TIPS ON HOW TO DECIDE WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU
“Should I have a destination wedding or have a large local wedding?” It can be a loaded question.
Determining what’s right for you and your partner can be challenging. It's totally your day so you need to do what you both feel is right. If you’re trying to decide whether or not an intimate destination wedding is right for you, I am here to help! When talking with your partner, here are a few questions to ask yourselves:
WHEN YOU ENVISION YOUR WEDDING,
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
When you dream about your wedding day, what do you see? Tell your partner what you’ve always envisioned to see if you’re on the same page already or aiming to meet in the middle. Have you always pictured getting married with your toes in the sand, under lush tropical palm trees, or your family’s church? Whatever it may be, this can be a starting point for designing the wedding day of your dreams.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU WANT AT
YOUR WEDDING?
The average guest count for a destination wedding in the Florida Keys is 60 or less, while the average local wedding guest list in the U.S. is 117 . If each of you pictured a more intimate gathering, then a destination intimate wedding is right for you! Some couples choose a more intimate wedding as a way to cut down on the number of invites the couple needs to extend. If distant family members or neighbors know you are having a destination wedding, they are less likely to assume an invite to your wedding. But if you each planned on inviting your 50-100 closest family members and friends, that guest list can add up quickly for a larger soiree.
WHAT’S OUR WEDDING BUDGET?
In some cases, the cost of a larger wedding is more than couples want to spend on their wedding day. Or some would rather invest in other vendors. It’s important to be realistic when determining your budget and stay within your means — that added financial stress isn’t worth it! The national average for a wedding is around $33,000, while some of my elopement packages are $3,000 or less and miro weddings in the Florida Keys can be less than $20,000. The more guests you invite, means more mouths to feed and hands to put drinks in. The dinner and drink ticket for any wedding will be one of the most expense parts. Cutting down on only your most truest friends and family is a great way to cut costs.
The average venue site fee in the U.S is $5,500. This is another large chunk of wedding budgets.
If you opt to host a smaller destination wedding, there are more unique venue and site options available to you. You can even host your wedding at a private beach estate in the Florida Keys where your vacation home is your wedding site.
SHOULD WE DESTINATION?
Once you’ve discussed all of the questions above, it’s time to talk about finding the right destination! Depending on how you answered the previous questions, we’d say you’re destined to have destination wedding if the below applies to you:
You envision a intimate celebration with under 100 guests
Your budget is under $30,000
You prefer intimate venues or an adventure venues outdoors
You’re able to take a few days off to travel if needed
You want to make a fun vacation out of your wedding
You are focused on having FUN and really enjoying the journey
WE’RE READY TO WED! NOW WHAT?
So you’ve made the decision to find an amazing destination for your wedding, YAY! Once you have a general idea of where you may want, it’s time to start planning. If you’re not entirely sure, that’s okay too! We can provide a list of some of our top wedding locations based on the settings you prefer or the style wedding you’re leaning toward. Send a message my way to start chatting about all of the details here!