One of the very first things a bride should plan is the location. This place, the venue, the place where you and your husband will stand up and promise to love each other forever, is important. It's probably one of the most important aspects of your entire wedding; we'd argue it's the number two determining factor of how much you will love and how fondly you'll remember your wedding (besides, like, the groom. He's a pretty big deal too.)

So where to get married, that's the question - do you do it in your hometown, or his? Do you keep it local or maybe find a venue close to home? Do you have separate ceremony and reception locations? Indoor, outdoor? Do you go somewhere exotic? 

The good news is that it's entirely up to you and your fiancé! Each couple and situation is different. But destination weddings are becoming more and more popular, and for a reason - they work, and there are many benefits to getting married far from home.

Have a discussion about traveling to "I do" with your future husband if...

#1 – You both have large families, large friend groups, or you feel obligated to invite more people than you can afford

If your first reaction after the initial giddiness of the proposal was dread at the thought of the huge wedding that you'd certainly have to start planning right away  to avoid hurting many people's feelings, halt and breathe for a minute while we give you a possible way out. 

Everyone expects destination weddings to be small; most people won't want to/will not be able to travel for your wedding. While it might feel awkward to not invite your coworker friends or some second cousins to a soirée right across town, they wouldn't even bat an eye at not receiving an invite if it was, say, on an Alaskan cruise. So it almost instantly releases the pressure to include people in your ceremony that you might not really want there, or that you do but simply can't afford. If you search online, the average destination wedding party is anywhere from 50 - 100 people, and can of course be smaller or larger depending on your desires and your guests' actions. 

Be warned - some people that you really want to come will not be able to make it (reduce this probability by giving them plenty of time to save and arrange for transportation, or offer to pay for a portion of or the full amount of their ticket if they are really important to you!), and some people that you maybe invited out of courtesy will surprise you and make the trek (be sure that you want everyone you invite to be there!). 

Especially if you or your fiancé doesn't like being the center of attention and prefers small gatherings to large parties, this may be a really intimate option!

#2 – Your budget is tight

Less people means that you spend less on invitations, on catering, on the venue, on reception entertainment, on decorations (because you'll already be in a beautiful place) etc. (see number 1). While you'll spend money on travel, in many cases destination wedding locations have all-inclusive packages that are much cheaper than traditional weddings. Most couples also opt to have their honeymoon in the same spot, which further cuts down on travel and lodging costs. 

40% of couples did contribute something toward their guests' transportation/accomodation, but since the other 60% did not, it just depends on what you can afford and how many people you are inviting. Either way, though, destination weddings are cheaper - according to The Knot, the average cost for a destination wedding is $27,227, while traditional weddings average $33,391.

*Shameless plug - no matter where you get ready for your wedding, you can take your Kadlee silk bridal/bridesmaids robes with you...they're light and they're super affordable! 

#3 – You've been married before

If you or your fiancé has already done the big wedding thing before, and neither of you feel like you need another big celebration, destination weddings are a wonderful way to make this ceremony feel different. You can see a place you've never been before, and keep the intimacy and romance special! 

#3 – You hate planning but you love to be in charge

With a destination wedding, you call all of the shots. You can work alone or with a wedding planner or with the venue's coordinator to make sure your day is everything you want it to be...but you still don't have to spend as much time working out the details for a few reasons: a) destination weddings are typically smaller, so there is less to plan; b) the venue usually does have a coordinator or suggested vendors or everything included in the package, so you don't have to worry about setting up, vetting vendors, or trying to find the lowest prices for individual items; and c) the destination is your decoration, so you don't have to worry about making everything perfectly aesthetic. 

#5 – You love to travel 

Come on, getting married on an exotic island, in the mountains, on a lake, in another country, on a volcanoe.....imagine the memories! If you have a love for seeing new places, this is the perfect opportunity, and once you get back from the honeymoon you probably won't have the time off to go on vacation for a little while! Destination weddings are a great way to take advantage of that, and feed your adventurous spirit. 

Are you convinced? Has you or a friend already traveled this route? What are other reasons destination weddings are great options? Talk to us in the comments!