What Is a Destination Wedding in 2022?

Destination weddings are not just limited to a far-off country, exotic tropical locales, or toes-in-the-sand beach ceremonies as revealed in a recent WeddingWire survey. Most millennial couples have a broader interpretation of what a destination wedding means. While destination weddings can take place in foreign countries, nearly 1 in 4 couples consider their wedding a destination wedding, with only 13 percent taking place abroad. In fact, 43 percent of couples exchange vows in a different state. Moreover, only one-third of couple’s host destination weddings that require air travel, passport and long-distance flights. So broadly speaking, destination weddings can take place locally as well.

Moreover, couples choose to host destination weddings in locations that are special to them, just not in their hometown, where they currently live or grew up. Fifty-three percent of couples choose their wedding destination because it holds significance for them or it’s a unique experience. That location could be a beloved city, favorite getaway spot, or even a college town. Millennial couples prefer every aspect of their big day, from the location to the smallest of details, to reflect personal significance.

While a destination wedding may sound expensive, the cost is about 11 percent more than a hometown wedding. According to the WeddingWire study, the average cost of a destination wedding is about $32,000, compared with the $28,600 spent on a hometown wedding. The cost of airfare and hotel accommodations are contributing factors, but couples are also investing more in the guest experience. Unlike hometown weddings, all guests are typically invited to welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, and extra events, making the occasion more memorable.

Furthermore, destination weddings often have fewer guests compared to hometown weddings, with an average of 94 guests invited and only 53 attending, compared to 132 guests at a hometown wedding. And as we know, the number of guests invited considerably influences the wedding’s overall cost.

While couples tend to think of exotic settings with beautiful scenery when choosing a destination wedding location, only 22 percent of such events take place in tropical destinations. When deciding on the destination, 84 percent of couples cite weather as a top factor, but they also choose other types of locations such as vineyards, national landmarks, mountain resorts, urban areas, and more depending on the time of year.

Planning a destination wedding requires more time since guests need more notification to book travel and accommodations than a hometown wedding. So, the average couple hosts a destination wedding spends 17 months planning their special day as opposed to a 13-month timeline for traditional hometown weddings. The extended planning time is due to additional visits to the wedding locale to meet with vendors, making all the necessary arrangements, and adding the extra events mentioned.

Finally, since planning a long-distance wedding can be challenging, 36 percent of couples hire a wedding planner, and usually a full-service planner who can help with all the arrangements, which is significantly higher than the 25 percent of couples that hire planners for hometown weddings.