Travel In the Right Circles When Selecting a Destination Wedding Site

Whether your destination wedding involves just you and your fiancé, or you plan to include family and friends, the number of people attending can influence your destination decision. If you’re looking for quiet and intimate, then you may prefer to keep things low-key, with only a handful of guests. If you’d rather your wedding feel more like a festive family reunion, invite generously, and you’ll be surrounded by all of the special people in your life. If they will be arriving a day or two ahead, be sure to look into what’s available for them in the way of shopping, sightseeing, or other activities.

So, how far away should you travel? Think of your choices for destinations in terms of concentric circles around your home. The inner circle would be places in your region — perhaps a vineyard, a beachfront resort, or a mountain chalet — that are within driving distance for you and your in-town guests. If your guest list includes mostly people who live in or near your town, this is a convenient and considerate choice (and may be easier on the pocketbook).

The next circle moving outward would be a place that’s in the United States, but farther than you’d want to drive in a day — that favorite isle off the West Coast, or a ski resort in the Rockies.

Not far enough? Then, it’s time to think international. This would include all the wonderful resort towns of the Caribbean and Mexico; the mountainous splendor of Canada’s Banff National Park; the enchantment of a castle in Ireland or a historic villa in Italy.

Still not exotic enough for you? The outermost ring in your destination selection would be “extreme international,” to exotic places like Fiji, Thailand, New Zealand, or, for the ultimate destination short of the moon, an icebreaker ship off the coast of Antarctica.

Narrowing down your choices will be a little easier when you consider factors such as travel time and accessibility from major cities, climate and extreme temperatures (in either direction), and seasonal concerns like hurricanes or monsoons.

Also, remember that remote locations versus major metropolitan cities can make for totally different experiences — for people-watching you want to go to Paris, not Machu Picchu! Identifying your preferences based on past travel adventures will go a long way in helping you make these decisions. ~AW