What is the destination wedding? The new trend!
Today I wanted to tell you about a new trend: the destination wedding! What is it? Also called the destination wedding in French. It’s about getting married simply: somewhere else! More and more future brides and grooms are opting every year for a wedding far from their home region or even abroad. This is a typically Anglo-Saxon trend in principle. It is more and more frequent to see foreigners who come to France to get married. Some are tempted by a castle in Bordeaux, a villa on the French Riviera or an art gallery in Paris. In this article, I will try to explain the concept and how to organize your own destination wedding.
Who is the destination wedding for?
Whether you are French, expatriate or foreign, you can organize a destination wedding. As long as you are ready to live a magnificent adventure.
It’s ideal for future brides and grooms looking for a change of scenery. For example, you live in Paris and you want to organize your wedding under the Mediterranean sun or on a beach in Greece.
You wish to return to your origins: a charming village in the center of France, a city in Italy where your grandfather lived… You wish to return to the land of your childhood or discover your roots.
If you are planning a mixed union, a destination wedding may make sense. For example, you can get married in the country of your spouse by taking your guests on a cultural and symbolic journey.
You are a true globetrotter, an Erasmus trip to Spain, a gap year in New York or a CDD in Singapore. Because you love to travel. And you want to let yourself be transported by the memories by coming back to the places where you lived.
Why do we love the principle?
The destination wedding is an opportunity to give yourself an extraordinary experience. And to share it with your guests. The destination possibilities are endless. It is following your experiences, your personality and the history of your couple that you will be able to choose the destination that suits you. It is also ideal if you wish to surprise your guests.
Generally, the wedding takes place over several days, which leaves you time to discover the place. You will be able to propose tourist visits and animations to really live your wedding. On average, the destination wedding takes place over 2 to 3 days. This allows you to avoid the depression of the wedding by enjoying this unique moment a little longer. Many brides and grooms extend the celebration by staying for their honeymoon a few days longer.
If you are looking for sunshine or simply good weather for your big day, the destination wedding is ideal. Indeed, it’s always sunny somewhere any day of the year. So you can get married in November in the sun!
Finally, the destination wedding is not necessarily more expensive than a traditional wedding in your region of residence. It can even be more economical! It’s all about priorities.
The conditions of a destination wedding
Let’s face it, anyone can choose a destination wedding. I just want to explain to you the conditions to make sure that everything goes as you imagine. And avoid at all costs the bad surprises and disappointments.
First of all, you will have to evaluate your priorities. And this starts with the construction of your budget. Indeed, a clear and categorized budget will allow you to start creating your guest list. For logistical and budgetary reasons, the destination wedding is usually a small wedding. Your family and close friends are often 30 or 40 people maximum. Especially if you are getting married abroad, not everyone will be able to afford the transportation or accommodation costs. What is important to you? Generally speaking, brides and grooms prioritize location, budget and guests.
If you are getting married abroad, it will be necessary to find out about the laws of the country. Do you need a VISA? Can you perform the civil ceremony in the country? (Not often the case) What is the religion of the country and can you claim it?
To be accompanied in the organization
This part seems essential to me. Assuming that you don’t really know the place you have chosen, an accompaniment will be necessary. More and more wedding planners decide to specialize in destination weddings. Their goal is to accompany only the future bride and groom in their administrative and logistical steps. It is the role of the wedding planner to show you the best places, the best accommodations and the best activities to experience.
So, you have two choices. You can take a wedding planner in your area who organizes the destination wedding. However, you will have to make sure that he or she knows the place in order to guide you in your choices. Or you can choose a wedding planner from the region of the wedding. And you can be sure that he or she knows the area inside out.
If you are getting married abroad, more and more wedding planners are settling as expatriates for their activity in a particular country. In this case, it is important because you will not have the language barrier. You will be able to communicate with your wedding planner in your native language and he will take care of the rest. The wedding planner will have all the necessary knowledge about the country: culture, customs, laws and administrative procedures.
Using a wedding planner for a destination wedding will probably be the most important point. He is the one who will take care of the research of the places, of the best providers, of the logistics on the D-day, of the research of the accommodation and of the transportation. And when you arrive, you just have to enjoy. Saving time is essential, because you probably won’t be able to go there several times a month. Let alone organize it remotely.
I hope I’ve taught you a little more about the destination wedding trend and I hope you start the best trip of your life soon.
