For many couples, the major appeal of destination weddings is financial. While the average wedding costs roughly $25,000, and possibly double that in a big city. Destination weddings can be significantly cheaper, since the guest list is often considerably smaller. Theory goes that only those who really love you will travel for you, which means a destination wedding is one way to avoid paying per head to feed the coworkers and business contacts many couples feel obligated to invite to local weddings. Destination weddings also make a lot of sense for couples whose families and friends are scattered around the globe. After all, if most of the guests are going to travel anyway, why not get married in a place that is a vacation for all!

No matter your reasons for choosing a destination wedding, one thing for sure, this time, you can’t rely solely on your mom for advice, since she probably didn’t get married this way. Here are some of the special considerations involved in planning a wedding far from home.

•    Bringing guests to your destination wedding? Don’t forget to ask the hotel for discounts for you and your guests. Some resort is very interested in having your guests business, so they shouldn’t be charging you the absolute full price of the event.

Many destination spots now offer wedding packages. And business is booming for some. That is not so surprising given the generous wedding packages it offers. In fact, people planning a tiny wedding of four can even get married for free, provided they book a six-night honeymoon and other freebies.

Regardless of the size of your wedding, an advantage is to hire a Destination Wedding Coordinator, who will make sure to negotiate with vendors needed. If there are certain items included in a wedding package that you don’t want, ask for a credit. And if a property won’t drop its rates substantially, look for free upgrades for you and your guests instead.
•    If you want to do a destination wedding, you have to make it affordable for the people who are coming. Don’t pick a location that will cost a few thousand dollars for the weekend.
In addition, try to negotiate cheaper room rates on behalf of your guests, try to cut airline costs as well.

You also can save your guests money by telling them that their presence at your wedding is the only wedding gift you need. If you’re not willing to give up the registry completely, be sure to register for some inexpensive items.

•    With a destination wedding, save the date cards are crucial. Send them off as early as possible, preferably at least 6 to 8 months in advance. Note, this is a destination wedding and your guests may be planning their family vacation around it. Giving them a heads-up allows them to shop for the best airfares and work the trip into the family budget.

•    If you’re going international, be aware of the legal requirements. Many places have marriage fees and residency requirements in addition to a slew of other red tape.

•    Given the added complications of destination weddings, a good wedding planner can be a godsend. After all, you might have to communicate in a foreign language and deal with people who live in a foreign culture. The best favor you can do yourself is to hire an onsite wedding planner.

The easiest way to do it, hire a wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings, and let him or her work with an onsite planning. And don’t worry about having to pay the fees. The services of the destination wedding planner are generally included in the overall price.

To find a good planner, start by asking friends and relatives for referrals. You can also check through internet for destination wedding planners.

•    Wedding planners say destination weddings are less stressful than traditional hometown hooplas, since many of the details are simply out of the couple’s control. It is the level of trust that matters.

Note, if you are planning an island wedding, set your watch to island time and your mind to island mentality. Vendors there are likely to be slower to respond to requests than mainland vendors might be. Just be aware things could be delayed, and don’t stress.

Having said that, if there is an element that is really important to you, for example the hair and make-up stylist or the photographer or the band, you could always bring your own.

•    For a bigger wedding, at least one pre-visit is necessary. Now, in the name of research, you just might have to take an extra trip to paradise with your honey. Tough work, but nobody said planning the perfect wedding would be easy.