Money-Saving Tips for a Destination Wedding
If you’re considering planning a destination wedding, you’ll want to know all the important pieces and costs so you can save money. Check out this list of money-saving tips for destination weddings!
Destination weddings are known for being more affordable than most traditional weddings, and that is mostly because they usually have a smaller number of guests. However, the tab can start to creep up for both the couple and especially for guests. Once you throw in the plan to have a reception at home, a budget-friendly wedding seems to be nothing but a dream. But rest assured, it can still be done! You just have to be careful with certain decisions early on to help save money on a destination wedding.
Below are some money-saving tips for destination weddings to get you started!
1. Fly into a “touristy” airport:
You’ll want to pick a location that is, at most, two flights for your guests. A flight with two layovers is a lot of traveling just for guests to make it to a wedding. You’ll also want to keep costs in mind. Try to find an airport where flights will be less than 500 dollars for most or all of your guests. Most likely, you’ll have guests coming from a variety of places, so this can be tricky. So choosing a high tourism destination with a larger airport can save you some money on flights rather than flying into a remote airport.
You also have to think about how you will be getting from the airport to the wedding location. Perhaps your wedding resort will offer a shuttle for large groups which can make things more affordable. While remote areas of Costa Rica are beautiful, the flights combined with the travel time from the airport would be a huge hassle. Consider locations with a major airport to save you and your guests money and travel time.
2. Keep it in the Country:
Remember that guests will have to get their passports if you are having your wedding outside of the country. A destination wedding on the beaches of Florida- Honeymoon Island, North or South Carolina (just to name a few) are all great options, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands. Staying domestic will definitely be easier on the wallet.
3. Choose a popular destination wedding location:
Choosing a place that is familiar with destination weddings is sometimes helpful. The most affordable places overall, for guests as well as the couple, are Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. All of these countries have both large all-inclusive resorts that host weddings as well as smaller resort options. You could also look into renting a vacation home in a destination such as the Bahamas.
If you are interested in getting help planning and hosting your wedding in Mexico, a team of experienced destination wedding planners at ParadiseWeddings.com is always there to help you!
4. Book Early and Look for Deals:
You’ll likely want to book your wedding venue over a year in advance. The price of the rooms and wedding costs will likely increase over time, so booking early helps. You’ll be locked in for the prices as they were when you reserve the space.
5. Say “No” to gifts:
In order to keep the costs down for your guests, you can request that your guests not bring gifts to your wedding. If your guests are spending a premium to travel to celebrate with you, they won’t want to haul gifts in their luggage, nor will you want to transport them home. Ask that any gifts sent are shipped to your home address instead– you can likely include a note about this on your wedding website or wedding registry.
6. Keep the Guest List Small:
The biggest money saving tip for a destination wedding is to trim your guest list. This will make every single aspect more affordable. It’s tricky to keep the list small, but it will save you across the board.
7. Ask if the Wedding Planner is Included:
You will need a lot of help to plan a wedding from thousands of miles away. A wedding planner is necessary, but most resorts include them with your wedding.
Your destination wedding planner should be helpful and will allow you to plan a lot of the details through e-mail. Some planners may even be willing to plan everything from the decorations to the welcome bags (for an extra fee of course). You may not mind planning these details, while other brides might like the ease of just letting someone else take care of everything. Also, realize you will have to help people with travel plans and all of the logistics that go along with a destination wedding to keep your guests at ease!
Are you planning a destination wedding? Share your own money-saving tips in the community!
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