Destination Savings: How a Destination Wedding Can Save You Money

With the average wedding cost hovering around $30,000 you might just be surprised that a destination wedding can reduce your overall wedding costs, sometimes dramatically.

How, you ask? Given the current economic state brides and grooms are able to find great deals in places like Mexico and the Caribbean. Destination weddings are also generally smaller than stateside weddings so what could have been a 150-200 person wedding in your home town can now become a 20-80 person wedding party. Destination wedding couples are also likely to get elements of the wedding such as ceremony space, reception space, and sometimes even the officiant thrown in as part of their wedding package at no cost.

It is important to keep your guests in mind though. While a destination wedding can reduce the overall cost of the wedding it can increase the cost for your guests. So picking a place that is easy to travel to can be important as this generally will mean multiple airlines will offer direct flights and competitive pricing from most major cities.

While a destination wedding may not help reduce all of your costs it can also help reduce overall costs and the cost of your honeymoon…because why leave paradise?

10 Simple Ways to Save Big on Your Wedding Bar

Saving money on your wedding bar is easier than you may think. With just a little ingenuity and a few simple tricks you can quickly put dollars back in your pocket.

1. Buy in Bulk – Destination wedding couples may be surprised to find that some resorts offer the option of a stocked bar provided by the hotel or a bar stocked by the couple. With many wedding locations offering buy-in-bulk stores like Costco or Sam’s this is a great opportunity to save costs. Just make sure to discuss your hotel’s policies up front so that you are clear before any contracts are signed.

french_martini2. Offer Beer and Wine – While a fully stocked bar can be nice it is certainly not necessary. Serving a beer and wine only bar is a great option if looking to save some money on the liquor bill. If you are concerned that some of your guests would prefer something a bit harder simply offer a signature cocktail or two (i.e. a Martini of your choosing and/or Jack and Coke).

3. Choose local brands – Stocking a bar with local brews, wines, and spirits can equal tremendous savings and can be an experience that is new and fun for your guests.

4. If offering a full bar, choose mid-shelf varieties rather than top-shelf for extra savings.

5. If the hotel is providing the alcohol have the bartenders stop opening fresh bottles of wine an hour before your reception ends. You typically pay for any bottles that have been uncorked, so make it a rule that nothing be opened after a certain hour unless there are no opened bottles left and the bar is still open. You want to avoid having ten opened bottles of wine with just one glass poured out of each.

6. Avoid the bubbly by not offering a champagne toast. Guests can toast you with whatever’s in their glasses at the time.

7. Close the bar early, just an hour before the reception ends. Your guests can be served coffee, tea, and water till the party comes to an end.

8. Don’t forget about non-alcoholic options – Make sure there is a diverse collection of alcohol-free drinks for people to choose from. You might be surprised with how many of your guests will only partake in one drink.

9. Consider a morning or mid-day reception. This option can save you a great deal as all your guests would require is a signature fruity cocktail like mimosas.

10. Say “I-do” on a Sunday – Guests will likely be flying back on Monday resulting in reduced alcohol consumption and increased savings for you.

The most important thing to remember is that as long as you make it look good, your guests will never be asking “Where’s the liquor.”

Author Bio: Article written by Julia Lavine, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of http://WeddedAway.com, the fastest growing online destination wedding resource dedicated to helping destination bound brides and grooms plan locally, wed globally.

Category: Marriage
Keywords: destination weddings,destination wedding resource,beach weddings