Q: How much is a
destination wedding
really going to
cost me?
A: It varies but in most cases it will be (much) less than a wedding of the same caliber in the United States!
The cost of a destination wedding can vary greatly. Factors heavily influencing destination wedding costs include location, venue, number of wedding events, number of guests, exchange rate and time of year.
According to a recent survey by the Knot, the average destination wedding spend is $41,000 which includes travel expenses and ALL destinations. Digging deeper into the data, you will find average destination wedding costs at all-inclusive resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean are closer to $5,000 to $10,000.
Now, let's compare these costs to an average wedding in the United States. The national average is approx $35,000. Wedding costs in the US can vary greatly depending on the exact location. Take a look at the graphic - NYC averages almost $80,000 while Utah averages closer to $20.000. Therefore, the ulimate amount of savings will depend on what part of the country a wedding couple would have hosted their domestic wedding in the US.
But consider this - how far does your wedding budget stretch in the United States versus a destination wedding?
A wedding in the States typically includes one evening celebration, which means time spent with your guests is very limited when you consider the amount of time dedicated to traditional wedding day activities (speeches, first dances, cake cutting. etc) and likely a larger guest list.
A destination wedding provides the opportunity to spend significantly more time with your guests given guests travel minimally three nights. Not only will you celebrate with your guests at organized wedding events in destination, you will also have a blast at the beach, in the pool, dancing in the nightclub or maybe even sailing on a private catamaran. Therefore, the amount you invest in a destination wedding equates to more quality time with your guests as compared to a domestic wedding.
Our Clients' Destination Weddings:
3
Days of events
50
Guests
10
Thousand average cost
72
Hours to have fun with your guests
Average Weddings in the United States:
1
Day of events
150
Guests
35
Thousand average cost
4
Hours to have fun with your guests
But what about travel expenses?
Great news! Most of our wedding couples receive all-inclusive hotel accomodations at no additional cost - that's right! In addition to a free room (or rooms in some cases), many resorts will also offer complimentary wedding packages or even free events such as a welcome cocktail hour or a semi-private rehearsal dinner.
So how does this work exactly? We're glad you asked!
As a way of saying 'thank you' for bringing family and friends to the resort, the resort provides group concessions - aka 'comps' or 'freebies' - to the wedding couple. The specific amount of comps are determined by either the number of guests or number of rooms booked within the wedding group. Additional factors include the resort brand as well as the time of year (low demand travel seasons sometimes have better comps).
After the wedding group travels, the couple receives a refund. Some of our clients have seen refunds upwards of $25,000! Essentially, the wedding couple is reimbursed for both travel expenses and wedding expenses.
Since comps can significantly lower your out of pocket destination wedding expenses, it's important to consider this factor during the resort selection process. We are wedding group experts and will provide an overview of group concessions offered for each resort we propose, enabling you to make the best decision for your destination wedding venue.
