The answer to who pays for a destination wedding can be the couple or the guests themselves. We will discuss the destination wedding etiquette in more detail below to ensure that both sides maintain class and tact.
Speaking of who pays what, who pays for the hotel rooms for wedding guests with destination weddings? Read our discussion and tips regarding this matter to know the tasteful approach for the expenses of accommodations.
Destination Wedding Etiquette: Who Pays
The couple
Traditionally, the couple is expected to pay for the destination wedding. This includes covering the expenses for the rehearsal dinner, welcome party, brunch, and other events before the wedding date.
And of course, the wedding reception in the destination should be shouldered by the couple. Another instance where the couple is usually expected to shoulder the costs is transportation around the area.
It can include the shuttle for picking the guests from the airport or when helping them go from the ceremony area to the reception area. However, it’s also possible for some friends or family to volunteer to help with the expenses.
Some might even recommend that they’ll host some dinners and parties as a gift. But as for the activities in the location, it’s optional if you want to pay for them.
For example, group activities might be shouldered by the wedding hosts, typically the bride’s parents.
The guests
Even if you’re doing a destination wedding, you’re not obligated to shoulder all the expenses. However, for tact, you must pay for the locations for the ceremony, reception, and activities within them.
But for the transportation fees, including potential plane tickets, it’s still tasteful for you to ask the guests to pay for them. The accommodations such as hotel bookings should also be accepted as among the expenses of the guests who’ll attend the wedding.
However, you might invite someone close to you who cannot pay for these expenses. For this instance, you can talk about shouldering the fees to help them attend the wedding.
It would be best to keep it a secret to avoid making others feel neglected. Furthermore, the guest might feel awkward, to begin with, regarding being sponsored to attend your wedding.
Do You Pay For People To Come To Your Destination Wedding?
Be considerate
It isn’t easy to decide who must pay for what, especially with the expenses of the guests to attend your destination wedding. For example, you might be requesting their presence, but they’re in a tight financial situation at the moment.
It would be unfair to expect them to come if they don’t have the means to. But, on the other hand, it’s also not practical to shoulder the expenses of guests that aren’t close to you so that they can come to the destination wedding.
Remain practical
A solution to consider is to think about the importance of these people to you and their presence on your special day. If they are someone dear that you’d want to see at the wedding, then consider sponsoring them.
You can also hold a smaller destination wedding with only your close friends and family. This way, you’re not pressured to shoulder the expenses, and you are in a good relationship with these guests to request that they pay for other things like their own flights, shuttle, and hotel rooms.
Read how to ask someone to be at your wedding and plan how you’ll talk about expectations regarding fees and expenses.
How Much Do Guests Pay For Destination Weddings?
There are many factors to consider to determine the amount you’ll spend as a guest at a destination wedding. For one, where will the wedding be held?
If it’s not that far, spending for your transportation shouldn’t be as pricey. Some couples might also be shouldering the travel expenses of their guests.
However, it’s only good taste not to expect that everything will be free. So bring your pocket money, and if you’re capable, it will help the couple if you tell them you can pay for your other personal expenses.
Do you give a wedding gift if you travel?
Since the guests will usually spend money to travel to attend a destination wedding, it’s understandable to skip the wedding gift or give a lower monetary gift.
Furthermore, physical gifts are impractical to bring because it will be a hassle carrying them, even for the couple who’ll receive them. And as for the money you must give, a token anywhere from $25 to $100 is the common amount from guests on a destination wedding.
Nonetheless, the emphasis is necessary on reminding yourself that you should only spend according to your means. If you can’t give an expensive gift, it’s still understandable.
What’s The Average Cost Of A Destination Wedding?
Expect that you’ll spend more than $25,000 when doing a destination wedding. But, of course, the amount will depend on the location, how much you’ll be shouldering, the date, number of days, and the number of guests.
Conclusion
And that’s it! We found out who pays for a destination wedding, the couple or partially the guests.
It’s possible to have the guests pay for their travel expenses and accommodation, but remember that you should pay for the ceremony and reception sites. You should also consider your closeness with the guest if you plan to give them an all-expense-paid trip.