Destination Weddings

travelsense.org

Congratulations! You're getting married! Over the next year you will be making a million decisions about your wedding and honeymoon, and hopefully the process will be as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. One choice that many couples are making nowadays is foregoing the traditional idea of a wedding - a local ceremony in front of 300 family, friends and random strangers - for an intimate destination wedding.

A destination wedding, labeled by some as a "wedding moon," combines the wedding, reception and honeymoon together in one location. The destination wedding is held at a desirable site, sometimes tropical, other times exotic, allowing the guests to enjoy a relaxing, activity-filled vacation while spending more quality time with the wedding couple. The couple invites only their nearest and dearest to celebrate the union. All events occur over a long weekend, along with other wedding activities designed to bring the revelers together.

If it's hard to imagine what a destination wedding is like, picture this: you and your partner are in a warm, tropical setting, surrounded by friends and family toasting your success. The sounds of music and ocean waves peacefully blend together in the background, and a feast is prepared in your honor in the local traditions. Every single detail, from the setting of the service to the flowers, has been effortlessly arranged to suit your taste. And after the ceremony, you won't have to leave this breathtaking locale, for you'll have your honeymoon there as well.

To discover if a destination wedding is right for you, check out this advice from ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents). Some of the most travel-wise people in the world, ASTA travel agent members know that a special destination can make a special occasion extra special.

Reasons to Say, "I Do" to Destination Weddings

 

The Beauty of Package Deals - Tourism organizations, resorts and cruise lines offer wedding packages to keep a destinationwedding stress-free and simple. Some offer the complimentary services of their on-site wedding consultant to help coordinate the essentials, like your marriage license and an officiant. All you have to do is show up. Your travel agent can sometimes expand these package deals to include fun activities for you and your special guests, such as sightseeing excursions, snorkeling adventures or shopping trips.

Avoiding the Awkward Invites - Because destination weddings are generally intimate affairs attended by only your closest friends and dearest family members, you can avoid being forced into inviting cousin Matt with halitosis or your best friend Jenny's little brother you met once 10 years ago. You get to choose the level of intimacy you want for the ceremony and invite accordingly, or you can invite no one at all for a very romantic trip down the aisle.

No Reception with 250 People to Pay For - You do the math: 250 people, including co-workers and business contacts, at $75 a head equals too much money! A luxurious wedding weekend at a fabulous destination oftentimes costs less than a seated dinner at the local country club. Proper etiquette of a destination wedding calls for invited guests to pay their own airfare, while you'll pick up the tab for the lodging, food and beverages. You can add a few perks for your guests if feeling generous, such as gift certificates to nearby spas.

It's smart for a couple planning a destination wedding to contact a travel agent to negotiate a discounted rate for booking multiple rooms and group rates with airlines or cruise ships. If money is an issue, your travel agent can steer you toward domestic locations or countries with a favorable exchange rate.

No Extra Traveling Necessary - Destination weddings are perfect for couples with families and friends scattered around the country or even the world. If a good majority of your guests would have to travel to your hometown anyway, then getting married in a desirable vacation spot will make many of your guests happy.

Reasons to Think, "Maybe Not"

Long Distance Planning and Legal Red Tape

For those not getting married at a resort with a complimentary wedding consultant, you'll have to juggle all the small details yourself long distance. You might experience complications when trying to get a marriage license in a foreign country or even another state. Many places require marriage fees and residency requirements.

It's wise to hire a coordinator who specializes in destination weddings to help you navigate the twists and turns. A good wedding planner, like a good travel agent, can help keep costs in check by bargaining with vendors or utilizing professional relationships to obtain special discounts. The more exotic thelocale, the more necessary the wedding planner becomes. If at all possible, hire a local wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings, and let him or her work with an onsite planner. This usually does not translate into double fees, for the services of the local wedding planner are generally included in the overall price. 

Where's Granny? - While exotic locales are a great way to keep undesirables from attending your special event, it may also have the reverse effect with loved ones who may not be able to attend due to the expense, physical limitations or getting enough time off of work. Think about all the guests who are truly essential before deciding on the location. If money is an issue for your guests, simply tell them that their presence is the only wedding gift you need.

No Room for Impetuousness - With a destination wedding, advance warning and save-the-date cards are crucial. Send them off as early as possible, preferably at least eight months in advance, for your guests will need to work the trip into their budget and work schedules. Also, many guests, since they're suddenly planning to visit an exciting corner of the world, take vacations before or after the wedding. Fair warning gives them time to contact a travel agent and plan the perfect trip.

Crowded Honeymoon? - With your family around, will you be able to enjoy a private honeymoon with romantic alone time? If you want alone time, you'll have to schedule it. Arrive a few days before everyone else, which you may need to do anyway for marriage license requirements, or enjoy your honeymoon nearby on a different island or neighboring resort. If neither of these options is possible, plan fun activities, preferably of the all-day kind, to occupy your friends and family while you and your new spouse sneak away to a private beach or special restaurant.

I, Travel Agent, Take Thee (State Your Name) Anywhere You Want to Go

Once you decide a destination wedding is right for you, then say "I do" to a travel agent. Travel agents excel at making plans for multiple people from multiple locations, oftentimes at special, discounted group rates. Planning for the most important day of your life will be a wonderfully crazy time for you, so finding someone you trust to aid in your decision making will be a welcomed relief.

A good travel agent can save you money as well as time - two enormous factors for a couple planning their life together. Through their love of travel and reliable relationships with suppliers around the globe, travel agents specialize in providing personalized suggestions to suit both your dreams and your budget. Some travel agents can even set up a layaway plan, so you can make monthly payments for your special trip.

Wherever you decide to share your vows and spend your honeymoon, ASTA members want you to remember to pack a good attitude and simply enjoy your time together. With a little TravelSense, a few guidelines and some helpful tips, your destination wedding will lead to many, many destination anniversaries.

Destination Wedding Basics: Top 13 Destination Wedding Tips

theknot.com

Pick the Perfect Spot

The location of your wedding determines not only the mood (rustic, sophisticated, beachy), but also the travel, time and budget required to pull it off. You want your guests to walk away from your wedding weekend saying, "That was so them!" Your wedding elements -- not just location, but also activities and overall vibe -- should say something about your personal style and your passions. Did he propose on vacation in Paris? Then why not host a swank wedding in the City of Lights? Are you foodies? Think about gathering your crew in a place like Tuscany or California wine country. Or if you love outdoor adventures, consider Costa Rica, where guests can zipline through the treetops before the rehearsal dinner.

Time It Right

Unfortunately, the best weather in popular vacation destinations tends to correlate with tourist season, when there are typically more crowds, fewer hotel and venue availabilities, and higher rates all around. If you choose to marry during high season, you’ll want to reserve hotel blocks and venues immediately and send out save-the-dates 10 to 12 months in advance so guests can book their flights and accommodations before prices skyrocket. If you choose the shoulder season (right after high season), you may be able to save yourself and your guests some money and still enjoy great weather. While the off-season will mean fewer crowds, the weather can be iffy, and you may find that many stores, venues and vendors close up shop.

Take a Trip

We seriously can’t recommend this enough: Take at least one planning trip and if you can swing it, two or three is ideal. On the first trip, you'll need to scout and secure your key venues -- ceremony and reception spaces, hotels for guests, a rehearsal dinner venue -- and local suppliers such as caterers, florists and photographers. Next (or during a second trip), you'll need to schedule "tastings" with your caterer, see sample bouquets from the florist, plan a hair and makeup session with a local salon and organize activities (golf, tennis, walking tours, museums) for your guests.

Factor in the Extra Expenses

If done right, a destination wedding can cost no more -- and maybe even less -- than hosting the same party at home (depending on where you live, of course). For example, if you live in a US metropolitan city where event facilities are in high demand, like New York City, then holding your wedding in Mexico will likely be less expensive than doing it at home, even when you factor in airfare, hotel expenses and planning trips. Still there are extra expenses you’ll need to factor in for any destination wedding, including importing key vendors and décor, welcome bags for guests, additional activities for guests and travel costs for you and your immediate families (including the planning trips, not just the big day).

Research Local Marriage Requirements

The legal side of tying the knot in a different country can be complicated. Many countries have a "residency requirement" (for example, 24 hours in Turks and Caicos and 7 days in England), which means you must reside in the country for a certain length of time before your ceremony. Although this is usually just a few days, it can be longer. France requires you to arrive at least 40 days before you marry!

Get Help

Control freaks, beware: If you’re hosting a wedding in a distant locale, you will need to entrust at least part of the planning to someone else’s capable hands. A wedding planner can shoulder the burden of researching and securing local vendors (especially valuable if said vendors speak English only as a second language), dealing with logistics like tent rentals and lighting and handling any last-minute fires that may start in the weeks leading up to the wedding. She is also the behind-the-scenes queen, creating gift bags for guests, greeting everyone at the airport, keeping people busy with fun activities once there, vetting special requests (babysitters, dry cleaners, and so on), and getting everyone where they need to be on-time. Many resorts include a coordinator in their wedding packages. Otherwise, set aside about 10 to 15 percent of your total budget for a local planner. Generally speaking, a local planner is your best bet, as he can be your man-on-the-ground when you can't be there. But if you prefer to go with a planner from back home, make sure they have experience planning weddings in your chosen destination and expect to cover his transportation costs for planning visits and the actual wedding.

Remember: You're on Island Time

Don't keep a constant eye on the clock. Remember that many tropical islands run on "island time" -- things happen when they happen -- so don't mistake a vendor's laid-back attitude for incompetence. Avoid the temptation to micromanage from afar. Schedule regular check-ins and then trust your vendors to work their magic.

Vet Vendors Carefully

While you can view vendors' portfolios online and check references from afar, it's especially important that you're comfortable with all your vendors. You'll be leaving a lot in their hands, as you won't be able to be nearly as hands-on, so it's important you trust those hands are capable. That's why we strongly suggest making at least one planning trip to meet with potential vendors. If you must hire your vendors unseen, schedule a video chat so you can get a sense for a potential vendor's demeanor and personality before you sign a contract. Your wedding planner can meet with potential vendors on your behalf and brief you on your options, as well. Another option: Bring pros you trust from home to handle critical aspects such as the wedding photography, hair and makeup, and design (lighting, flowers), and even work with local vendors in a supervisory capacity to avoid any communication mishaps. Just remember: You’ll have to cover their travel and lodging expenses.

Forewarn Your Friends

Tell your bridal party about the destination before you ask them to stand by your side so that they can gracefully decline if finances are tight. Don't be upset if some of your closest friends or relatives don't attend. While you are, in a sense, footing some of the food bills, their fees for travel, hotel, and car rental can really add up. And while your wedding is a mini-vacation for you, it may not be the one they want to take!

Mind Mother Nature

Don’t just assume that the weather in the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico is gorgeous year-round. Hurricane season lasts from July through October in the Caribbean and can put a major damper on your nuptials, while rainy season makes marrying in Hawaii dicey from November to March, and Italy can be uncomfortably hot in July and August.

Take Care of Guests

In addition to arranging group rates for flights and rooms, list information for getting to and from the nearest airport to your wedding locale, invite everyone to the rehearsal or welcome dinner and next-day brunch, and deliver welcome bags to their rooms, full of essentials for the trip, like suntan lotion, water and bug spray.

Dress the Part

Don't forget to consider the climate when choosing your wedding dress -- and deciding on everyone else's attire. You'll be swimming in sweat if you pair your fairy-tale satin ball gown with tropical humidity, and asking your groomsmen to wear tuxes in the sun and heat is just cruel. Also, if you're exchanging vows outside, you may want to reconsider a long train that will easily get muddy or grass-stained or three-inch heels that will stick in the mud.

Get a Move On It Already!

Not to stress you out, but you're basically competing in the Olympics of wedding planning -- the long-distance affair. You need to be twice as organized as a local couple and pre-think everything, because you won’t have much time to make up your mind, especially if you can only do one or two planning trips. Every trip should be one fat to-do list of appointments with vendors, coordinators and venue managers, so do your research, set up appointments and form a clear vision of what you want before you go. The good news: If you give yourselves one weekend to find a reception site, you'll find one. In other words, distance will make you decisive, which will make the whole planning process a lot less stressful.

-- The Knot

Legalities of getting married in Mexico

mexico.com

Unlike Las Vegas, which has a reputation for fast and easy weddings, couples that want to get married in Mexico have a few legal hoops to jump through -- as well as a short mandatory waiting period. The good news is that the process is relatively easy and civil ceremonies in Mexico are recognized in the U.S. Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions. Be aware that rules vary by state in Mexico, so you should check with your wedding coordinator or a local civil registrations office (Registro Civil) for more information about marriage licenses and wedding ceremonies.

Is there a residency requirement or
waiting period in Mexico?You don't need to be a resident of Mexico to get married there. However, couples do need to arrive and stay in Mexico for three full business days (this excludes Saturdays, Sundays and Mexican holidays) before submitting a marriage license application.

What documents are needed for the marriage license application?

• Original birth certificates with apostille-certified Spanish translations.
• Passports (originals as well as copies).
• Tourist cards (these are issued to you at the airport upon landing).
• The completed marriage license application (this form is available at local civil registrations offices in Mexico).

What if one of you is divorced or widowed?

The laws vary by state in Mexico on when people are allowed to remarry. Most require at least one full year from the date of the final divorce decree. Your divorce decree must be translated to Spanish, certified with an apostille and presented as part of the marriage application. In addition, if either party is widowed, the death certificate of the deceased spouse is needed as part of the documentation requirements. This also must be translated into Spanish and certified with an apostille.

Are blood tests required?

Yes, recent blood tests are required from both the bride and groom. Many resorts have doctors on staff who can do blood tests on the premises. These tests should be done at least three business days before the wedding and the results must be written in Spanish. The cost for this usually ranges from $150 to $300. In some Mexican states, chest X-rays are also required.

What is the cost and processing speed for a marriage license application?

Once you have all of your paperwork together and three business days have passed, you can submit the application at a local civil registrations office. Marriage license fees vary by state in Mexico, but usually range from $25 to $40. The processing time also varies -- anywhere from 30 minutes to a few days -- after which the ceremony can take place.

Do we need to have witnesses at the ceremony?

If neither of you are Mexican, you will need to have at least four witnesses present at the ceremony -- two for the bride and two for the groom. Your witnesses must be at least 18 years old and will be required to submit their passports (originals as well as copies) and tourist cards at least three business days before the ceremony. If you do not have witnesses traveling with you, they can often be provided by your resort.

Are wedding ceremonies performed in English or Spanish?

To be legal, ceremonies must be performed in Spanish, but they can be translated to English by resort staff or someone else who has been designated to do that. Symbolic ceremonies -- such as renewals of vows or commitment ceremonies -- are all performed in English.

Is a Mexican wedding recognized in the U.S.?

Yes, civil ceremonies in Mexico have legal validity in most countries including the U.S. However, religious ceremonies are not legal. Once the civil ceremony has been conducted, couples will need to obtain a certified copy of their marriage certificate (Acta de Matrimonio), which proves they have been wed in accordance with Mexican law. Then, upon return to the U.S., they will need to get that certificate "authenticated." This is done by the Office of Authentications in the State Department. For more information, visit http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/.

Are there any requirements for a renewal of vows ceremony?

No. Unlike a civil wedding, vow renewals are considered to be "spiritual" ceremonies and are not legally binding. Anyone

How to pimp your 'moon

lonelyplanet.com

Sarah Baxter 1 March, 2013

You’re getting married. It’s a dastardly-dipped recession, but you LOVE your betrothed and still want oodles of romance on your ’moon, even if you can’t afford the Ritz. Here’s how to add amour to your adventures without breaking the bank

Unleash the ‘H’ word

Whereas prefixing anything with ‘wedding’ guarantees a price hike, ‘honeymoon’ has the opposite effect. People love giving couples freebies – perhaps keen they’ll return for anniversaries. Tell hoteliers and you could get anything from free champers to a room upgrade. Tell your tour operator and it can notify its ground handlers – your airport transfer driver might be holding a cute sign; you might get the best table at the local restaurant.

Self-glamp your camp

Wild camp by Alltan Ban by Ted and Jen. Creative Commons Attribution Licence

Camping is the cheapest way to ’moon – in some regions (notably Scotland and Scandinavia) wild camping is perfectly legal, meaning you pay nowt for accommodation. It’s also inherently romantic: what could be dreamier than unzipping the tent to your own private loch view? Make your camping super-chic with some simple touches: pack tealights and jam jars to turn your pitch into a fairy-dell; take plastic wine glasses and decant your favourite vintage into a wine bag (try the Platypus Platy Preserve - www.platypreserve.com); check astronomy charts to time your trip with a meteor shower or full moon.

Get your guests to pay

Increasingly, couples are ditching towels-and-toasters wedding lists, and asking guests to contribute to their honeymoon instead. Set up a list with your tour operator (many have giftlist services) or, if travelling independently, use a site such as buy-our-honeymoon.com or justthething.co.uk. Some of these charge a set-up fee, others take commission. Either way, you can list experiences – perhaps that Harley ride round Uluru or cocktails at Hong Kong’s Ritz Carlton – and your guests can buy them for you.

Book the right flight

Garuda Cabin by Simon_sees. Creative Commons Attribution Licence

You won’t get a free upgrade to business class just for being honeymooners – though it’s worth a cheeky ask. However, research your planes to feel like you’re flying higher: look for aircraft with a 2-3-2/2-5-2 seat configuration and book yourselves into a ‘2’ section for a bit of privacy.

Sleep cheap so you can splurge

Don’t blow your budget on fancy accommodation. It’s better to book the best room at a three-star hotel than the cheapest one at a five-star: you’ll feel more special and get more for your money. What you save on the room, use to buy cocktails in a bar with a beautiful view or those unforgettable front-row concert seats.

Be amorous ‘off-season’

Rates vary dramatically depending on when you travel. There’s no point heading to the Caribbean in peak hurricane season if you only want to sunbathe, but it’s worth considering certain destinations outside the most popular months. For instance, safari in Botswana in ‘green season’ and, while you might get short daily downpours, the landscape will be lush, the animals healthy-looking and lodge rates slashed. Shoulder months – the period just before/after peak time – can offer bargains, and decent weather.

Self-cater in style

Slash eating-out costs by self-catering. It makes having breakfast in bed easy. You can stock the fridge with cheap fizz. And you can make market-shopping for local goodies part of the fun. Ratchet up the romance by packing a tablecloth and candles. If you’re going to eat in a lot, book a place with a view, terrace, garden or balcony.

Take it in turns to plan treats

Little extras, such as spa treatments or ordering breakfast in bed, can quickly add up. So take it in turns to do them yourselves – one morning, one of you might nip to the patisserie to bring back brioche; the next, the other could offer a back massage. One day, one of you takes charge of booking dinner; the next, the other leads a mystery walking tour. It keeps the trip full of (cheap) surprises.

Think beyond the norm

Don’t just consider hotels – a house-swap could net you an hip apartment or beach hut for nowt but the airfare. Register (for a fee) on a website such as lovehomeswap.com to find options worldwide. Note, swaps don’t have to be simultaneous, giving you flexibility. Not ready to rent out your own home? You can still stay in other people’s: check out rental sites such as airbnb.com (www.airbnb.com/) and housetrip.com (www.housetrip.com/); rates often work out 20-30% cheaper than hotels, and properties may come with more personal touches such as access to a great DVD collection or the owner’s bikes.

Pack a ‘honeymoon kit’

Picnic by Chloe Lim. Creative Commons Attribution Licence

Before the trip, put together a package of ‘instant romance’ items for your partner. This might include: a slushy music compilation (and cheap travel speakers); a star chart for your destination; a thin check cloth (so picnics are always an option); matches and tealights; plastic folders (for memorable tickets and oddments); a full hip flask (for when you need to toast the wilderness).

Destination weddings boost Mexico’s tourism

By Lauren Villagran | April 24, 2013

smartplanet.com

 

 

MEXICO CITY -– When New Yorkers Vimal Vora and Ellen Goldstein decided to tie the knot, they looked south for a wedding destination.

They considered the Caribbean and Puerto Rico but settled on Mexico –- despite the country’s tarnished reputation as a haven for drug cartels.

“Stories become data for people,” Vora said. “Mexico may be less safe on average than America but when you look at Playa del Carmen” –- on the Mayan Riviera -– “it’s as safe as anywhere. My intuition was that the news was more unsafe than the reality in Mexico.”

About a quarter of engaged U.S. couples plan a destination wedding –- up 20 percent over two years -– and the vast majority set their sights on just three destinations: the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii.

Mexico wants to capture a greater number of those ceremonies as the country strives to reposition itself in American minds as a land of sunshine, sand and palm trees –- not of brutal drug violence.

Overall tourism to Mexico slowed last year, but the destination wedding segment in Mexico is booming, said Rebeca Gonzalez, wedding sales manager with Velas Resorts, which owns four properties in Puerto Vallarta and the Mayan Riviera that hosted some 200 weddings last year, 80 percent of them international couples.

Mexico grabbed another 1 percent of the destination wedding market between 2010 and 2011, according to the national tourism board; in 2008, the country unseated Hawaii as the No. 2 destination for exchanging vows.

“There has definitely been an increase in the culture of getting married on the beach,” she said, noting that many couples look to Mexico to reduce costs or create a smaller, more intimate event.

The drug violence continues unabated in many regions, but Mexico is a big country and most popular tourist destinations have been largely unaffected by six years of the government’s assault on organized crime.

And travelers’ security concerns seem to be fading.

“The wave of sensationalist journalism in which media constantly broadcast something negative about Mexico is passing,” Gonzalez said. “What really concerns clients is the price, the climate, whether a date is available. People are becoming less afraid to travel in Mexico.”

Mexico’s new government is trying to polish the country’s image abroad. Tourism Secretary Claudia Ruiz Massieu recently said the agency is considering creating a special police force in top tourist destinations, training police in foreign languages and setting up special medical services for visitors.
Meanwhile, the national tourism promotion board is planning a marketing campaign specifically targeting American lovebirds in what it terms “the romance segment,” currently worth $28 billion annually. (Destination weddings generate about $18 billion of that income, honeymoons the rest.)

Drug violence has hurt sectors of Mexico’s tourism industry, deterring tourism in the border region and at cruise ship docking points. Last year the number of visitors crossing Mexico’s borders dropped 5.3 percent, while the number of cruise ship passengers stopping over fell 3 percent, according to the tourism agency. Together those declines pushed down overall tourism to the country 1.2 percent.

The health of Mexico’s tourism industry is critical to the economy, given that it contributes roughly 9 percent of the gross domestic product and generates 2.5 million direct jobs that pay about 30 percent more than the average national wage.

Adriana and Justin Boudreaux planned their 2010 wedding in Mazatlan on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Adriana Boudreaux said her Mexican roots, the many choices of churches as well as the low cost of flowers, food and flights helped play into the Houston couple’s decision.

Many of their more than 60 guests had never been to Mexico.

“I think the overall reaction was, ‘Wow, I’ve never been to a wedding like this,’” she said. “It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I think it turned out to be the perfect wedding.”