Your Destination Wedding Guide

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself and your beloved, surrounded by your loved ones, exchanging vows on a breathtaking beach. Or maybe your dream is to say I do to the sound of bagpipes in front of a castle in Ireland.

Destination weddings—defined as any nuptials that don't take place in either the bride's or the groom's place of residence—are wildly popular, and for good reason. Since you are already in an ideal honeymoon locale, you don't have to rush off to catch a plane. You're also providing your guests with a fun getaway. And, if you play your cards right, you may be making the whole shebang less hassle-ridden and less expensive than many at-home parties. Whether you want to wed on the other side of the country or across the sea, read our guide to getting it done right.

Is a Destination Wedding Right for Us?

These weddings can be easier to plan than traditional celebrations because you have all your resources in one place, and—at many island resorts and large hotel-chain properties—an on-site coordinator to handle it all for you. Still, destination weddings are not right for every bride and groom. So, consider these questions:

• Is there a special place in the world we've always fantasized about visiting or a spot where we vacationed and to which we vowed to return? If you fell in love in the Napa Valley or got engaged on Maui, it's practically a given that you'd find it sooo romantic to exchange vows there.
• Am I looking for ways to trim the guest list? Destination weddings are usually feasible only for family and close friends, who will spend the time and the money to join you no matter where you wed.
• Am I already anticipating wedding-planning conflicts among family members? When you leave most of the planning to a resort coordinator, you have a much better chance of skipping squabbles over the details.
• Are our hometowns ridiculously far apart—or just not suitable for the wedding of our dreams? If you're from Wyoming and he's from Delaware, why not choose to marry someplace altogether different that you'll both love? If you answered yes to most of these questions, dust off your passport! On the other hand…
• Would I be devastated if my 90-year-old Grandma couldn't make it? Older or infirm friends and relatives, or families with very young children, may not be able to manage a trip to paradise.
• Do I imagine a certain cake and particular flowers for my wedding? While many locales can accommodate your wishes, some may be more limited—you may get local blooms rather than hothouse roses, for example.
• Are we, or our parents, set on a religious ceremony? It's possible to have a traditional religious wedding away from home, but in some locations you may encounter red tape and waiting periods. If you answered yes to any of these questions, reconsider (you can still book a fab honeymoon)!