Destination weddings are a great way to celebrate your special day and give your guests and attendants a mini-vacation at the same time. With a bit of planning ahead, everyone from the maid of honor to your grandmother will have time to spend celebrating your wedding and also have a bit of fun on the side. There are lots of great reasons to plan your wedding as a destination wedding – here are a few of our favorites.
Great chance for bonding
While you may see your destination wedding as an amazing way to tie the knot, think about the friends and family who are tied together by this event. Bringing together the people you love in celebration of your marriage gives them a great opportunity for bonding beyond just the reception. Why not take the time to encourage these relationships now? Planning a destination wedding offers multiple chances for the people you care about to get to know each other, away from home and other distractions. If your destination includes a golf course – like the beautiful, world-renowned Edgewood Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe – schedule a few tee times for the golfers in your group. Gather a group for an intimate wine-tasting, or even just a little window shopping. This is time for your guests and attendants to truly enjoy each other’s company.
Have a little fun
Destination weddings give your guests a chance to get away from it all while enjoying activities they might never have the opportunity to try at home. Since your guests will be staying in the wedding locale for several days, there is plenty of time for them to do something fun. For example, plan a summer wedding or a fall wedding in South Lake Tahoe and your guests may enjoy an afternoon bike ride on the shores of beautiful Lake Tahoe, or maybe a cruise on Lake Tahoe Cruises’ Tahoe Queen or M.S. Dixie paddlewheel boat. For those guests who can’t get enough adventure, try parasailing out of Zephyr Cove Resort for an outing they won’t soon forget. The key is to offer several different options for activities, depending on the age and interests of your family and friends. Provide maps and other information about local highlights so that everyone can choose what appeals to them.
Relax and be pampered
Traveling to your destination wedding and getting away from home lets your guests relax and enjoy themselves a bit more than with a traditional wedding. With several days to relax and unwind, your wedding truly becomes a vacation for everyone. From an evening walk on the beach to a late-morning brunch, there are multiple ways for your guests to relax. Women and men both might enjoy a bit of pampering with spa services or treatments. Who says pampering has to be just for the bridal party? Nothing says vacation like a massage or spa facial. Staying in a resort location gives your guests the chance to take advantage of spa services like no other. If you planned your destination wedding at South Lake Tahoe for example, your guests would love the spa options or “pamper parties” at the Onsen Spa at the Mont Bleu Resort Casino & Spa.
Start planning, and have fun!
A destination wedding is not only fun for the bridal couple — it’s like a mini-vacation for your guests and family members. When you choose a destination with beautiful scenery, spectacular outdoor activities and lots of options for the wedding of your dreams, your wedding becomes an event to remember. The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority has resources to help couples plan the destination wedding of their dreams. Start planning your destination wedding today, for memories you – and your guests – will treasure.
