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On average, couples in the United States are pay almost $30,000 to tie the knot. In the past, only the rich escaped to romantic island getaways but now it’s actually less expensive than a traditional wedding with all the frills. In fact, a destination wedding can be so much less that you can even afford to pay your wedding party’s travel and lodging.

If you’re considering a wedding destination in the United States then you’ll have a lot less to deal with than if you travel outside of the U.S., but you’ll still have to research the marriage laws in that state and make sure you have all the proper documentation and have filed the correct paperwork with the correct legal offices. Outside the U.S., you’ll also have to make sure that everyone in your party has a passport or travel visa.

No matter what the location, you will want to arrange a package deal for yourself and your guests. There are several ways to do this, you can either go with a wedding planner, find a destination wedding specialist, or do the research yourself and scour the internet. Make sure that everyone knows you’re traveling for a wedding and how many people are in your party. If you’re offered a group discount, make sure to compare it to the individual rates, sometimes the group deal isn’t what it should be.

To make sure that the entire wedding group is happy you’ll need to basically plan a honeymoon for yourselves and a vacation for your friends and family. This sounds difficult, and it is, so you shouldn’t go it alone. Get input from your guests as to what they’d like to do while visiting your wedding destination. Put together information packages that give them all they need to follow through with their interests while you and your sweetheart enjoy the beginnings of your life together. But remember to let them take the reins and schedule their own events or take control of only a few activities so they can enjoy their free time in the manner they most see fit.

Finally, let everyone know that you’re newlyweds and that you’ve chosen this location as your wedding destination. You never know what the hotel and locals are willing to throw your way, from champagne at dinner to room upgrades.

(Photo via flickr cc)

Tags: travel | weddings