Getting married? Have you decided where? Most couples choose to marry in the area where they live, or in either spouse's hometown. This makes the event more accessible to a wider number of guests. If most of the guests live in the immediate area, it reduces the time and cost involved in travel.
Of course, not all couples make it a priority to have a large number of local guests. In fact, some engaged couples would rather skip all the potential headaches and guilt involved in selecting people to invite.
After all, each guest has a price tag attached. Most caterers charge by the head. Then, there are the costs of alcohol, if it will be served at your wedding. And the more people you expect, the larger the wedding and reception sites will have to be. If you want a grand, palatial setting, with hundreds of guests, it probably makes the most sense to marry at a location where most of these people already live. (That is, unless you're Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and your guests have no problem affording to fly to Italy for your event!)
Planning a guest list is a sensitive task. No matter the wedding size, the lines must be drawn somewhere. Arbitrary lines, though, can result in hurt feelings. For example, let's say you decide the cut-off is first cousins. But, one of you has a second cousin who is very dear? Or, your parents do not want anyone there who does not share their religion. What if that includes your fiance's parents? Or, very commonly, your parents want to invite business associates of theirs, in order to repay past social obligations -- yet you have never met them and don't especially care to.
Whose wedding is it, anyway?
What about those couples who want the focus to be on each other, not bickering over who to invite and who to leave out? Rather than settling for a quickie city hall ceremony just to avoid the family, why not have a destination wedding?
A destination marriage ceremony takes place in a location that is not usual to the marrying couple or their families. You can choose a location where you've always wanted to go, and maybe honeymoon in the same area. This way, instead of being the bad guy with regard to omitting people from your guest list, you're simply making the event less accessible.
That is not to say that you won't have any guests. Loved ones who really want to be there will find a way, and if they can't, maybe you can spring for their airfare and accommodations if they're that special to you. Yes, it will be a smaller group, but that's more intimate. You won't need to spend as much on flowers and other decorations in a place (such as a tropical island) that is already beautiful. You also won't burn through as much cash, entertaining guests you really don't care about and won't see again after the wedding. It can be quite freeing!
Keep in mind that a destination wedding involves travel and booking things from a distance, so be smart about it and plan carefully. Inquire about wedding insurance abroad, which will vary in price and coverage depending on your plans. Also look into honeymoon insurance [http://lasertargeted.com/weddinginsurance/wedding-liability-insurance-form-protection.html]. This is the happiest time of your life, so secure yourselves and have a great time!
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