As the pandemic wanes and wedding season approaches, many American couples are choosing to host a destination wedding, either overseas or within the U.S. In fact, travel experts predict that 2022 is the year of the destination wedding comeback, with celebrations even bigger than before, especially after two years of postponements. The top travel destinations for weddings for American couples in 2022 include Montana, Florida, Mexico, Puerto Rico and California.Â
Many couples are choosing to stay in the U.S. to better oversee vendors and shipments because of the ongoing supply chain challenges and shipping delays. Fewer employees and wedding staff at hotels also make organization a priority for those who want to plan every detail.
According to Zola, there are several key steps to take before planning a destination wedding. The first step is to create a budget so there are no surprises when it comes to costs. If there is room in the budget, a wedding planner may be worth the expense and can help choose the most reliable vendors at the destination. Once you confirm the date and venues, sending out ‘Save the Date’ announcements should happen shortly thereafter to know how many people to expect for food & beverage and accommodations. Importantly, finding centrally-located, wedding-friendly hotels is important, especially for friends and family traveling from long distances.
HotelPlanner, which powers hotel bookings for popular wedding planning sites Zola, The Knot and Wedding Wire, is a great resource to arrange hotels and block rooms for a wedding. At most hotels, as a general rule, the minimum number of guests rooms required to make a room block is 10 rooms per night. If, however, you are holding the reception at the hotel or using any banquet space that number can be flexed. If you are looking for over 30 rooms per night, another good idea is to split the group blocks among two to three hotels. This way your guests can have a choice between different locations and prices.
Overall, the most important advice when planning a destination wedding is to plan early, have patience, be flexible, and to live in the moment. Because no matter what happens with the planning part, the goal should be to have fun and create a life-long memory in a beautiful and meaningful location.
