Go for some adventures in wedlock
6 destinations get guests out of their comfort zone — often to spots seen on TV
Get the wedding guests out of their comfort zones — give your vows in these popular destination spots.
When Ali Phillips wants to know where the next destination wedding hot spot will be, all she has to do is turn on the TV.
“It’s really ridiculous to admit, but if ‘The Bachelor’ or the Kardashians go somewhere, all of a sudden everyone wants to go there,” says Phillips, president of Engaging Events by Ali. The Chicagobased wedding planning agency has helped many a couple organize nuptials in far-flung locales. She says she’s seen destinations trend, including Tahiti (“Keeping Up With the Kardashians”), Aruba (“The Bachelor”) and Iceland (“The Bachelorette”). When weddings you think — about which it, represent destination one in five weddings now, according to the 10th annual Knot Real Weddings Study from 2016 — are a kind of reality show themselves. They generally revolve around a beautiful location, a shared purpose, and traveling with dozens of people who may or may not be complete strangers. The situation is ripe for drama. The culture of destination weddings has evolved in recent years, says Alison Laesser-Keck, an event producer and designer with Alison and Bryan Destination Weddings, based in Santa Barbara, Calif. In the past, weddings that involved travel were often to a “safe” location, like a childhood home or near a college campus. Now, they’re more about a group adventure. “I think people are using their weddings as an opportunity to get people outside of their comfort zones a little bit, to experience something different and unique together,” says Laesser-Keck.
And there’s this: A destination wedding can be a good way to control the size and cost of the event, says Trisha Cranor, owner and lead planner with Working Brides in Washington, D.C. “If you’re at home, you’re probably going to invite 100-plus people, whereas if you go on a destination wedding, you usually invite 20, 25, 50 people. Even if you invited more, truth be told, most of them are not going to come,” she says. “So the wedding is just smaller, which of course does make it less expensive than if you were at home.” Which leads to the most important question: Where are couples going right now? Three destination wedding planners shared insights on popular getaways to tie the knot.
Italy
“Italy remains the No. 1 place, without a doubt,” says LaesserKeck, adding that one of the quintessential wedding destinations is Lake Como — just getting there can feel like a romantic adventure. “You land in Milan, you get on a train, you get on a boat, and then you’re taken out to what feels like the middle of nowhere, where it’s just you and your friends,” she says. “Even if you’re not someone who can afford a multimillion-dollar wedding, it still feels special and your own.”
Santa Barbara, Calif.
It’s no coincidence that Laesser-Keck’s business is based in this place, aka the American Riviera. “There are viewpoints in the city where you swear you’re in the south of France,” she says. People fly in from around the world to say “I do” in this California town, nestled between the mountains and the ocean, about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles. It has a range of hotels to fit every budget and offers top-notch food, wine and activities. That last point is important, because destination weddings are often fullweekend experiences, with planned hikes, sunset cruises and more. The weather is usually cooperative, with average high temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
Cancun, Mexico
Jamaica and the Bahamas have long topped destination wedding lists, says Cranor. More recently, she says, Mexico is giving those islands a run for their money. “I would say over the last five to eight years, Cancun has become amazing for weddings; it is just bustling.” Cranor, who specializes in Indian and destination weddings, says that her clients choose the town, located in southeastern Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula, for its sugar-sand beaches and aqua-marine waters, incredible food and endless entertainment.
Charleston, S.C.
Phillips says she’s seeing more couples planning destination weddings closer to home this year. One of the areas they’re loving is Charleston, a beguiling city with Southern charm and a bustling food scene. “We had all these weird, out-of-the-box weddings for a couple of years, and now they’re sort of traditional,” she says. Charleston fits that traditional elegance like a silk glove.
Tennessee
Phillips says she’s seeing a lot of interest in Tennessee too. “Pricewise, it’s really attractive. There’s that Southern hospitality. And people are really having fun with the food, you know biscuits and the brisket,” she says. Cities like Memphis and Nashville are alive with music, and outdoors activities beckon guests throughout the state.
Cayman Islands
The recently opened Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa in Grand Cayman has made the island, already in high demand for destination weddings, even more of a draw, says Phillips, who’s planned three weddings in the Caymans. The western Caribbean isles have picture-perfect stretches of sand (like Seven Mile Beach), unique attractions (like Stingray City, where visitors can wade onto a sandbar and encounter the rays) and a host of venue options.
“You can do a tent on the beach, a fancy Ritz-Carlton or a small villa,” Phillips says.