Just-Launched Expedia Weddings Wants to Help You Plan Your Destination Wedding

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Just last month, travel site Expedia commissioned a study to find out what, exactly, the people of this good nation felt and thought about destination weddings. They did this via Northstar, a globally integrated strategic insights consulting firm, checking in with 1,000 Americans across all kinds of demographics.

They call it the Expedia American Altar Report, and to save you from reading the whole thing, this was the gist:

• 69 percent of Americans believe that having a destination wedding alleviates stress.
• If married couples could have a wedding do-over, 42 percent would choose a destination wedding over their original, more traditional choice (and when you take married couples under 35, this number jumps to 63 percent who’d opt for a destination do-over).
• 84 percent of Americans believe a destination wedding is just more fun.
• For married couples looking to one day re-new their vows, 67 percent say they would hop on a plane and head to a destination to do so, rather than do something at home.
• And from couples who have already done the destination wedding? 37 percent say they believe it was much easier to plan and 76 percent said they believe it created a lot less stress than a traditional wedding would have.

So clearly, apart from those who fear that far-flung nuptials would rack up more expenses and possibly, exclude some guests from coming, destination weddings are pretty hot (both popular-hot and you-should-probably-wear-a-sleeveless-dress-hot) right now. And it is with those findings that Expedia has just launched Expedia Weddings.

This new arm of the site was designed to help brides create their more-fun, less-stressful, envy-of-all-your-already-married-friends destination wedding, specifically in the popular locales of Hawaii, Mexico (Cancun, Riviera Maya, Los Cabos), Jamaica, or the Dominican Republic. After hooking you up with a destination wedding expert, they’ll help you choose your actual destination from the aforementioned list, and then they’ll help you choose your hotel/venue, whether you’re thinking all-inclusive or boutique hotel. And then, once you’ve decided on the actual place where you’ll say your vows, they’ll use their relationships with these far-flung resorts to access the best packages, deals and rates that they can.

And whether or not you utilize their services, just clicking around can be a help: for each destination, they list the peak season, whether or not a passport is required, what language is spoken, and the currency used. They even include a list of top venues in the area, the local wedding appeal, and popular attractions your guests can enjoy post-wedding. So just browsing alone might help you make your decision, before you’re ready to get booking.

And if you’re still deciding whether or not to take the leap and plan that island-wedding, check out our 5 Things to Consider Before Deciding On a Destination Wedding—and once you do decide to do it, be sure read our writer’s first-hand advice in How to Plan Your Destination Wedding from Philly.

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