Learn About the Pros and Cons of Destination Weddings and Find Out If a Destination Wedding is Right For You
Should we marry abroad or near home? With the rising popularity of destination weddings, more and more couples are asking themselves the question of having a destination wedding or not. To find out, we have compiled a list of destination wedding pros and cons.
We also explain why and when a destination wedding might be the perfect choice for you and why we decided to celebrate our wedding as a destination wedding.
Planning a wedding involves many decisions, one of the biggest being whether to have a destination wedding or to stay local. This blog post is designed to help you make the right decision for your big day!
Five Pros of a Destination Wedding
1. Celebrate in a Stunning Scenic Location
Destination weddings are often held in beautiful, picturesque areas such as beaches, mountains, or historic cities.
Romantic French chateaus, rustic country houses surrounded by lavender fields, or historic Tuscan villas. Many stunning locations are available as wedding venues. A scenic backdrop can make your wedding photos look like a dream and provide a unique and memorable setting for your ceremony and reception.
In addition, if you are a summer-loving person who has always dreamt of celebrating a wedding under the stars, weather can be a big consideration. How sure can you be that the weather at home will hold up for your dream wedding? By choosing a destination wedding, you can fly off to a sun-drenched destination and say “I do” with sand between your toes under a perfect blue sky.
2. Destination Wedding Are a Vacation for Everyone
Destination wedding venues are sure to wow your guests. One of the biggest perks of a destination wedding is that it turns your special day into a mini-vacation in a dream destination for you and your guests. With a destination wedding, couples are also less bound by tradition and they have more freedom to select and plan more unique activities for their guests.
It is an opportunity for everyone to relax, explore a new place, and enjoy a break from their daily routines. This shared experience can add an extra layer of joy and excitement to your wedding.
3. Intimate and Bonding Experience
Destination weddings tend to be more intimate, with a smaller guest list. This can lead to a more personal and meaningful celebration. Spending several days together in a beautiful location allows you and your guests to bond and create lasting memories.
“In hindsight, a destination wedding is the absolute best decision we could have made and I would make the same decision over and over again. Logistically, his parents are in Cali, mine are in Texas and we live in Utah.. so everyone is pretty spread out everywhere. That was big deciding factor for us to go ahead and do destination. But ultimately, we are probably spending just as much money as we would if we were having 300+ guests in a local US wedding; however, I am more than happy to spend this money for both sets of our parents and ourselves for a lovely vacation and to host 85 of our most favorite people in a beautiful, beachy location.“
4. Destination Weddings Are a Logical Option for Dispersed Families
If your families live in different parts of the world and many guests would have to travel regardless, a destination wedding can be a practical choice. It serves as a central meeting point, making it convenient for everyone to gather in one beautiful location.
“When we looked at hosting a wedding in the town my fiance and I currently reside, our guest list was well over 200, and the majority of my friends/family would be required to travel to my city. When thinking about not being able to spend as much personal time with them, and the fact that they would still be required to travel meant a destination wedding was the best solution for us.” – Reddit
5. Destination Weddings are Exciting for Enthusiastic Guests
If your guest list is full of people who are excited about the idea of a destination wedding, this can make the event even more enjoyable. Guests who are enthusiastic about traveling and experiencing new places will appreciate the adventure and the unique setting.
Our Story: Why We Had a Destination Wedding
We are a Austrian-French couple who met and married in Hong Kong. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our civil wedding there could only be attended by a small group of guests.
Once restrictions were lifted, we eagerly began planning our “real” wedding—though it was symbolic rather than legal.
We anticipated that our guests would come from various corners of the globe, including France, Germany, Hong Kong, and Singapore. As we did not want to favor one family over anther (and neither one of us was enthusiastic about celebrating near their home), we decided to look for wedding venues that were not close to our homes.
With the understanding that nearly everyone on our guest list would need to travel, we ultimately decided to host our wedding in the South of France, in Provence. We also considered Alsace, another gorgeous part of France but felt the vibe of South of France with its lavender fields, vineyards and picturesque villages was hard to beat.
We discovered a stunning venue about 90 minutes from Marseille Airport that ticked all the boxes: incredibly charming, plenty of onsite accommodation, outdoor spaces for a classy al-fresco dinner, a converted wine cave for the after-party, and a stunning swimming pool for a pool-side wedding brunch.
The moment we saw the venue online, we knew it was the perfect choice for us. And we knew that we would not be able to find anything comparable near our homes. As the venue was within easy reach from Marseille Airport (which has international flights) and Avignon TGV Station, the logistics for our guests were also manageable.
Looking back, we have no regrets! Our destination wedding turned out exactly as we had envisioned, and we would choose this path again in a heartbeat.
Now that we have covered the pros of a destination wedding, let’s also speak about the cons. What are the reasons not to choose a destination wedding?
Three Cons of a Destination Wedding
1. Potentially Higher Costs
While destination weddings can sometimes be cost-effective, they involve expenses that you would not incur at home, such as higher expenses for travel, accommodations, and activities.
However, keep in mind that the most effective way to reduce costs is to reduce your guest list, focusing on close family and friends. As destination weddings tend to have a smaller guest list than local weddings, higher costs are often offset by the smaller party size.
2. Limited Guest Attendance
Not all of your guests may be able to attend a destination wedding due to the travel distance, cost, or time off work. This can be a downside if you want a large celebration with all your loved ones present.
3. Logistical Challenges
Planning a wedding from afar can be challenging. It may be harder to tour venues, meet with vendors, and coordinate details. You might need to rely more on a local wedding planner to help with these logistics.
Three Pros of a Local Wedding
1. Higher Guest Attendance
A local wedding makes it easier for more guests to attend. There are no travel barriers, which means your loved ones are more likely to be present to celebrate with you.
Of course, for all those who do not like to be the center of attention or are not interested in inviting extended family, long-lost relatives or your mum’s hairdresser, this is the biggest drawback of choosing a local wedding venue.
2. Easier Venue Visits
Planning a local wedding allows you to easily tour venues, meet with vendors, and make follow-up visits as needed. This can provide peace of mind and ensure everything is up to your standards.
3. Hands-On Involvement
If you want to be involved in the setup and takedown of your wedding, a local venue makes this feasible. You can be more hands-on with the preparations and decorations.
Three Cons of a Local Wedding
1. Less Scenic and Unique
While local venues can be beautiful, they might not offer the same unique, scenic backdrops as a destination wedding. Unless you already live in Hawaii or Aspen, and if you are dreaming of a beachfront ceremony or a mountaintop vow exchange, a local venue might not fulfill that vision.
2. Fewer Activities
Unlike a destination wedding that doubles as a vacation, a local wedding usually doesn’t include as many activities for you and your guests. The event is often confined to the wedding day itself, with fewer opportunities for extended celebrations.
3. More Guests Means Less Budget Per Guest and More Unwanted Guests
Local weddings tend to have a larger guest list than destination weddings. A larger guest list means that you have less budget per guest and you might have to compromise on things that are important to you.
Often, parents want to have a say in who is invited. With a local wedding, your guest list is much more likely to balloon and get out of control.
We are doing a destination wedding because we can avoid inviting people! – Reddit
Destination Wedding Pros and Cons: Making the Right Choice
Choosing between a destination and a local wedding depends on your priorities, budget, and vision for your big day. Each has its pros and cons.
Destination weddings offer stunning settings and intimate, vacation-like experiences, making them an attractive option for couples looking for a unique and memorable celebration.
While they come with logistical challenges, the benefits of spending quality time with your loved ones in a beautiful location can outweigh the extra effort.
Consider what aspects are most important to you and your partner, and weigh the pros and cons carefully.
Whether you choose a destination or local venue, what matters most is that your wedding reflects your love story and creates cherished memories for you and your guests. Weigh the pros and cons, but allow plenty of space to let your heart decide! In the end, you and your partner must feel good about the decision.
Remember, it is your day, and it should be as special and unique as your love for each other.
Discover, Browse, and Compare Hundreds of Destination Wedding Venues