Dealing with the Cost of Guests for Destination Weddings

Enjoy your destination wedding. Image by Grand Velas Riviera Maya

One of the downsides of a destination wedding is that all your guests may not be able to attend. It commonly leads to the idea of paying for your guests but this could blow your budget. There is also the possibility that your guests expect you to pay for their travel since you want them to be a part of your big day. So, how should you deal with this cost of destination weddings?

Pay for Immediate Family and Friends

One option is to pay for those close to you – the people in your bridal party and the closer relatives, like grandparents and siblings. This means that the people you really want to be there will be able to attend, without having to worry about the cost. The rest of your friends and family will have to spend their own money to attend; just don’t complain if they can make it for their own budget problems.

Pay for Part of the Costs

If you want to make sure all your guests can make it, offer to pay for some of the costs. This could be the cost of the hotel room or the flights; they then need to cover the rest of the cost. However, this depends on the budget you have available for your wedding and where you are travelling to. We had our wedding away from the majority of my partner’s family but they paid for their own travel and accommodation since it wasn’t too far; had we opted for a true destination wedding – abroad somewhere – we may have had to consider paying for some of their travel costs.

Ask for Them to Pay for Everything

If your budget really can’t afford it, consider making it clear that your guests need to pay for everything for themselves. This is an option that many people opt for but may consider asking for no gift; their gift is attending your big day. Not all your guests will be able to attend, depending on where you hold the wedding, but those who really want to be there will find a way.

A destination wedding may be exactly everything that you dreamt of but can you really afford paying for your guests. You may have to make some sacrifices to the budget if you want to pay for all your guests, especially if you’re on a tight budget, or you may just have to pay for the guests that mean the most to you. Talk to your partner and think about your destination and then talk to the close family members to see what they would do in this situation.