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It’s a promise of beauty, sand-soaked horizons and summer nights: a destination wedding is wanted, with you gleefully sharing the notion with your friends, expecting them to rejoice.
They… don’t.
Instead they panic, worrying over fare and accommodations. Leaving the country will strain their budgets, empty their accounts. It’s impossible, they protest. It can’t be done.
It can — as long as you offer ways to soothe the many costs:
Advance Notice
Impulsive is a familiar word, one often applied to you. Immediacy defines your decisions, urges you to seek out quick satisfactions. A destination wedding can’t be offered that same philosophy, however: not if you wish others to attend. You must offer guests advance notice of a ceremony (at least six months). This will ensure that they can properly prepare.
Group Discounts
A destination wedding is far more than a collection of sunsets and vows. It’s instead an elaborate affair, demanding that each guest devote their time to it. Slivers of that time will be spent in hotels, rental properties or other forms of lodging — which can demand hefty prices. Seek discounts therefore to ease the burden. Many accommodations will offer group rates, reducing costs to secure high volumes.
Refuse Gifts
The quest for the perfect wedding gift is laborious: with guests scouring boutiques, trying to discover items that will please. It’s stress inducing. And coupling that with the need for an international venue will only increase the worry. It’s recommended therefore that you create a policy of no gifts, sparing unnecessary anxiety (as well as expenses).
A destination wedding is possible. It simply demands concessions for your guests.
