by Ashley Burr

Created on: October 29, 2008

Making the case for a destination wedding

Sometimes when I remember all of the drama that ensued before my wedding, I think if I could do it all over again, I might have just gathered up mine and my husband's immediate family and a couple of our closest friends for a simple and serene ceremony in some gorgeous and remote location; no one that we didn't both know well would have been included and we would have done away with all of the frivolous things that we only did because the wedding gods said we had to. Certainly, during the peak of the gut wrenching stress that planning a dream wedding can cause, nearly every girl at least considers a smaller

destination wedding.

If you want something small and simple without all the fanfare and exorbitance, you may decide you'd rather spend your money taking just your very closest associates with you to a favorite, meaningful or just plain beautiful location. This decision automatically does one thing: cuts your guest list. While doing so makes a lot of things easier, little things like special favors and the select few invitations you will send become all that much more important.

The season of your wedding can ultimately determine to where you travel for the wedding and what sort of favors you choose. Here are some guidelines that follow that reasoning:

-Spring is a beautiful time of year to capitalize on the natural decorations outdoors and the emerging warm weather. Mountain resorts or remote lakes are gorgeous, flanked in blossoming trees and greenery. You can remind your guests of all the life, including your new one, blooming around you by giving them a perfectly appropriate spring wedding favor like a potted plant or vintage watering can.

-Summer is typically beach time. Your uniquely favored guests will appreciate a unique summer favor, like a decorative fan to keep them cool or a casual flip flop picture frame.

-Escape with your fianc and guests to New England or somewhere in the mountain west to capture the brilliance of the falling leaves. Favor your guests with burnt orange candles or leaf shaped cookie cutters.

-Everyone needs a winter getaway, no matter where you live. Whether you want to escape the snow, or find it, winter is probably the best season to plan a quiet getaway wedding. Either you can find great deals in places that are still relatively warm, like the West Coast; or you head out to a cozy winter lodge and marry in front of a roaring fireplace that perfectly captures the essence of a small and secluded wedding, which is probably what you are going for anyway if you want a wedding away from home.

Regardless of where you decide to have your destination wedding, just remember that the fewer number of people you include, the more important the favors and intimate details become.

Learn more about this author, Ashley Burr.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.