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Exquisite Vacations Travel

How Much Does a Destination Wedding Cost?

Wedding planners estimate that close to 15% of all weddings are now destination weddings, and that number is expected to grow as more and more couples are realizing that it's significantly cheaper than a traditional wedding. For those of you who don't know what a destination wedding is, simply put it is a wedding ceremony that happens at a location away from home. In some cases this can be just a few cities or states away, but in the traditional sense of the word a destination wedding is typically held in another country such as Santorini, Greece or Florence, Italy.
After the wedding, that destination is usually the site for the newlyweds' honeymoon. Besides the luxury of getting married in an exotic location, the couple getting married enjoys the benefit of reduced costs because they are only paying for their travel, accommodations and lodging. Some destinations even do the ceremony for free provided you stay for the honeymoon, but more on that in another post.
With a wedding being one of the most expensive events in the life of a couple, many people want to know the hard facts about just how much they can save on their wedding by skipping the formalities and opting for a destination wedding.
“Local” weddings have an average cost of about $26,000 in the United States whereas a destination wedding costs can come in at half that number or less. Many variables can change the amount of money you will pay for your wedding including:
- how many days you are staying at the resort
- what vendors you use such as florists and photographers
- the location of your weddings
- the time of year you are getting married
- your wedding day attire
- whether or not your chosen destination offers packages and more.
Cutting Down on Expenses
A few ways you can cut back on the already lower costs of a destination wedding vs a traditional one are:
- to get married in a slower season
- purchase flights and reserve rooms as early on as possible to take advantage of early bird pricing and get the cheaper rooms before the sell out
- get married at an all-inclusive resort (some are surprisingly cheap for what you receive)
- dress casually for your wedding in lieu of buying expensive new clothes
The possibilities are endless. If you want to learn more about destination weddings and to see if they are right for you, call Exquisite Vacations, Inc. today!