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Health & Fitness

Trends in Destination Weddings, Honeymoons

Planning a wedding will be a lot easier if you get expert advice on where to go, and how to cut costs. Instead of getting 14 blenders which you don't need, use a bridal registry to get travel gifts.

Every bride dreams of a perfect wedding. Now that includes the destination wedding. 

Destination weddings, a $9.6 billion industry in 2011, are the fastest-growing segment of the honeymoon industry. The growing trend for a “weddingmoon” combines the wedding ceremony reception and the honeymoon together in one location. 

With all the details and challenges in planning a perfect wedding and price tag that comes with it, more couples are opting to reduce the hassle and focus on something truly unique. Business is up 400 percent, and 60 percent of brides consider a destination wedding, with an average of 88 guests. A destination wedding is typically involves a few days of activities for everyone. It allows the wedding guests to vacation and spend more quality time with the wedding couple. 

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For example, the cruise industry is seeing a tremendous growth in weddings either on a ship or at a port of call. Guests are usually delighted to be part of a ceremony and have their vacation at the same time. 

Walt Disney World in Florida is still the Number One domestic destination, with  Las Vegas as Number Two. From the West Coast the majority of people prefer a South Pacific location, such as Fiji, Tahiti, Hawaii, and Australia depending on the budget. Other popular international destinations  are Thailand, Asia in general, and Africa. We do a lot of weddings on the beach, casual clothes and bare feet.

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Today’s bride is older, better educated and more career-oriented than ever before.  With the average age of 27, she is more business-savvy and more likely to ask questions than her predecessors. Very often, the expenses for the wedding are paid for by the bride or shared with the groom.

Still, brides often come to us with an unrealistic expectation that she can afford everything she wants. Brides often have grandiose ideas but no clue as to the price tag involved. 

It is the honeymoon specialist's job to help her recover from sticker shock by using creative and professional expertise to assist her to obtain her dreams but keep within the budget.  

Many brides, while computer savvy, have no idea as to how complicated a process it is and how many decisions she will have to make. The marriage requirements in foreign countries are a very important process. Some cruise lines require that you provide your own clergy since being married by the ship’s captain is not considered a legal ceremony. Our job is to treat the bride as a VIP and ease the planning options. 

Bridal registry is a growing trend since guests prefer to buy the bride and groom a harbor dinner cruise, a round of golf, or a helicopter ride instead of buying a set of towels. The travel professional booking the honeymoon administers all the arrangements.

We work with preferred Signature Travel Network suppliers to set up the basic air, car, hotel package then put the bride in touch with the resort or third party wedding planner at the destination. Many of our suppliers have a wedding desk to handle everything on site.

Dealing with a travel professional can be a big help in choosing the right destination for the time of year and the budget. You will save money in the long run. For example, we are used to negotiating free rooms and upgrades, and know where to cut costs, since we are doing this on a regular basis. The larger the group, more savings. 

Your wedding is likely to be the biggest party you will ever throw and you want it done right. 

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