Leeanne told me her husband-to-be suggested they throw a destination wedding. I was immediately excited to have a good excuse to take off for the tropics, but, Leeanne was concerned the cost of getting to the destination would prevent some guests from showing up on her big day.
Despite her concerns, destination weddings are all the rage, says industry expert Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts in Florida.
"While the industry was bracing for the worst, the opposite occurred. Brides began to reprioritize and rethink everything ... More brides opted for simplicity, choosing to wed away from home in a more casual setting," Grinnals says.
To do a destination wedding right, Grinnals offers these ideas:
1. Make it hot. "The Caribbean continues to be a very popular region for destination weddings," Grinnals says. "One of my favourite getaways is the Cayman Islands because there is a wealth of high quality service providers and their weddings don't have that overdone, 'packaged' feel. Everything is tailored." A wide variety of lodging helps control costs.
2. Make it about your passions. "Over 9,000 Chinese couples married on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics and I anticipate many will choose to do the same during the Vancouver Olympics," Grinnals says.
3. Make it individual. "Destination brides feel less limited by tradition, so we are seeing them throw all caution to the wind and wearing dresses in colours like fuchsia, tangerine and ocean blues," Grinnals says.
4. Make it about the dress(es). Grinnals says destination brides are opting for two dresses, a wedding dress and a casual reception dress.
5. Make it about culture. Grinalls suggests serving local foods, giving local products as gifts, and mixing in elements from your own culture for "a truly unique" experience."
6. Make it dramatic. Whether you speed off in a boat or ski down a mountain, make your wedding exit one the guests will never forget.
7. Make it musical. "At home or abroad, couples are ditching the DJ in favour of creating their own playlists on an iPod," Grinnals says.
8. Make it hi-tech. Social media is popular for destination wedding couples who use sites like Twitter and Facebook to keep everyone up-to-date, especially those unable to attend.
9. Make it green. "From venues to vendors, (brides) are making green choices," Grinnals says.
10. Make a mess of your dress. Popular in the Caribbean, the couple holds a photo shoot the next day and jumps into the ocean in their wedding outfits, Grinnals says. "It's a chance for the couple to really let their hair down after all the stress and pressure from the months leading up to the big day. It's one of my favourite trends."
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