Dreaming about a destination wedding? Your wedding can be anywhere you want it to be! On a boat, in the mountains, or across the country. Heck, you can even host your wedding halfway across the globe! We love destination weddings here at Guestie because they are anything but run-of-the-mill! Let’s talk about some of the things that make destination weddings a top-tier option for your most special day!

1) It’s a Vacation for You and all of Your Guests 

Destination weddings are so much more than JUST weddings! Of course, getting together to celebrate your nuptials is still the purpose; however, with a destination wedding, everyone on your guest list immediately gets an invite to an out-of-town adventure. It’s an opportunity to take a vacation and still experience a wedding ceremony! 

Not only will you get to go on vacation for your honeymoon, but now you’ll also get to go on a mini-vacation with all of your beloved friends and family for your wedding as well. Sounds like a major win to us!

2) Everyone Is All In One Place

With destination weddings, you’ll get to spend much-needed extra time with your friends and family. You’ll get to share additional meals with each other, sightsee, and re-connect. All of this extra time with friends and family leading up to and following the ceremony will put less pressure on you (and everyone else) to fit everything into ONE night! 

Not only that, but if you and your guests are all staying within the same hotel block, everyone will be able to get to know each other better! Both of your sides will mingle with each other and start to feel like one big party ready to celebrate you!

Lastly, having everyone in one place will also help you streamline transportation during your multi-day destination wedding event. All guests will be coming and going from the same location, so you won’t have to worry about figuring out parking or hiring a valet!

3) Great For Multiple Events Leading Up To The Big Day

Choosing to have a destination wedding is a great opportunity to extend the celebration, especially leading up to the big day! For example, your rehearsal dinner! Instead of just hosting the bridal party and close family, turn the “rehearsal dinner” into a welcome reception for all your guests! Everyone made the long journey to celebrate with you, so why not give them an early opportunity to catch up with each other.

4) Less Stressful

Destination weddings also have the added bonus of creating a relaxing environment. Weddings can be stressful for everyone, including the guests. However, with a destination wedding, even your most cantankerous relatives will be in the best of moods because they’re on vacation! The atmosphere at wedding-related events will be relaxed. With a stretched-out wedding weekend, if guests need to step away to unwind, they can do so without feeling that they’re missing out on an integral part of your wedding. 

Destination weddings are also a great way to keep weddings small and intimate. This means less worrying about a large guest list or having to accommodate hundreds of people. So, if you’re not interested in hosting a huge wedding, a destination wedding may be a great way to take guest list stress off of your plate.

5) Shared Travel Experiences

Your guests won’t just have memories of your wedding, they’ll have memories of the beach you all went to on day three of your trip or that cute little shop that all of the bridesmaids got matching earrings from. Not everyone remembers the weddings that they’re invited to, even the super unique ones. But who could forget a long vacation that the happy couple invited you along for to celebrate their union? Destination weddings allow you and your loved ones to share more experiences and make more memories that will last a lifetime.

6) Built-In Minimoon

Just because your guests are leaving, doesn’t mean you have to!  One of the best things about a destination wedding is extending your trip after your big day. Building in this minimoon will help you and your forever roommate soak in all the fun you just had. Also, you’ll probably need a few days of relaxation after chatting non-stop for the entire wedding weekend. If you have the energy, planning for a minimoon will let you and your partner jump into the local scene and have some vacation fun on your own. As for us, we’ll be sipping cocktails by the pool.

7) Less Expensive

You might be surprised to hear a destination wedding can actually be less expensive than a wedding at home. However, with destination weddings, many resorts will offer all-inclusive wedding packages. These packages include the venue, your stay, and most if not all vendors! Packages like these cut down on cost, stress, and planning. All-inclusive wedding packages are a great option if you’re planning a destination wedding because the inclusive price will typically be a deal compared to hiring individual vendors, booking a separate venue, and all of the other expenses that come with booking a local wedding.

8) No Need To Choose Between Hometowns

If you and your partner aren’t from the same place, choosing whose hometown or city to have the wedding in can be really tough. One set of family and friends will have to do A LOT more traveling if they want to attend the wedding. Not to mention, if you’re planning a hometown wedding, family members may try to influence your decisions with their opinions on the venue, vendors, and the like. To bypass having to choose whose hometown to host the wedding in and to avoid that drama, opt for a destination wedding! 

This will level out the playing field so that neither family is more inconvenienced than the other and, as a bonus, EVERYONE gets to have a fun vacation!

9) Stunning Wedding Photos

Destination weddings offer a wide variety of beautiful photo opportunities! From beach resorts to snowy mountains, your wedding photos will be absolutely stunning! And, if you choose to go with an all-inclusive wedding package wherever you’re staying, you may not even need to hunt for a photographer! Many all-inclusive wedding packages include photography or offer recommendations for local photographers. We recommend hiring your photographer for an additional day to capture some candid moments from the weekend. You won’t regret it. 

If booking to photog for extra time isn’t in the cards, no worries! Encourage guests to take pics and upload them to a shared folder so that you (and your guests!) can reminisce on all the fun!

If you’re ready to start planning, head on over to our blog to learn more about planning the perfect destination wedding. If you’re not so sure, we’ve still got plenty of tips for you on how to plan a wedding at home. Lastly, if you’re looking for visual wedding inspiration or want to keep in touch, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok!

Bon, voyage!

Photography by Claudia Rios Photography