by Diane Lapidus, Weddding Planner

The Destination Wedding - is it the latest fad that will fade away by next year or is it grounded in the new realities of family life in our country? I suppose it is a little bit of both.

A chance to go away for your wedding can be very appealing and seem very exotic, but in truth there are other excellent reasons to consider traveling for your wedding. Most of us no longer live where we grew up and the person you are marrying is most likely from a totally different area than yours. Traditionally the bride’s parents host the wedding which means that the bride and groom, the groom’s family and friends, and just as frequently members of the bride’s family have to travel to the wedding. Where do you put everyone up? How long are the traveling family members staying? How do you make your visiting inlaws feel comfortable and not as if they are just additional guests?

All of these questions can be answered by the Destination Wedding. By selecting a location that is central and that everyone travels to, no one can feel that the other family has the "home" advantage. By putting everyone in a neutral setting, both families can get to know each other and forge important bonds that the bride and groom will be relying on in the coming years. The pressure to entertain is also taken off of the bride’s family and allows them to enjoy the wedding and festivities.

When we think of destination weddings we tend to think of exotic, far from home locations that are expensive to get to by plane. But that need not be the case! Every state has beautiful areas that are fun to visit, not extravagantly expensive to reach, and have hotels, resorts, or inns that regularly host Destination Weddings. It takes a little research, but more and more wedding websites have a section on Destination Weddings.

What are some of the things to be aware of when planning a destination wedding?

First and foremost whatever location you select must have someone who can act as your wedding planner or coordinator. Planning at a distance can be very intimidating if you don’t have someone on location looking to implement your dream wedding. They should be able to offer choices in photography, videography, music (band or DJ), cake, flowers, and even invitations with the correct wording. Make sure that the planner is able to locate a Justice of the Peace or clergy and give assitance with your vows, seating, and ceremony location decorations. Most important the planner must be able to get you information about the wedding license.

If you are hosting the housing, your locations hosts should also be able to give advice on how to assign rooms and offer charts that you can easily fill in. Your guests should also receive confirmations from your location that a room is being held for them and include directions and information about arrival and departure times. If the reservations are to be made by your guests, make sure that a block of rooms is being held and that your guests receive the necessary information in your invitations.

If the site you select can offer you this assistance, your Destination Wedding will seem relaxed, easy and more intimate than the traditional wedding.