Choosing the Perfect Beach Wedding Location

      So, you've decided on having a destination wedding, and most of your family and friends are on board. Now comes the fun part - where are you going to go?

In many respects, if you aren't entirely sure from the start, choosing your wedding destination is a process of elimination. By the time you arrive at Step 7, you will have narrowed the field of choices quite a bit. Let's look at each of the steps above in greater detail.

Step 1: Geographic regions that interest you
On a macro basis, this isn't so difficult. Do you want to be married on a beach? Places like the Caribbean, Hawaii or Mexico may be good bets. Do you prefer a historic setting? Europe is good to consider. Want to go further away? Australia, New Zealand or Fiji could be interesting.

Overall, it is important to select one, possibly two, geographies. If you really aren't sure and you have more areas you want to explore, that's fine - simply bring them along to Step 2!

A good exercise at this stage is to ask yourselves where you definitely do NOT want to have your wedding. Talk about it together - you'll have your individual reasons, and you may have different "no go" destinations, but from there you can concentrate on places of common interest.

Step 2: Weather and climate considerations
When do you plan to be married? If you want to tie the knot in September, this is peak hurricane season in the Caribbean, so know the risks and decide if you are willing to take them. If not, the Caribbean (except Aruba) is out, and maybe Hawaii should move up your list.

If your dates are flexible, or if you think hurricane season means your guests will get a good deal (they will), consider overall climate. Do you envision a lush tropical setting with greenery everywhere? If so, that can eliminate about half of the islands in the Caribbean, which tend to be dry and somewhat desert-like. It can also eliminate places like the Greek Islands, while still dramatic, don't have as much vegetation as other places.

Step 3: Travel time and travel cost
When considering the cost of travel and the time to reach your wedding location, you need to look at your preferences as well as those of your guests.

If eloping, you are only bound by how long you are willing to sit on an airplane, and your personal budget for the event. Ask yourselves about time and cost - while you may love the idea of marrying in Australia, are you willing to spend 24 hours in transit and $1600 per air ticket? Set your own limits as a first step.

With guests, things get trickier. For every additional hour of travel and every increase in cost, fewer people will join you. This isn't a problem if you have a small group of motivated people who can take time off. However, if you have a larger group, you'll need to evaluate your guests' time constraints and financial means, and make a determination if destinations you like are simply too far or too expensive to reach.

Travel time and costs are almost always some of the top considerations when couples are choosing their wedding location. Because having family and friends present is so important, couples often choose their wedding location based on guest preferences, and then choose their honeymoon location based on their own preferences.

Step 4: Religious preferences and legal requirements
If you desire a religious ceremony, is your denomination available and willing to marry you? If you must have a Rabbi, your choices for island weddings are fewer! Or, if you want to be married in a Catholic ceremony in Italy, you'll need permission from the Priest at the specific church.

Legal requirements have to be considered as well - in many countries or islands operating under French law, for example, there is a 40 day residency period before you can be married. Unless you have unlimited time, this usually means places like France, French Polynesia, and French St. Martin are just too difficult. You can still have a ceremony in these places, but it will not be legally binding. Many places have waiting periods of less than 3 days before a ceremony can take place, making it easier on the two of you.

Also consider that some places like Mexico and Puerto Rico still require blood tests, so if these are your destinations, be prepared for some running around tovisit a local doctor or have your US test results authenticated.

Step 5: Wedding experience/ambiance criteria
Step 6: Accommodations preferences
Steps 5 and 6 often run in parallel because wedding ambiance can have a lot to   do with the style of accommodations you like. While you don't have to be married at the hotel in which you stay, for many people it's a matter of convenience.

So, take a moment to envision what will make you happy - a cliffside seascape, a gorgeous hotel with great food, a festive atmosphere that will encourage fun among guests? Knowing the locations that are left after the prior steps, which offer these environments and accommodations?

Interestingly, especially when considering a beach destination, the decision often comes down to a handful of acceptable islands with good accommodations choices on each. And the ultimate location choice can be dictated by your favorite hotel. While some people will decide based on a location's ambiance alone and then worry about the hotel, many of you will select a series of hotels you like, and narrow the choice from there.

Step 7: Gather specific data on hotels and wedding details
By now, chances are you've narrowed your interests down to a "short list". If you haven't, the next step is going to require a lot of effort, since it is the most detail oriented of all.

You now need to understand the specific options available at all of your finalists in terms of cost, accommodations availability, food/beverage, and all those things that are important to you as part of your wedding day.

Will you have a rehearsal dinner? If so, where can you have it and what might it cost? Do you want a photo-journalistic photography style? If so, is there a photographer who can work to your specifications? Is the cliff-side gazebo available on the day you want to be married? What room rate can be offered to your guests and what are the room block and deposit policies of each hotel under consideration?

Think about everything you want to have happen on and around your wedding day, and for those items that are truly important, make sure to understand your options before making a final decision. While you don't have to have all the information, you need enough to know that the location you pick will offer the environment you seek at a cost you can manage.

Especially if you have guests, this is when you'll probably realize that having a destination wedding really does take effort and energy on your part!

Step 8: Time to decide!
Data in hand, it's time to decide. What is going to tip the scales, if they haven't been tipped already? Cost to you? Cost to your guests? Ambiance? Island activities? Take a moment to revisit your priorities as you make your final choice.

The reality is that these steps can take place in parallel or in a variety of orders. If you encounter a destination or hotel you absolutely love, you don't have to complete this entire process, however you should run your decision through the different steps as a "sanity check" to make sure it stacks up to your expectations.

Having gone through this process, you'll be off and running! Congratulations - you have a game plan, you've chosen a destination, and particularly if you have guests, you can send out your "save the date" cards so everyone can make their plans to join
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