The latest cool thing among couples looking to get hitched up is to go abroad not only for a honeymoon, but for the wedding itself. If you’re planning a wedding, you might want to read this to find out how you can combine the best of all worlds by opting for a non-traditional ‘destination wedding’, end up having a humdinger of a wedding, and saving a bundle to boot.

This article in The Age, Australia, is a good place to start. It’s called a “destination wedding”. Couples may elope alone or invite guests to a big bash overseas. Holding the big day away eliminates much of the stress over guest lists, bridesmaids and seating arrangements. It’s sometimes cheaper, although it does add a burden of red tape, with visa and marriage licence requirements. “Destination weddings are a rapidly growing trend,” says Victoria Black, publisher and editor-in-chief at wedding experts Wildfire Publishing, with titles including Modern Wedding magazine. Generally, she says, fewer people are invited and celebrations go on for longer.

Weddings Abroad’s market research, based on couples in Britain and the US, has found about 16 per cent of first marriages take place in a far-flung destination. Include second marriages and that figure jumps to 60 per cent. And it’s a worldwide trend. The New York founder of Destination Bride.com, Lisa Light, has written a book called Destination Bride: A Complete Guide To Planning Your Wedding Anywhere In The World. - Brides Without Borders, The Age, May 27th 2008

The cool thing about opting for a wedding abroad is that it gives you an excuse to ‘not’ invite guests, and have fun at your dream destination. I mean, you wouldn’t normally go about splurging heavily, even on a once-a-year vacation. A wedding abroad gives you an excuse to live lavishly at a destination of your choice. And like the article says, it’s a great money saver too. Point being that you can spend the money on yourself, instead of paying caterers and hotels on behalf of freeloading guests. After all, the whole point of a wedding is that it should be fun and unforgettable - For you.

Here’s some resources which should help you plan a wedding at far-flung destinations around the world, from a Paris wedding in the Place Vendome to a private terrace overlooking the Grand canal in Venice.

WeddingsAbroad.com - Combining the personal touch and a thorough knowledge of the market, WeddingsAbroad.com has become the premier online resource for couples considering marriage or vow renewals outside their native country.

DestinationWeddings.com - A successful destination wedding takes a lot more than just a good location, a good wedding planner, and a good travel agent.

Brides.com - Comprehensive resource for destination weddings, including expert advice and destination guides.

The second part of my job here is to list the best locales for holding weddings locally. This could also serve as a guide for people abroad who want to hold their weddings in the U.S.

Las Vegas - Vegas is the wedding capital of the world, with over 150,000 couples tying the knot here. And the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel is the poster child for destination weddings in Vegas. 

They offer theme weddings, like Elvis specials with an Elvis minister, and they allow and arrange for you to broadcast weddings live on the internet, so friends and family unable to attend can still watch you getting married. Photo courtesy & copyrights Viva Las Vegas Weddings. 

California - Like I said in my post about Carmel, the Carmel Mission is a popular place which conducts thousands of weddings every year. Another option is the Royal Wedding Chapel abroad the Queen Mary at Long Beach harbor.

And then there’s Disneyland, Anaheim, where your wedding is literally turned into a fairy tale with magical backdrops and your own personal ‘fairy godplanner’.

Puget Sound, Seattle, Wa - There may not be as many tourists or things to do in Seattle, as there are in California, Vegas, Florida or New York, but nothing comes close to the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of Puget Sound for nuptials. Think about an intimate wedding at a small chapel, with Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains in the background, and it’ll give you goose bumps.

If any of this helps you (or not), here’s to you and married bliss.

Posted on May 28th, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel Tips