Traveling to wed is trendy

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By Linda Miller

Published: October 12, 2008

Rachael Ray got married in Italy. Heidi Klum and Seal exchanged vows in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A castle in Scotland was the backdrop for Madonna and Guy Ritchie’s wedding.

You know that’s going to influence wedding trends.

When Madonna and Ritchie got married in a castle, it caused a surge of destination weddings, said Steve Kemble, a celebrity wedding planner who lives in Dallas. These days, couples regularly say their vows at the beach, on mountains, on cruise ships, in historic cities and exotic locales.

"Destination weddings are a big trend,” Kemble said.

Destination weddings have grown fourfold over the past decade, according to Brides.com. Exotic destination weddings account for more than 16 percent of the $86 billion wedding industry, according to DestinationWeddings.com.

Many couples think a destination wedding will save them money, and it may if they plan properly and budget correctly, said Kemble, who was in Oklahoma City recently to host The Wedding Workshop. But couples shouldn’t start off thinking it’s going to cut their wedding costs.

"Nowadays, you’re pretty much obligated to do a lot for all the people you invite,” he said. "Protocol is that you invite them to the rehearsal dinner or have some event for them afterwards that everyone comes to.”

And don’t forget the welcome or goody bags in everyone’s hotel rooms, he said.

"You’re not going to save that much money when you start thinking about all the food and goodies,” he said.

So, if you want to get married in a castle or on an active volcano, you’ll be in good company. Just don’t think it’ll save you money. The expenses add up — even for a barefoot bride on the beach.