When you were little, did you ever picture your dream wedding?
Did you think it’d be on a beach, turquoise waters framing your walk down the aisle? Did you imagine exchanging vows in an old castle? Tying the knot under the beams of a rustic barn?
Personally, I was convinced I was going to marry J.C. Chasez (of *NSYNC) in a field of wildflowers, kind of like Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in "Runaway Bride."
What can I say, I am a product of early 2000s pop culture.
But whose hometown or current living situation is equipped with ANY of these fantasy locations?
If yours is, congrats on living in a supremely cool place. But, if you’re like the rest of us, you’d have to travel a fair distance to get to any of these dreamy locales.
Destination weddings used to be reserved for the rich and famous -- those with unlimited funds. But, recently, they’ve become more prevalent.
Monday morning Facebook News Feeds are flooded with nuptials at resorts, vineyards, farms and everything in-between.
It's not just the upper class doing it anymore, it’s those who want a unique affair to remember. It's those who want to give their guests a vacation and a dope party.
We should give in to our childhood fantasies and plan a destination wedding. Here’s why:
The Wish Fulfillment
While the grooms we envisioned as kids – Devon Sawa, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, [insert boy band member here] – are out of our reach even now, the setting of the big day doesn’t have to be.
With a destination wedding, you aren’t limited to your surroundings. Anything you dream can be the backdrop of your marriage.
And you can make the 13-year-old girl inside of you ecstatically happy.
The Wedding/Honeymoon Combo
Weddings alone are expensive, and then you still have a honeymoon to plan on top of it.
The beauty of a destination wedding is it can double as a wedding and a honeymoon.
In the week following your “big day,” you’re too exhausted from the months and months of planning to deal with the hassle of traveling to and exploring an exotic locale.
You cut all that out in a destination wedding, getting the travel out of the way before beginning the celebrations.
The Guest List
No one WANTS more than 100 guests at his or her wedding.
Who would prefer their incredibly personal celebration become a circus? Wouldn’t you rather know the people popping champagne with you?
But familial obligations often make a small guest list impossible. Every family friend, distant relative and grocery store clerk becomes a must-invite when you have a local wedding.
Destination weddings are the perfect excuse to limit the guest list.
Given the level of commitment asked of those attending, you only need to invite people you actually want to be there. And then, of those people, not everyone will be able to go due to varying budgets and schedules.
The Décor
When you choose the setting for your wedding, you’re deciding on a location that encapsulates your desired vibe.
If you want it to feel laid-back and breezy, you’ll settle on an island resort. If you want a more rustic vibe, you’ll book a vineyard or farm.
The point is, you’re picking a place that already has everything you need.
When it comes to a destination wedding, your venue can speak for itself. Decorations are not a necessary part of making your first statement as a married couple.
The Photos
No life event screams “pics or it didn’t happen” as much as a wedding. These photos will be the ultimate memory, whipped out at holidays for the rest of your lives.
After all, how many times in your life are you going to be dressed in a fancy gown with full hair and makeup? You’ll want all of your kin to see that spectacle.
You’re going to be looking your best, and you need the backdrop of your photos to live up to your appearance.
The backdrop of a destination wedding will require no filter, and it'll stun for years to come.
The Unique Factor
Once wedding season hits, each event starts to run into the next.
Every banquet hall starts to look the same, and you won’t be able to remember if that conga line was at your cousin’s wedding or your college roommate's union.
With a destination wedding, your guests are having an experience unique to your event. They’ll leave remembering exactly which couple they were celebrating that night because it’ll look like nothing else they’ve attended.
The Cost
It’s hard to fathom, but in many cases, the destination wedding has become a cost-effective option when planning your nuptials.
Consider all the elements we’ve already discussed that make a destination wedding better, and consider the result: You’re saving money!
With less décor, an easier honeymoon and a smaller guest list, you’re cutting your budget significantly without compromising on your dream day.
That totally makes up for the price of a plane ticket, and might even leave room to go all-out on other important wedding details, like mouth-watering food and a kickass band.
T-Mobile’s Simple Global makes it possible to connect with your loved ones in 145 countries. And now with the new Mobile Without Borders program, you can talk and text to/from Canada and Mexico at no extra charge. Thanks to T-Mobile, fulfilling your dream destination wedding has never been easier.