weddings.
Regardless, one thing is for certain…destination weddings are pricey…for the guests. Usually when you plan a trip it’s because you have saved your money and have vacation days coming to you at work. But in this case, you are planning a vacation (whether you can afford it or not) because someone else told you to.
There are definite ‘pros’ of destination weddings. Usually they are beach locations. Pro number one…a tan! You also get to use it as an excuse to go on a vacation that you otherwise couldn’t afford. The most notable ‘cons’ are the money you have to spend and the extra time off from work that you may have to take.
As with every other kind of wedding, destination weddings have a broad range. Mostly this range is directly correlated to the money that people spend on their weddings. Some are like an all you can eat buffet that actually include an all you can eat buffet. Others are like a high school spring break gone wrong laden with kegs of Coors Lite. It all depends on who is planning the event. Once you ask your guests to pay for a flight and hotel, do you then make them pay for all of their own meals and entertainment as well? Some brides and grooms use the destination wedding as an excuse to not pay for anything. Most resorts will give the bride and groom a cheap rate for the party if they get people to book rooms in the hotel. (this should not be shocking to anyone). So in some cases, it is almost as if your guests are paying for your wedding.
Others will take steps to make their guests feel extra welcome and to thank them for traveling such a distance to attend. Gift bags, spa treatments and group activities are good ways to make such an effort.
So as I hit confirm on the Jet Blue screen I sat wondering, will this one be worth the $400 flight and $350 dollar hotel room (not to mention the dress, the car to and from the airport, the wedding gift, the babysitter and all of the other ancillary costs associated with another ‘vacation’ wedding)?
