Destination Weddings For Dummies (For Dummies (Travel))

315 Pages·2007·2.97 MB·English

by  Susan Breslow Sardone

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Destination
Weddings
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Susan Breslow Sardone
Romantic travel expert and creator
of New York Magazine’s Weddings section

01_129951 ffirs.qxp 7/31/07 9:46 PM Page i
Destination
Weddings
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Susan Breslow Sardone
Romantic travel expert and creator
of New York Magazine’s Weddings section
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Destination Weddings For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River St.
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007933279
ISBN: 978-0-470-12995-1
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Susan Breslow Sardoneis the Web’s leading authority on romantic
travel. She has been the About.com Guide to Honeymoons and
Romantic Getaways for a decade, and Forbes.com calls her site
“Best of the Web in Romantic Travel.”
A widely published travel journalist, Susan’s assignments have led
her from Alaska to Zimbabwe. Her work has appeared in print in
The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler,Modern Bride,and other
mass-circulation magazines. She has also served as a consultant to
Expedia and American Express Travel.
Susan holds a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s of
arts degree in English. More recently, she studied Multimedia
Technology at New York University, where she also taught writing
classes. Susan and her husband, Vincent, live in New York.
Dedication
To Vincent J. Sardone: Marrying you in Las Vegas turned out to be
the smartest bet I ever made.
Author’s Acknowledgments
A tip of the hat to Barb Doyen, the agent who recruited me for this
project, and the team at Wiley for midwifing this baby. Hugs to Dana
and Yuri Daiter for the honor of including me in their ultimate desti-
nation wedding. Props to Scott Kurnit for coming up with the bril-
liant idea for About.com — and a shout-out to the many editors and
other staff members I’ve had the privilege of working with since the
beginning. You’ve given me the opportunity to guide a worldwide
audience to the most wonderful places for couples to experience.
Mille grazie to Mara Urshel of Kleinfeld Bridal and Steve Davis of
Jim’s Formal Wear, who informed me what the well-dressed desti-
nation bride and groom are wearing. Merci to Stephannie Barba for
her charming map. Appreciation also goes to cruise-wedding guru
Valerie Brizuela at The Wedding Experience and master bridal con-
sultant Sue Winner. Representatives of the many land-based desti-
nations and properties mentioned herein also have my gratitude.
But most of all, I would like to thank my husband, Vincent J. Sardone
for the loving kindness, the laughter, and carrying the luggage.
Without you, I might be a spinster with an unstamped passport.
With you, I soar.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online regis-
tration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Composition Services
Development
Project Coordinator: Jennifer Theriot
Project Editor: Chad R. Sievers Layout and Graphics: Stephanie D. Jumper,
Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier Alicia B.South
Copy Editor: Sarah Westfall Anniversary Logo Design:Richard Pacifico
Technical Editor: Karen Emery Proofreaders: Aptara, Jessica Kramer,
SusanMortiz
Editorial Manager: Michelle Hacker
Indexer: Aptara
Editorial Assistant:Erin Calligan Mooney,
Joe Niesen, Leeann Harney
Cover Photos: ©Stockbyte/Getty Images
Cartoons: Rich Tennant
(www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies
Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies
Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel
Kelly Regan,Editorial Director, Travel
Publishing for Technology Dummies
Andy Cummings,Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey,Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Services
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction.......................................................1
Part I: Marrying Your Way: Away You Go............5
Chapter 1: Destination Weddings 101......................................................7
Chapter 2: Is a Destination Wedding Right for You?............................19
Chapter 3: Organizing Your Wedding Away:
With and Without a Computer.........................................................29
Chapter 4: Budgeting for a Destination Wedding.................................47
Chapter 5: Gathering Your Destination Wedding Team.......................59
Part II: Picking a Destination for Your Wedding...73
Chapter 6: Finding the Right Destination: There’s a Place for You....75
Chapter 7: Staying Close to Home: The United States and Canada....101
Chapter 8: Heading to the Tropics and Islands..................................123
Chapter 9: Wowing and Vowing in Europe..........................................147
Chapter 10: Cruising on a Love Boat...................................................163
Part III: Getting the Destination
Wedding You Want ........................................179
Chapter 11: Making Travel Arrangements...........................................181
Chapter 12: Before You Go: Putting Your Wedding Plans in Place......195
Chapter 13: Setting the Stage: Your Ceremony and Reception.........219
Chapter 14: Dressing and Grooming for a Destination Wedding......229
Part IV: Sharing the Joy at Your Wedding,
Now and Later...............................................243
Chapter 15: After You Arrive: Leading Up to the Big Day..................245
Chapter 16: Minding Your Manners: Destination
Wedding Etiquette............................................................................257
Chapter 17: Making Friends and Family Feel
As If They Were There.....................................................................265
Chapter 18: Beginning the Honeymoon...............................................273
Part V: The Part of Tens..................................281
Chapter 19: Ten Emergencies You May Face and
How to Handle ’Em..........................................................................283
Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Save Money on
Your Destination Wedding..............................................................287
Index .............................................................291
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Table of Contents
Introduction .......................................................1
About This Book.........................................................................1
Conventions Used in This Book................................................2
Foolish Assumptions..................................................................2
How This Book Is Organized......................................................2
Part I: Marrying Your Way: Away You Go.......................3
Part II: Picking a Destination For Your Wedding...........3
Part III: Getting the Destination Wedding You Want.....3
Part IV: Sharing the Joy at Your Wedding, Now
and Later........................................................................3
Part V: The Part of Tens...................................................4
Icons Used in This Book.............................................................4
Where to Go from Here..............................................................4
Part I: Marrying Your Way: Away You Go.............5
Chapter 1:Destination Weddings 101. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Defining Destination Weddings and Why They’re
So Popular................................................................................7
Simplifying your wedding................................................8
Paying the price................................................................8
Choosing quality over quantity......................................9
The Differences between Getting Married Away
and at Home...........................................................................10
Making Your Wedding Legal: What You Need to Know........12
Marrying in the United States.......................................12
Getting hitched in another country.............................12
Looking at the Most Popular Locations.................................13
Answering Some Questions You May Have...........................14
Getting Going: 20 Steps to a Destination Wedding...............17
Chapter 2: Is a Destination Wedding Right for You?. . . . 19
Why a Wedding Away May Work Best for You: The 3F’s......19
Freedom (from convention)..........................................20
Flexibility (to do it your way).......................................20
Fun (that’s the key)........................................................21
Pinpointing Destination Wedding Delights............................21
Arousing your adventurous side..................................21
Combining your wedding and honeymoon.................22
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Table of Contents
Sharing the fun with your friends and family..............22
Earning perks and upgrades because you’re in love.....23
Other advantages...........................................................24
What a Destination Wedding Isn’t: The Downsides..............24
Are You a Destination Wedding Kind of Couple?
A Checklist.............................................................................25
Dealing with Doubts and Doubters.........................................26
When your partner still isn’t certain............................26
Preparing for pushback.................................................27
Chapter 3:Organizing Your Wedding Away:
With and Without a Computer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
The Importance of Being Organized and Where to Start.....30
Leading with your strengths: The division of labor...30
Doing all the organizing yourself or strictly
relying on a pro...........................................................31
Choosing an organizational system that
works for you..............................................................31
Love in the Computer Age: Digitally Organizing...................33
Create a destination wedding folder............................33
Use the Web to your advantage....................................36
Bookmark Web pages.....................................................36
Establish your own destination wedding Web site....38
Join the conversation.....................................................42
Using the Web When You Don’t Have a Computer...............43
Organizing Your Wedding with a Paper Trail........................44
Customizing a paper wedding planner........................44
Making your own destination wedding organizer......46
Chapter 4:Budgeting for a Destination Wedding. . . . . 47
Understanding Budgeting Basics
(And Why They’re Vital)......................................................48
How budgeting differs: A destination wedding
versus a traditional one.............................................48
Knowing how much to budget......................................48
Having a Wedding at Any Cost................................................49
Chipping In for a Destination Wedding..................................51
Finding ways to cover costs..........................................51
Keeping tabs on guests..................................................52
Knowing What to Include in Your Budget..............................52
Bidding and Buying...................................................................54
Pricing the elements.......................................................55
Negotiating wisely..........................................................55
Cutting costs...................................................................56
Dealing with deposits.....................................................58