Pack Your Bags For a Destination Wedding

July 30, 2013

Instead of leaving your wedding guests behind at the reception hall as you head to the airport for your honeymoon with cans dragging behind the limo,  consider dragging your guests along to your honeymoon destination with you. Take a cue from my niece and start your honeymoon early by having your wedding where you’d like to vacation. This month, 85 of us will all be traveling to Virginia Beach to witness her marriage on the sand. 

We all get the benefit of a weekend at the ocean, and the newlyweds won’t have to travel to their honeymoon, except to step outside of the resort where the wedding takes place to hit the beach.  Even better, we got a group rate at an oceanfront hotel that is less than half the cost of a typical prime season weekend.  You can’t beat a weekend of fun, sun, sand, and family all rolled into one.

This brings back wonderful memories of my own destination wedding 13 years ago on the beach in the Bahamas.  With a much smaller group of 10 family members, I planned a 5 day trip to a resort that was all inclusive: the ceremony, wedding cake, private dining area for the reception that was part of the all you can eat and drink package, 5 hotel rooms, and airfare for us all for the total of only $5,000!   That’s what couples typically shell out for just the honeymoon trip alone, and it’s a lot less than the median cost of $18k just for a wedding itself last year.

To find your own deal, look for all inclusive hotels and book during the off-season.  Avoid the costly couples-only resorts if you are on a budget.  I booked my destination through Apple Vacations back in the day when most people still used travel agents instead of booking online.

Don’t assume you have to pay more to have a wedding onsite – contact a few hotels directly and ask if they offer free beach weddings as part of a package deal if you stay a minimum amount of nights.  You can also check out
http://beachyweddings.com/resorts/free-wedding-packages for information on special packages. Even better, a beach theme keeps the cost down for guests’ attire. My niece is telling everyone to dress comfortably so we can enjoy our toes in the sand and a drink in our hand!