Weddingbee Blog

I think for destination weddings the more expensive it is the less the bride/groom should expect by way of a gift from their guests. It sounds like she might be set on a caribbean type destination but has she considered a lot of the islands along the coasts of the U.S. I’m thinking like St. Simons, Sea Island or Jekyll Island off of Georgia, Galveston off of Texas, Hilton Head in SC –they all offer the beach but could be cheaper and easier to get to for guests. Cumberland Island, GA. was good enough for JFK Jr.

Really depends on the guests and if $800 for a long weekend vacation is in the cards, and if the guests are used to flying for weddings. I am, so I would compare the cost of Key West mentally to the cost of somewhere more pedestrian but still across the country, which would still easily be $500+. But for some folks, they just don’t have that kind of dough to blow on a single weekend, so no they woln;t make it.

There are many ways a DW bride can help her guests save money- group discounts, a wedding during the off or shoulder seasons, a location with cheaper flights.

It’s also important that a DW bride be prepared for a low attendance number. No matter how reasonable the price is, DWs are just less accessible by nature (guests have to commit to the entire weekend, possibly even take a day or two off from work to make the long & expensive flight “worth it”).

We had our DW in Jamaica (a very reasonably priced location for guests, btw).. and we were mentally prepared to have no one show up. It really would have been okay with us if it was just us and our immediate families. But our awesome friends surprised us with their enthusiasm, and we ended up having >50 wonderful friends join us for the weekend. =o)

Good luck.

We’re planning a DW as well. We’ve found that you can ask airlines and hotels if they will provide discounts for your guests (most of them will, if you’re able to guarantee a minimum amount of people, e.g 10 rooms in a hotel). Another option that a friend of mine did for her DW was have just very close friends and family attend the ceremony in Aruba and have the reception in NY.

i dont know about DW, but i do know about vacation planning! i would say that $1K genearlly isn’t too much, but she knows better than we do what the financial situations of her guests are. that being said, i thikn it would be nice to provide a few options. i know that you can do bare bones in the bahamas for $60 a night and about $2-300 airfare. in key west, however, i think that the options for budget locations are much more limited. just something to think about.

I’m doing the Florida Keys, but we aren’t having a reception there, just the ceremony. So, it will just be five people total. However, pricing is always better during the week and during the off-season (i.e. not March or April - July for most places). Also, don’t just consider Key West! There are dozens of larger Keys with hundreds of beaches and resorts! We’re doing Islamorada, and I couldn’t be happier. The park is free and not overcrowded, even during spring break, mostly because everyone always thinks “Key West” first. Just take a look around and keep in mind that some resorts have a bay instead of a beach, and some are on the wrong side of the island for sun-over-the-water sunsets.

Ditto Mrs Ant. We are getting married at the same hotel where she and Mr Ant exchanged vows, and we couldn’t be happier with the decision. Jamaica is an affordable destination for guests and the ambience and intimacy of this particular hotel practically guarantee a one-of-a-kind, VERY memorable wedding.

I encourage your friend to check out the destination wedding board on The Knot. Lots of helpful tips, tricks and ideas over there!

They decided to have a destination cruise wedding in Bermuda. It’s 5 days for $696.71 per person =)