Hi everyone! I am Curtis Rose, the marketing director at HansonEllis and wedding industry expert, and for the next couple of months I am going to be taking over this blog every week to discuss all the hottest wedding trends for 2014. We will discuss everything from colors to budget, dresses to favors, and everything in between.
So without further a due this week’s topic: Destination Weddings.
When most people think about destination weddings they probably say to themselves: “Sounds like a lot of fun and a dream come true, but it takes so much time and money to pull it off.” I hear this all the time, but the truth is that it may not be as difficult as you think. The average destination wedding costs about $21,285 as compared to the nearly $30,000 that most brides spend on weddings close to home.
In addition, destination weddings usually have less guests which means spending less money on each guest, or being able to make your wedding even more extravagant for those who attend. On average destination weddings have between only 30-40 guests! One of the biggest drawbacks is that because you must travel for the wedding attendance will be lower than if you had a local wedding. So as a bride you have to decide what is more important to you: number of attendees or location.
Now let’s talk about location. There are tons of beautiful spots around the world, but most brides tend to lean towards tropical spots like Costa Rica, Tahiti, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. These are great choices because all have some of the world’s top resorts and most beautiful beaches, but destination weddings don’t have to be an international event. In fact, 6 out of 10 destination weddings still take place within the US! This is great for weddings on a budget and for guests that don’t want to take time off work to travel.
Lastly, because most destination weddings are to a beach front location, the majority of weddings will have a beach, tropical, or nautical theme. Starfish and anchors tend to be the most popular designs and are great to use in decoration accents and wedding favors. For colors, white and black pairings are common as well as navy blue and grey. One color scheme that is taking center stage for 2014 is the coral and teal pairing which adds a bold taste to the cool colors of the surrounding area.
Well that’s it for this week! If you have any questions or are looking for advice on your wedding reach to us on Twitter (@hansonellis). For more great ideas and tips on destination weddings, follow us on Pinterest to have them delivered straight to your feed!
Thanks for reading and see you next week! –Curtis