Many Brides to be get overwhelmed when it comes to planning their wedding. I personally don't sweat the small stuff and knew after he proposed that I did not want the whole pomp and circumstance. Not that we are old or anything but we both have already purchased homes and acquired plenty of nicknack's over the years so I was against going to the nearest target and scanning everything on the shelves too. It may seem a bit uncouth for some but I'd much rather have cash as a gift than a new crock pot ☺ This is the main reason why I chose a destination wedding.
The resort I chose is Sandals, who has partnered with Martha Stewart, THE Queen of everything Luxury. So I figured, who better to style your wedding than Martha right! Sandals has a great reputation and is an adult/couples only resort style vacation option. I know that many of my close friends and family have children and although they are dually loved I just did not envision a flower girl, ring bearer or a crying and temper tantrum child running about my wedding ceremonies. Children are still allowed to attend the wedding but unfortunately they can not stay at the Sandals resort. Sandals has another partner, Beaches, which is their family friendly resort to accommodate those types of vacations. I've been on vacations at resorts before that welcomed children and I always get annoyed with people's kids who are misbehaving, talking back, not listening and just running a muck. Nothing is more nerve racking than a screaming child to me and since we will be staying there for awhile I'd much rather have the peace and quiet during my romance ♥
Destination weddings are ideal as they typically cost less than the traditional church and reception hall wedding. You have the option to help your guests with travel expenses or not. I see our wedding as a vacation for all. Many of my guests have never been to our destination spot and will only be gathering for the wedding for a few hours so they have the rest of their stay to swim, sun soak and explore. You do have the option to have a reception with your destination wedding and of course feeding your guests is always optional but I personally think it is tacky to have folks fly across an ocean to celebrate your nuptials and ask them to pay for their meal too.
The tricky thing about destination weddings is that most resorts offer a free option but there are many additives involved, for example getting married at sunset will set you back an additional 1500.00! I was shocked and said well let's do it beforehand then lol We can have our reception while the sun is setting. Isn't that crazy, you don't own the sun but you can up charge for it. Another possible issue is that your wedding consultant is at your destination therefore you will do all of your communication via telephone until your arrival. This issue is not really an issue for me because I love doing my research online and can answer most of my questions by reading plus I can always email my consultant if I run into a quandary.
Lastly unless you plan a trip to your destination prior to getting married you have to soley rely on pictures and recommendations by others. I've found a few helpful websites geared towards brides where I can read up on our destination, the Sandals experience and even wedding planning in general. I will definitely be doing a review on my Sandals experience and you know I'm taking Lots and LOTS of pictures ☺
Helpful wedding planning websites:
