Destination Weddings: Stressful but Exciting?

Sometimes it’s better to travel as a group when you’re holding your birthday, your anniversary, your post-graduation party … or even your wedding! Right now, destination weddings are trendy again because travel packages are so cheap.

Now, if you’re planning a weekend party for several people, what are the first steps? First, you need to find out where they want to go, then look for the ideal hotel or villa.

It’s easy to choose a party venue if you can visit the location, but destination parties (especially weddings) can be tricky. You need to coordinate with the hotel staff, or the booking agent (see Westgate) so you can decide which hotel offers the best amenities at a lower cost.

That last bit is important. The worst thing that could happen in any situation is not having enough cash to accommodate everyone’s needs. Yes, I know everything’s covered with the downpayment but little things can crop up (there aren’t enough flowers, the ribbons are in the wrong color, there are no umbrellas and it’s raining, the wedding song is all wrong, etc).

It’s particularly embarrassing for the host or hostess to ask the guests to pitch in for this or that expense. When push comes to shove, you might even need to shell out a hefty portion of your cash-on-hand to fill the need. The thing is, you shouldn’t attempt to organize a destination wedding if you’re not prepared.