Wedding planning starts with knowing where you want it, and with an array of options, this first hurdle has got even more difficult.
The UK alone is home to some of the most luxurious wedding venues and Musical Movements are a Preferred suppliers for many of them.
But no couple is limited to just their home country anymore. People want to make their wedding stand out, they want to remember this moment forever and give their guests something unique.
So couples turn to a more exotic climate miles away from home, leaving them searching for the perfect wedding destination abroad.
Destination weddings have grown massively in popularity, but weddings in home countries like the UK are equally extravagant and memorable.
We have put destination wedding vs wedding at home head to head to help you decide what is right for you.
Destination wedding
Pool parties, drinks are flowing, the sun is shining and a wedding on the beach, it all sounds dreamy.
Yet the thought of planning a destination wedding and actually planning it are quite different- there’s a lot to think about.
Remember, if you choose to have your wedding abroad, you’re not in your own territory which means you have to find out what works out there, what your vision is and if the suppliers you want are willing to fly out.
Here’s a breakdown.
Budget: Destination weddings are pricey, there’s no denying it. That said, weddings abroad are magical if you put your mind and money to it. So when thinking of an overall budget, make sure you factor in everything from flights to guests and food.
Guests: Typically, destination weddings tend to be an intimate affair, but it depends on how you want to do it. We’ve seen some couples who expense the trip for their guests, where the flights and hotel are paid for, so a small guestlist is understandable. But couples who might have a bigger guestlist might decide the cost of flights and hotel are down to the guest.
Hotel: If your guests are staying in one particular hotel, you can try to get a discounted rate for rooms. It’s a bit like bulk buying, but instead of a crate of water you’re booking a bulk of rooms for a cheaper price. Then at this point, whoever pays for the room gets a better rate, whether that’s you or your guest.
Venue location: Again, thinking about the practicalities for your guests, think about whether your wedding venue is in the hotel you’re staying in or in close proximity, and if so, get transport sorted so there are no issues on the big day.
Suppliers: The biggest pitfall of all is suppliers. If you want suppliers from your home country to provide a service for your wedding abroad, make sure you get to them early and find out if that’s something they do. As DJ’s, the demand for destination weddings is phenomenal and so Musical Movements is happy to cater for weddings abroad.
Other costs: Don’t forget to factor in other costs like transfers, catered food, DJ/ music, entertainment and production.
Local wedding
Wedding planning is never easy but having a wedding in your home country makes things a little easier. You’re in your own space, you know what you’re dealing with and everything is pretty much in driving distance.
Budget: Ultimately, the cost of a wedding in a venue close to home is obviously going to cost less than a destination wedding when you consider how much you’re saving on flights and accommodation. But this means you can spend that extra money to make your wedding even more extravagant.
Guests: If your family and friends all live in driving distance from the venue, whether that’s a 20 minute drive or 2 hour drive, you can easily have an intimate or grand wedding – it’s down to choice.
Hotel/ Venue location: Even if you decide to have your wedding near home, you might have a lot of guests who still need to travel and stay the night in a hotel to make the event. So the same thing goes here, if your wedding is in a hotel venue, see if you can book rooms at a discounted rate.
Suppliers: A wedding close to home means suppliers isn’t an issue, as long as they’re in the same country as you. Note that a minority of smaller suppliers might find if difficult to travel far.
Other costs: No matter where you have your wedding, the DJ, food and production costs are always going to be a huge part of your budget and planning.
Our verdict
There is no right or wrong answer here. When coming to your decision, your budget and vision is at the forefront of everything.
The biggest tip we can give you is, do your research into the venues close to home and abroad and see how much flights cost on average, because you might even find Mexico is too pricey, but Italy or Portugal works out better than London.
The last factor to consider is your guests, whether you will have a good turnout and where they are based.
Musical Movements is an expert in both weddings close to home and destination weddings, with over 15 years’ experience.
Get in touch if you like what you see on our preferred suppliers list, or if you’re planning a wedding abroad and want music, entertainment and production all in one place.
