True, most couples are envisioning themselves on a tropical beach when they think of having a Destination Wedding.  But the best part about planning a Destination Wedding is that it is totally customizable.  It's all about you and your fiance, and how you picture your dream wedding.

I have been waiting (somewhat impatiently!) to get a good castle wedding to share with you...and I finally got it!  Above you will see a gorgeous scene from Scotland.  Almost the stuff that fairytales are made of - A castle dating back to the mid-13th century, situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet, just waiting to add a couple's wedding to its history.

I thought I had it with the Costa Rica wedding video of the volcano erupting during the ceremony, but this one is right up there as well as far as uniqueness goes.  Enjoy the short video below and remember...if you can dream it...you can have it!

Castle Destination Wedding Packages

This is a favorite topic with couples...the elusive "Group Discount".  In today's world of buying in bulk at large membership clubs like Costco and BJs, many couples are thinking that more guests=less money per guest.  Make sense when I think about my recent trip to the grocery store where I got 1 item free after buying 10, but it doesn't always apply to travel for a Destination Wedding.

So, if you have enough guests to fill up the stairs like the wedding below, with 20+ guests, should you be asking your specialist to do a group contract with the hotel?

Answer:  It depends.  I know you were expecting a yes or a no, but it really does depend, and here's why.

What does a group contract mean to you? It means that the wholesaler or resort will guarantee the number of rooms requested at the rate contracted for.  It also means that you will have to sign a contract stating your understanding of the terms of this contract. These contracts have stipulations such as cancellation penalties and attrition (not ending up using all of the rooms you contracted for), to name a few. On the brighter side it also guarantees that there will be rooms for all of your guests, and, if you work to make sure that all of your guests book as quickly as possible, eliminates some chance of penalties. Also, most contracts allow you to decrease, or even cancel the entire contract with little to no penalties, depending on the date you do cancel, usually at least 120-days before.

Two examples of a time when it makes a lot of sense to do a group deal would be if you are having your Destination Wedding over a holiday or school break, or if you chose a small resort (so they would be more likely to sell out quickly).   Not sure what to do?  My favorite answer is...Ask your specialist, that's why you have someone helping you that does this kind of planning all the time right?!?

One last note on group Destination Wedding packages - Although a resort may not give incredible deals to you and your wedding guests, they will give deals to large Destination Wedding Specialist companies that send a signifigant amount of business to them.  If you choose your company wisely you should be able to take advantage of additional benefits that they have already negotiated with resorts (like room upgrades, free stays, etc. for the wedding couple)

We get a ton of questions regarding Destination Wedding packages, and what is included.  Having planned my own DW this past May I completely understand that when you start planning it seems like a lot to put together.  However, when you step back and look at it, Destination Wedding packages are only comprised of three parts:

(warning...this may sound too simple, but it usually helps couples think about the "big picture" and makes it easier to organize their budget by each part)

1.  The travel.  You will have to pay for you and your fiance's travel to and from the destination.  Don't get wrapped up in trying to break this down into airfare, hotel, food, etc.  You will only give yourself a headache.  The vast majority of couple purchase this as one complete package that includes everything.  And as a bonus, if you stay at an all-inclusive hotel (which I highly recommend), it includes all your food and drinks.

2.  The ceremony.  Many resorts at popular destinations offer very affordable (and sometimes free) ceremonies.  However, like getting married at home, if you start adding on additional options...they are going to add onto your bill!  Most resort packages offer enough to get you 90% of the way, and then you can add on whatever you need.  I talked about my wedding in a past budgetting post where we added an upgraded flower and photography package, but we were fine with everything else.

3.  The reception.  Not every couple has a reception, but if you do you need to think of catering and/or setup costs.  This depends again on the reception site, and the amount of people you have.

So, it may seem too simple, but it's an easy way to break Destination Wedding packages down into their three parts to make it easier to budget for. 

Allison writes a series of posts on Hawaii Weddings, explaining why they have been popular for decades. 

There is nothing more exciting than searching for attire for Hawaii weddings, especially if you are having a destination wedding in Hawaii. Do you know that I am kind of envious at the selection that you can now choose from? When I got married, I had a limited selection of dresses and shirts. These days, there is a broad selection of outfits available for Hawaii weddings at very affordable prices as well as bridesmaid, flower girl, and ring-bearer outfits.

Depending on a Hawaii weddings' location, there is wedding attire to suit. For example, if you wish to marry on the beach, then there are some beautiful, lightweight wedding gowns available that enable you to look your very best while being comfortable and suitable for your selected wedding location.

There are many gowns for Hawaii weddings as well as shirts that come in a variety of styles, colors and fabrics. Plus, there are designs to suit everyone's tastes and budgets. Whether you are a bride and groom looking to spend $200 or $2,000 on attire, there is a range of exquisite clothing for you to select from. You can have floral prints; embroidered designs, self-patterned organza and rayon, or stunning silk and satin. Plus, your gown can be long and flowing, mid-length or short, depending on your mood and personal preferences.

Many brides and grooms elect to wear attire for Hawaii weddings that matches with the bride's dress either complimenting her groom's shirt or with both garments designed from the same fabric.

Probably our final post from Cameron.  Thanks for sharing your Costa Rica wedding adventures Cameron! 

After we were officially man and wife, it was time to see the country and let our adventurous spirit flow! 7am the next morning we were off canyoning. To those who are not familiar with this activity, it means rappelling down the side of a mountain. After our first rappel, my sister and husband both concluded that this was the most fun that they have ever had and that I would have to plan all future vacations. It really was an amazing experience..until we had to hike back up to the top of the mountain!

The following day, we said goodbye to our wedding crasher and my sister, then Scott and I headed to Manuel Antonio, a little town on the Pacific Ocean. We stayed at Issimo Suites, which was as fabulous as our specialist Andrea had told us it would be. The rooms were amazing and the monkeys were plentiful. I swear, the monkeys would eat food off your plate and I actually swam with a monkey (well, he dipped each hand in the water while I swam.) The video below shows our monkey friends. 

While there we did every activity we could, white water rafting, sailing, snorkeling and we hiked through the national park. If I could offer advice to a new bride it would probably be to make sure that you schedule some time for rest and relaxation, this is your honeymoon!!

To all budding brides, I hope that you have fun planning the wedding of your dreams. If are just checking the site out and have not yet decided on destinationweddings.com, I'd encourage you to "go for it!" I know that I could have planned a basic destination wedding on my own, but it would have paled in comparison with the amazing wedding that I had.

Like I was saying before, DW was such a blessing for me, I didn't have to worry about anything. If I had or have any concerns our DW Specialist, Sue, came to the rescue. I appreciate her because she is quick and to the point, she finds out whatever you need and looks out for you the entire time. Couldn't ask for more!

Don't get discouraged while you are looking for a resort because there are so many out there and you really need to just take your time during this part. If you have guests then you know you have to accomodate them as well. For example, my grandmother is coming and she uses a walker and sometimes a wheelchair. Also, I wanted a child friendly resort because I left it up to the guests if they wanted to bring their children or not.  I also wanted something almost island like and that is why we finally picked the Omni Cancun Hotel and Villas in Cancun Island, with the help of Sue, of course. Then we went from there!

She was great help finding my sunset wedding destination! I also want to say that the web site is just the best! You can keep track of all your guests, they can come and visit the web site. And I like the idea that your guests can buy you something for the trip with the Honeymoon Registry. So, this is the best thing that I found out there.

The only crazy thing is getting legally married in Mexico is strange. A blood test, lung x rays, birth certificates and apostilles. I'll tell you about that next time.

Allison writes a series of posts on Hawaii Weddings, explaining why they have been popular for decades. 

There are so many theme and style aspects of a wedding that can add to the overall feel and ambience of your special day, especially if you are eager to have one of the best Hawaii weddings. For example, you can have a Hawaiian-themed wedding ceremony, wedding vows, and wedding invitations as well as wear Hawaii wedding attire and even eat traditional Hawaiian foods. Best of all, Hawaii weddings can be themed in any setting or location, such as in a botanical garden, an intimate park or garden setting, at a resort, or near a volcano. You do not have to necessarily be married on the beach.

Here are some suggestions that I think will allow you and your fiancé to create one of the most stylish themes for Hawaii weddings that I have ever seen. By the way, I really wished someone had of offered me these pointers when I got married, you lucky bride-to-be!

• Invitations for Hawaii Weddings: Send Hawaiian-themed wedding invitations to your wedding guests. You can use Hawaiian words and phrases, translate your guest's names, and include the Lord's Prayer in Hawaiian on your invitations.
• Attire for Hawaii Weddings: You can encourage your guests to wear Hawaii wedding attire to your special event as well as find Hawaii wedding clothing for yourself and your wedding party.
• Music for Hawaii Weddings: Have traditional Hawaiian music playing when you walk during your ceremony and throughout the whole event.
• Ceremonies for Hawaii Weddings: Have a traditional Hawaiian-styled ‘Unity Ceremony' and follow Hawaiian customs, such as conch shell blowing and a lei exchange during your ceremony.

Hi! Hannah and Carlos again to continue our DW story.

Really I found DW by googling and looking at different websites. I wasn't even sure where or what we were going to do and was so mad at my family for not supporting our decision to go to Argentina. Now I know why they call it tying the knot, because you want to tie the knot around your families neck! I wanted to go by ourselves, I wanted to get married on the beach and just invite our best friends, no one else. I looked at Hawaii and other islands in the Carribean. It was too much information to take in and the whole time while I am explaining my searches to Carlos he is asking how much? how much? How much does it cost? I don't think he realizes how much a wedding cost. It was like battling him, going to school, working and trying to educate myself on the DW world. I was really starting to get stressed out, Carlos and I were fighting. He wanted to bitch about everything I brought up, but he didn't want to help out at all.

Then I began the DW website and the stress-free advertisement caught my eye. I told Carlos, listen this is our special day, no one is taking it away from us or making it lesser of an experience, including you. So, I am signing up on DW and there is nothing you can do about it! I sent the deposit, described to Sue Slater what it was that I wanted and she helped us to get what we picture as our wedding. It was great!

Good afternoon everybody,

We are pleased to announce that we are about to bring a new guest blogger aboard.  We are always hearing questions regarding Destination Wedding etiquette from our couples, so I decided it was time to find some answers. 

Jodi R. R. Smith is a long-time business acquaintence of mine from the Boston area.  She is a nationally-known etiquette expert and her company Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting has been featured on countless media exposures and has helped even more couples over the years.

In preparation for her arrival to the blog, please comment on this post with any Destination Wedding etiquette questions that you may have, and we can include them in future answer posts. 

Jodi is already working on a stack of questions now, so if you have a pressing question...get it in soon!

Allison writes a series of posts on Hawaii Weddings, explaining why they have been popular for decades. 

When it comes to capturing your wedding memories, you undoubtedly want to enlist the services of a professional.  Most resorts that cater to Hawaii Weddings will have a photographer that they recommend, which satisfies the needs of most couples.

Finding a photographer for Hawaii weddings who is able to capture you and your husband or wife to-be in the poses that you desire as well as in the perfect location can sometimes be challenging. Therefore, it is important that you review the professional photographer's portfolio of past clients prior to working with them. This way, you are to able to not only find a style of photography that you both like, but you are also able to give your photographer valuable insights into exactly what you and your husband or wife are hoping to achieve.

Hey, don't laugh! While most of my Hawaii wedding photos were great, I found the odd one where Aunt Mavis wasn't concentrating or my husband and I managed to have a palm tree appear to be a part of our appendages. However, this did add a little light entertainment when family and friends gathered at our home to see our wedding album.

So, to avoid the same problems, see if you can talk to a photographer of Hawaii weddings prior to working with them, so that you get a feel for them and their work and vice versa. When you first arrive at your destination and check into the resort, ask your wedding coordinator if you and your fiancé are able to view the photographer's wedding album as most resorts have several of these that you can browse through in order to gain inspiration.

If your wedding photographer is part of a package deal and you are not 100% sure of the person or company at the resort, ask whoever is arranging the package for you for more information about your photographer.  This way, you can be rest assured that you are comfortable with your selection and that you are getting exactly what you desire.

Allison writes a series of posts on Hawaii Weddings, explaining why they have been popular for decades. 

It is true, Hawaii is not the cheapest destination out there, but there are ways to get your Hawaii Wedding on a budget.  Of course, if you want to get married in the most glamorous resort and treat your wedding guests to a lavish reception with complementary cocktails, then I doubt that inexpensive will be a word that is in your vocabulary. However, for those of you who want to indulge yourselves without burning a hole in your piggy bank, then Hawaii weddings on a budget may be exactly what you are searching for.

There are many package deals available for Hawaii weddings that range from the simple to the elaborate, and all of the wedding packages offer you a beautiful destination wedding in an absolutely gorgeous location and setting.

Budget ceremony packages for Hawaii weddings usually consist of the essentials, such as two leis to exchange during the wedding ceremony, a wedding certificate, and celebrant services. Many Hawaii weddings are performed in a beach setting. However, if you and your fiancé desire something else, such as a botanical garden, a mountain setting, or even near a waterfall, then be sure to mention this when booking your package deal so that whoever is planning your wedding can cater to your requirements.

One of the benefits of selecting inexpensive packages for Hawaii weddings is that you can then build upon the basic package, depending on the amount that you wish to spend and the type of customization that you require for your wedding. For example, you may want to have a video and photos taken of your special event or have a three-tiered wedding cake included in your ceremony.

The additions that brides and grooms can include in their Hawaii weddings are many and include professional photography, sparkling apple cider or champagne, an ornate wedding certificate, bouquets of flowers, a wedding cake, a make-up artist and a hair stylist, videographer, a Hawaiian musician, limousine service to and from your wedding location, and a reception dinner for you and your spouse at a special romantic location.

Allison writes a series of posts on Hawaii Weddings, explaining why they have been popular for decades. 

I simply adore wedding favors as they always leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a smile on your face no matter how simple or complex. Plus, I have also discovered that many wedding favors center on the theme of the wedding as well as personify the bride and groom's style and taste. Therefore, it is not unusual to find favors for Hawaii weddings that are tropical and centered on the warmth of the islands as well as the charisma of the wedding couple.

Favors for Hawaii weddings often include handmade chocolates, flower sets, resin tropical fruit place card holders, candles, soaps and nuts, and beautiful flower boxes.

For those of you who like to think outside-of-the-box, there are more specific favors for Hawaii weddings that you can purchase, such as coconut shell candles, tropical orchid favor boxes, and floral-scented candles in a ceramic holder.

Of course, if you seek the wild and wacky, which many of us do, then there are the eccentric favors for Hawaii weddings that are sure to make you and your guests giggle. These favors for Hawaii weddings include flip-flop tropical flower coasters, mini wooden tropical flair clips, ‘Let's Hula Baby' tropical vases, and floral-themed beach sandals.

Whatever your theme or your personality, there is sure to be a wedding favor or two that accentuates what you are seeking as well as lets you express yourself to your friends and your family.

Some of the cutest favors for Hawaii weddings that I have come across are the Hawaiian shirt place card holders, the royal pineapple wedding soaps, orchid candles, and the twisted Martini glass candleholders.

Typically, favors for Hawaii weddings range from a couple of dollars each in price through to approximately $30, though I have seen favors for over $75 each on some occasions for the more elegant affairs.

The second post by Jodi R. R. Smith, etiquette expert, on the most common Destination Wedding Etiquette Questions. 

1. I have a couple guests that I would like to contribute a little bit towards their travel expenses. How do I do that without having these guests feel like "charity cases" and/or other guests finding out and wondering why I didn't offer for them too?

Encourage all of your guests to work through a single travel agency.  This will assist you in your planning and assist your guests in receiving the best price possible.  Then, let the agency know which guests you plan to help so they can price the travel appropriately to include your contribution.  You may decide to have your assistance be anonymous (so your guests do not feel like charity cases).  Or you may decide to let the guest know you have "points" or "discounts" which you want to share with them.  You should mention that you are not able to extend the same point/discounts to others so your guests know they have received an added benefit and should avoid mentioning it to others.

2. I don't want children at my destination wedding, how do I delicately let guests know that it's adults-only?

Be sure the invitation envelopes only have the adult names on the address.  If someone specifically asks, you let them know that while you love little "Tiffany" this is an adult resort and not geared in any way towards children.  If someone tries to emotionally blackmail you "we won't be able to attend without little Bobby."  Then your answer is, "We hope you will be able to find a sitter, otherwise we would love to have you over when we are back to share the pictures and memories."

3. We are planning a beach wedding, and we don't want to single anyone out as a traditional best man/maid of honor, mostly because it will be all our closest friends and family there and we just don't want to offend anyone. At the destination that we are getting married at we need to have two official witnesses to sign our marriage certificate at the wedding itself. How can we choose these two special people without offending our other close family/friends?

Your guests are mature enough to understand not everyone will be able to sign your marriage certificate!  Choose carefully.  You best option may be to choose a sibling or cousin.  If there are no siblings or cousins, then the friend you have known the longest.  Do be sure to speak with anyone who might possibly be hurt well in advance of the wedding.  The conversation should be "Susie, if I was having a traditional wedding, of course you would be one of my bridesmaids.  But since we are doing a destination event, I am just having Judy sign the certificate since she is my sister.  I do hope you understand and I am so glad you are going to be a part of my big day."

Jodi R. R. Smith is a nationally known etiquette expert and author.  To email your etiquette emergency, click to http://www.mannersmith.com   Copyright © 1996-2008 Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute this newsletter as long as this copyright and full information about contacting the author is attached.