Destination weddings are big big big for Indians. If you’re considering a destination wedding, we’ve brought in experts from DestinationWeddings.com. They’re not only the oldest company in the destination wedding planning market, they’ve also planned an insane amount of weddings in their veteran 15 years: 25,000!
Priya & Jigar’s Beachside wedding. Photo by Jay Seth Photography.
We’re super stoked to hear from them and learn about their business and the destination market.
How did DestinationWeddings.com get started?
In the early 2000’s, our founders were working at a standard travel agency, and began to see a niche market where couples were choosing to travel away from their hometowns for their wedding celebrations. A few conversations and internet searches later, they found that this concept had not yet been fulfilled by any one company, and in turn started researching ways to accommodate these couples through their travel resources.
The term ‘destination wedding’ soon took off in the wedding planning industry, and with the help of a few key tech-savvy team members, DestinationWeddings.com was officially created. A decade later, we have helped nearly 25,000 couples plan their weddings and coordinated over half a million guests’ travel arrangements. The concept of having a destination wedding continues to grow in popularity, and now about one in four weddings are classified as such!
We are always looking forward to seeing the new trends in this market and helping our couples’ visions come to life.
How does DestinationWeddings.com help brides and grooms?
Choosing to have a destination wedding is a difficult decision when considering their friends and family’s wishes, cost, time to travel, amenities. We take the stress away from wedding planning and help your dream vision come to life. As the industry leader in romance travel for over a decade, DestinationWeddings.com has planned nearly 25,000 celebrations and arranged travel for half a million guests. Every event we plan is personalized, and no budget is too big or too small.
Our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists have the knowledge and expertise to help you every step of the way, at no cost to you! From choosing the perfect resort to arranging the travel details for you and your guests, we’re with you the whole way.
With relationships with over 1,200 resorts in 42 countries allow us to give our couples the some of the best and most exclusive savings for their weddings. The cost-saving benefit of having a group travel with us is beyond worth it!
What do you notice that brides/grooms forget to do when planning a destination wedding?
An expert tip is to be aware of how late your reception is allotted to go from the resort, as many couples will carry on the party in the ballroom all night.
Another thing to remember is to welcome your guests in a fun and unique way. Creating DIY welcome bags to serve as beach bags during their stay and kicking off the week with a catamaran cruise will make for a memorable first impression!
What’s the hardest part about planning an Indian destination wedding?
Planning a South Asian or Indian destination wedding has a lot of moving parts. The hardest aspect is staying organized and finding the right vendors to fit within your needs, including your budget. At DestinationWeddings.com, we do all of that for you. Our expertise allows us to pair you with the perfect resort to accommodate your traditions. Whether you have specific menu needs or are looking for the right vendor to provide you with a mandap for your ceremony, we’ll help you find everything you need.
Our couples are able to organize all of these details in a fun, creative and personalized way through our customized wedding websites. And staying within your budget has never been easier with all of our exclusive perks.
What is the most important part of a destination wedding?
South Asian families place great importance on good food being served, so that is always on the top of our mind when planning the menu with our couples. Specific dietary restrictions such as vegetarian meals can be accommodated by coordinating this with your Specialist and resort chef.
When planning a wedding abroad, it’s important to not stress about the little things and to trust your Specialist. You need to take the time to enjoy your amazing location with your closest friends and family, and leave the stress behind. A great way to do this is to plan an exciting group excursion to really immerse yourself in your destination and its culture. This adds a unique experience to the mix, and leaves your guests with more memories.
What are three most popular destinations right now?
The most popular locales for our couples to jet off to for their vows include Riviera Maya/Cancun in Mexico, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica in the Caribbean. We’re seeing resorts in these areas going above and beyond when accommodating South Asian and Indian weddings, especially Riviera Maya, Mexico.
Some emerging destinations that we’re excited to see couples get married in include Caribbean locales such as Aruba and St. Lucia, Central America, and both Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
What is the planning process like with DestinationWeddings.com?
Planning a destination wedding has a lot of moving parts. Our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists are expertly trained and provide services to ensure a stress-free planning process.
You will first tell us where you’d like to get married, from where your nearest and dearest are traveling, and other wedding preferences. Then you will be matched with a Specialist who is able to guide you all the way from inspiration to destination.
From here, your Special will help you choose the perfect resort to accommodate your traditions, work with onsite coordinators vendors to ensure a flawless finish, and ensure final execution. Depending on your wants and needs, you can keep in touch with your Specialist as much or as little as you would like.
Closer to the big day, we offer services to help you coordinate exciting couple’s or group excursions while in your destination, and provide useful tips such as packing lists and how to travel with your wedding attire.
Visit DestinationWeddings.com Red Book page for more details and see