SAVING $ on a Destination Wedding- Any Advice.

jerzeeosu

Hi Fellow Knots- 

Please share ANY and EVERY tip that you have or used to keep those costs down while doing a Destination Wedding. 

 We are planning for a 2015 wedding in DR. We are going with the Majestic Elegance. Any advice is  appreciated. 

Thanksd! 

msuprincess04

A destination wedding is expensive. The only reason people tend to find them cheaper is because of generally smaller attendance. I'd suggest finding a resort with a great wedding package, and limiting the guest list as much as possible. Other ways to save money includes;

1) using VistaPrint or printing your own invitations/save the dates

2) skipping favors/gift bags/programs

3) buying a pre-owned dress, or sale dress from David's bridal

4) having the groom wear a suit he already owns or dress shirt and slacks

5) skipping the rehearsal (and therefore also the rehearsal dinner)

6) use bouquet alternatives such as a single flower, a fan, nothing, ect.

7) don't have a wedding party (saves on gifts, bouquets, bouts, ect.)

XrebeccaX

Our wedding in Ireland was "within budget" because we had 30 guests. That doesn't take into account the money we spent on our own airfare including a trip over 6 weeks prior to the wedding to get last minute details, including marriage paperwork, sorted.

It is just hard to "save" when you have a DW, there are inherent costs...for us, aside from travel, these included wire transfer fees, the cost of our marriage license, copies of our marriage certificate, Apostille stamp for my birth cert - all of which would be lower or not applicable had we stayed in the US.

I agree with the PP though, there are ways you can just not spend money and help balance things out. I only ordered flowers for myself, my MOH, groom & best man, and my mother, plus a small arrangement in memory of my husband's mother. We didn't do flowers for the tables or anything else, the venue was atmosphere enough on its own. We didn't have a cake b/c dessert was included in the meal, plus I have never eaten a wedding cake that I can really remember and I love cake (also when you are flying across an ocean to get home, the tradition of keeping some of your cake to eat on your anniversary is kind of moot).

We didn't do favors. I designed our programs in Photoshop and had them printed at Staples for a grand total of $14 including rush delivery. You likely won't be ordering as many invites as you would for an in-town wedding, and ours were very simple; plus I used a coupon code when I ordered. (You probably will want save-the-dates however.) retailmenot.com is your friend!

After the wedding we had a "mini-moon" of three days and then we went home, but if you're going to a resort you won't have to worry about that!

I'm not sure what kind of wedding you want to have, but you could also re-frame how you're thinking of it. If it's a beach wedding, guys in khakis and white shirts; you in a white sundress? That's not everyone's style but you know what I mean - think outside the box, for lack of a better turn of phrase, and you may find that you don't have to spend money on all the stuff people think you "have to" have at weddings. To each their own! Good luck!

jerzeeosu

Thank you.