I absolutely agree. I have worked in the wedding market in Mexico for the last 10 years and there is definitely an increase in destination weddings. Depending on where you want to get married you can almost guarantee that the weather is going to be nice, its a lot cheaper than a wedding at home plus the only people who will attend are usually the ones who really care.
Most couples do the legal part in their home country either before or after the symbolic wedding abroad. This is much easier and usually a lot cheaper than doing the legal part abroad. One should remember that all countries have different laws and its never quite as easy as doing the legal part at home.
I have many couples who want to escape their 'pre-wedding stress' and they just book a vacation and 'elope' to celebrate an intimate and romantic wedding just for the two of them. When they return they usually don't mind anymore if too many people mingle in their wedding plans as they are much more relaxed about it because they already 'had' their private time. Once the photos are shown around the 'betrayal' is always quickly forgotten.
Other couples decide they don't want to invite neighbors or business associates and the 'I-have-to-invite-because...." to keep costs down. They book a wedding abroad to celebrate with the people who really care for them and who are happy to make the effort to come along. Many couples who do this couple their wedding abroad with a family reunion, especially if the couple comes from different countries.
Other couples celebrate their wedding either on their own or with close family and have a reception with a slide show when they return. There is also a trend in many elderly couples getting married or renewing their vows. My oldest couple was 83 and 78. Love knows no age limit and they wanted to make a commitment to each other without messing up their pensions so they decided to have a symbolic wedding and had a huge family reunion at the same time.
It IS much cheaper to have a destination wedding and you also have an instant honey moon incorporated. Its a great way to have the wedding of your dreams at a budget price. Whether you take a hotel package or have an independent wedding planner, that depends on how special you want your day to be. Hotel weddings are great but they are pretty much "off the peg" If you want something different, hire an independent wedding planner, its not necessarily more expensive but it will give you a lot more options. The internet is a great place to shop around and gather information. Do your research and remember that you have to feel comfortable with the people you hire. Good luck to you all, Petra
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