Tag: destination weddings

Average Destination Wedding Budget

June 18, 2010 by Tabitha

Here are a couple of current facts about destination wedding budgets for those of you considering hosting a destination wedding in lieu of a traditional hometown wedding lasting for just one day.

FACT: Spending for destination weddings has actually increased over the last decade and has exceeded the average budget for a traditional wedding in the last three years, despite the recession.

As reported by Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Magazine:

“…the average traditional wedding budget has decreased by 7 percent in the last year from $21,814 to $20,398.”

whereas

“The average destination wedding budget has increased 4 percent, from $19,800 in 2006 to $20,600 in 2009…”

What does this mean?

It means that hosting a destination wedding with your closest family and friends does not necessarily mean that you will spend less  money on your wedding than if you were to host a traditional hometown wedding.

However, one benefit to hosting a destination wedding is that you may be able to do more with your budget (plan a nicer wedding) and create a more memorable time for your guests, especially when you consider that the average number of guests attending a destination wedding is 48.

Although your guest list is more likely to be smaller than when hosting a traditional wedding, you are likely to spend just as much because you will be entertaining your guests over a period of days, usually three and as a result, you are spending more money per guest.

Of course, it is also important to keep in mind that the average cost of a destination wedding also will vary depending on the location you choose and the things you want to do and plan for your guests.

Are you thinking of hosting a destination wedding? If so, what is your biggest concern?

Tags: , ,
Categories: destination weddings • No Comments »

Destination Weddings – Vero Beach, FL (Part 2)

May 16, 2010 by Tabitha

On Friday, I started talking about the Vero Beach “familiarization trip” I attended for destination wedding planners. On our first day there, we attended a “Welcome Reception” at the Vero Beach Hotel and Club (a Kimpton Hotel), which provided us with an opportunity to get acquainted with each other over hor d’oeuvres and cocktails to the sound of steel drums being playing in the background.

Where is Tabitha? I’m in the background in my signature color, “turquoise” in the 3rd photo (top row).

The Vero Beach Hotel and Spa is a very charming and elegant beachfront resort, which would be perfect for hosting a modern, yet traditional style wedding among your closest family and friends.

The property is magnificent and they offer several options for hosting a lavish wedding ceremony, including exchanging vows beach side on their patio or under their gazebo, as well as an indoor space for an elaborate wedding reception for up to 200 guests.

Following our “Welcome Reception,” we were whisked away by Magic Carpet Ride,a family owned motor coach company who provided transportation for us over the course of our trip, to our after party.More to come in another blog post. Stay tuned by subscribing to my blog.


Photo Credits: PS Photography (1,2); Vero Beach Hotel & Spa (3)

Tags: , ,
Categories: destination weddings • 1 Comment »

Destination Weddings – Vero Beach (Part I)

May 14, 2010 by Tabitha



Last week, I had the honor of attending the “Discover Love” Familiarization Trip in Vero Beach for destination wedding planners courtesy of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce. They hosted 40 of us from across the United States to learn more about their area as a destination wedding location.

Let’s just say that I felt in love with the area from the time my flight landed in Melbourne, FL and I hopped into a town car for the 40 minute ride to Vero Beach. My host hotel was Costa D’este Beach Resort and Spa, owned by Emilio and Gloria Estefan. The resort is very modern, zen, and it suited me very well.

The ambiance is just fabulous. Truly, you can escape from it all while residing at this resort. The moment I stepped into my room, I turned the air condition off and open up the sliding doors so that I could hear the ocean and feel the breeze. Even when it stormed that evening, I left the doors to the balcony open as I got ready for our Welcome Reception at the Vero Beach Hotel and Club. Everything about the style and furnishings of my room at Costa D’Este resort was zen.


The bathroom was fabulous, especially the shower and the bed slept heavenly. Of course, it’s truly about the details. Each evening when I headed back to my room, my secret elf had sneaked in and pulled the bed linens back, placed a bathrobe across the bed, dimmed the lights, and left me a “sweet treat” of chocolate. If you will take look at the flower artwork in the headboard on the bed in the photo above…this actual lights up with very dim lighting. This is one of the things my secret elf would have had turned on each evening. Talk about creating an atmosphere that nurtures love and complete relaxation.

Brides and grooms, this is a beautiful place to host not only a wedding, but your honeymoon. More details from my trip to Vero Beach to come, including detailed information about hosting a destination wedding in Indian River County. Please stay tuned by subscribing to my blog.

Photos Courtesy of PS Photography (1); Nathalie Cadet-James (2); and Costa D’Este (3 & 4)

Tags: , ,
Categories: destination weddings • No Comments »

Destination Weddings – Residency Requirements for Legal Marriages

April 20, 2010 by Tabitha

Thus far, I have provided you with an overview of things to consider when deciding on your wedding destination, followed by whether or not you envision having a civil or religious wedding ceremony. Today, I wanted to discuss residency requirements for destination weddings.

In order to get married abroad be it the Caribbean, Europe, or the South Pacific, many of these beautiful and exotic locations require a minimum residency stay before exchanging vows and making your marriage legal. Residency requirements can range from being on an island for just 24 hours to three days to a month, what have you? It all depends on where you want to go.

Therefore, you must factor in the residency requirements when deciding on where to host your destination wedding in order to determine if the residency requirements are realistically within your wedding budget. For example, if you wanted to get married on the beautiful and tropical island of St Barthelemy (St. Barts), then you should know that in order to legally marry there, you will be required to be a resident there for forty days, which is the case for all French territories. This will significantly add to your wedding expenses because you will have to rent out an apartment and live there as a resident for that period of time before you can legally marry there.

Therefore, the gorgeous island of St. Barts can quickly become unattractive for a destination wedding location at least when the residency requirement is taken into consideration. However, by working with a destination wedding specialist, s/he will inform you of other similar options to host your destination wedding with less complicating residency requirements.

For example, in lieu of St. Barts, the Dutch side of St. Maarten (not the French side, St. Martin) or the tranquil island of Anguilla are both great alternate destination wedding locations because the residency requirements for getting married are a less stringent. And best of all,these two islands are so close to St. Barts, that after your wedding weekend festivities, the two of you can easily honeymoon in St. Barts, which is easily accessible by ferry from St. Maarten/St. Martin or a chartered boat from Anguilla.

I have decided to feature subsequent blog posts on some of the popular and most exclusive islands to host destination weddings. So, please come back to visit often or better yet subscribe to this wedding blog.

Tags: ,
Categories: destination weddings, wedding planning advice • No Comments »

Destination Weddings – Civil or Religious Ceremony?

April 19, 2010 by Tabitha

Previously, I discussed three things you need to determine when choosing your destination wedding location. Today, I wanted to expand on that blog post by discussing another factor to take into consideration. As mentioned previously, just as your options of where to host your destination wedding are plenteous, so are the rules and regulations in many locations.

Another factor to determine when choosing the location is whether you envision a religious or civil ceremony for your destination wedding. This is very important because in some locations a religious ceremony may not be legal or vice versa. For example, if you have your mind set on a having a religious ceremony and your top choice to host your nuptials are in the Mexican Caribbean, then you should note that only civil ceremonies are legal in Mexico. You can still have a religious ceremony, but you will have to opt to do a civil service first to make it legal, and then you can proceed with your religious ceremony.

On the other side of the coin, if you wish to get married somewhere like Bali, a beautiful and exotic island of Indonesia, you should note that only religious ceremonies are binding. Civil ceremonies are not acknowledged in Bali. In other words, you must declare a religion to be married in Bali and the wedding ceremony has to be performed in accordance with the laws of your religion. Even more, both parties must have the same religion. Therefore, if you are a Christian and your fiancé(e) is a Buddhist, one of you will have to file a written declaration to change your religion to that of your partner’s, in order to be legally married in Bali.

Tomorrow, I will provide an overview of how varied residency requirements are for getting married abroad. Stay tuned by subscribing to my blog.

Advice: You can always contact a destination wedding planner in your local area for a consultation to determine if a destination wedding is right for you and to learn about the legalities concerning having a destination wedding in your top destination choices. Most destination wedding specialists are well versed in the marriage requirements of many of the leading wedding destinations.

{This is a re-post and content has been modified. Originally published on my old blog in 2009}

Tags:
Categories: destination weddings • 3 Comments »

Destination Weddings – Choosing the Location

April 16, 2010 by Tabitha

The process of choosing a location for your destination wedding is similar to choosing a honeymoon destination. Following, I have outlined a few things you need to determine when deciding on your destination wedding location.

How far do you want to travel?

A destination wedding can take place internationally or domestically. In other words, the term “destination wedding” does not necessarily mean you have to travel outside the country. In fact, your ideal destination may not even require you to leave your state.

Of course, if you decide you want to travel abroad, then the possibility of places to host your wedding is plenteous and this is where a destination wedding specialist in your locale can educate you and help you narrow down your choices as to the best destinations to host your wedding based on the following:

What type of setting do you envision for your wedding?

By figuring out the type of setting you envision for your wedding and the specific things you want to see and do, you and your destination wedding planner can narrow down a list of potential places to host your destination wedding. For example, if your widest dream is to get married underwater in the beautiful waters of the Caribbean, your destination wedding specialist can tell you exactly where that is possible and the requirements for such an adventurous wedding.

As for the things you want to see and do, think about activities or shared hobbies you both enjoy the most—surfing, scuba diving, golf, snorkeling, skiing, hiking, spa vacations, etc.? Next, can you imagine not enjoying these things on your destination wedding vacation? By coming to a consensus of the things you both want to see and do, you and your destination wedding planner can further narrow down your options in the land of infinite possibilities.

How many attendants and guests are you planning to invite?

The size of your wedding is very important because it will determine what locations can accommodate your event. The average number of guests that attend a destination wedding is a slightly less than 50. It could be that you already have a specific place in mine. However, if you have a large guest list, the location may not be able to accommodate your wedding size. The rule of thumb with hosting a destination wedding is “less is more”. Destination weddings are often intended to be more intimate than the traditional wedding, in that it primarily comprises of only your closest family and friends.

The questions I have outlined are just a few things for you to determine that will help you narrow down the options of where to have your destination wedding. There are other things to you need to take into consideration that will help you narrow down your options, such as whether you want a religious or civil ceremony.

I will talk more about this in Monday’s blog post. Stay tuned by subscribing to my blog!

{This is a re-post and content has been modified. Originally published on my old blog in 2009}

Tags: ,
Categories: destination weddings, wedding planning advice • 5 Comments »

Destination Weddings – Bald Head Island, NC

April 13, 2010 by Tabitha

Fourteen miles of unspoiled pristine beaches, Bald Head Island is one of the hidden treasures of Eastern North Carolina. Located a couple of miles from the Cape Fear River and between there and the Atlantic Ocean, the only access to this island is by a passenger ferry boat or a private yacht.

That’s right! There are no cars on Bald Head Island. The only means of transportation while on the island are golf carts,bikes, and of course “pat and joe” (your feet), making it an ideal place to host both an intimate and eco-conscious destination wedding among your closest family and friends.

As soon as you and your guests arrive onto the island, you will suddenly feel the slow pace of life as you leave your worries all behind you. Just imagine all the memories and the unforgettable time you and your guests will have in this unique little paradise.

Featured in the above photograph is the Bald Head Lighthouse, which is North Carolina’s oldest standing lighthouse and affectionately referred to by the locals as “Old Baldy”. The lighthouse is the most popular place on the island for outdoor wedding ceremonies. This historic lighthouse is just gorgeous as it is nestled between live oak trees and lush greenery.

What do you do in wedding destination that is unspoiled and has no car pollution?

  • Relax and past time on the beaches with your bridesmaids
  • Sooth your mind, body, and spirit at Island Retreat Spa and Salon
  • Golf seaside at the Bald Head Island Club
  • Explore the island by hiking the maritime trail, kayaking the tidal creeks, wind-sailing
  • Climb the “Old Baldy” Lighthouse for a complete view of the island
  • And of course you can wine, dine, and shop while on the island

Whether you chose to host a destination wedding and/or your honeymoon on Bald Head Island, you truly leave it all behind and enter into your own world of fun, romance, and complete relaxation. I have included a promotional video of Bald Head Island that I found on YouTube to entice you a bit.

Are you enticed and interested in hosting a destination wedding on Bald Head Island?

If so, please contact us and do not forget to subscribe to my blog as I will continue to feature the beauty I have grown to love here in my home state as well as in my travels.

Photo Courtesy of Chris Van Atta Photography, a destination wedding photographer based in Wilmington and Asheville, NC. Please be sure to visit his website and blog.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Tags: , ,
Categories: destination weddings • No Comments »

« Older Entries