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Tips & Advice
Making a destination wedding budget may be a little more time consuming and difficult than making a budget for a normal wedding. When making the budget you have to take into consideration where you are having the wedding, when you are having it and who is coming to the wedding. Not every destination wedding budget is going to look the same, but they will have some things in common. A Hawaiian wedding may be more expensive than a Mexico wedding, which is why you need to research well the location that you pick for your wedding.
Before you even do anything with your wedding budget, you need to actually set the budget. Decide how much money you actually have to spend on the wedding. Check with the parents of the bride and groom to see if that are willing to give any money towards the wedding planning. Add this money to yours and this will set your budget limit. Once this wedding budget is set, you should do everything in your power to not go over it. You don't want to still be paying off your wedding as you celebrate your 5th wedding anniversary. This may mean that you will have to make a list of "must haves" and anther list of "can do without." If something needs to be cut due to overspending, you can easily take something off the "can do without" list and cut it from the wedding and still have the perfect destination wedding.
No matter if it is a Hawaiian wedding or a Caribbean wedding, there are certain common costs that you have to include in your budget. These common costs are:
- Hotel and flight costs to and from the destination location for you and anybody else you are paying for
- Fee for the location of our actual wedding ceremony and/or reception
- Fee for the officiant for your wedding
- Wedding reception (if you are having one) which includes food, drinks, wedding cake, decorations, and entertainment
- Transportation while at the destination (e.g., rental car)
- Wedding attire for the bride and groom
- Rehearsal dinner or any other activities or events planned with wedding party and guests
- Extra spending money for food, souvenirs and other items while at the destination
- Any wedding party gifts
- Wedding favors and programs
- Wedding invitations
- Any beauty appointments for the bride and wedding party
- Wedding planner (optional)
- Official wedding documents needed in certain countries
- Honeymoon money, including flights, transportation, and food/beverage
While planning your budget you have to decide just how much you have and are willing to pay for the wedding party and guests. You may decide that you want to pay for the hotel for your parents and wedding party. This all depends on your financial situation. Don't think that you have to pay for everyone's way to the destination, especially if you can't afford it. Just be sure to let them know up front that they will have to pay their way before they decide they are coming to the wedding. |
