How Far Is Too Far to Travel for a Destination Wedding?

The popularity of destination weddings has boomed in the post-pandemic years, as couples and their friends and family embrace the idea of smaller, more personal events in once-in-a-lifetime locations. The 2024 Destination Wedding Global Market Report from Research and Markets priced destination wedding spending at $27.64 billion in 2023 and $36.49 billion in 2024—a compound annual growth rate of 32 percent that puts the industry on track to bring in more than $105 billion annually by 2028.

However, with your guests fielding multiple invitations for destination weddings that require them to dip into their travel funds and vacation time, should you limit the miles or hours required to reach your dream wedding spot? “Emphatically, no—there’s no such thing as ‘too far’ for a destination wedding,” says Nathalie Cadet-James of Luxe Fête. “Love knows no bounds, and a wedding is a deeply personal celebration. If a couple’s dream is to exchange vows halfway across the world, that’s their choice.”

However, if you book a spot that’s difficult, expensive, and time-consuming for your guests to reach, you need to adjust your expectations—not just for how many people will attend, but also for the responsibilities now shouldered by you and your partner. “It’s important to strike a balance between your dream location and accessibility for your guests,” says Cadet-James. “Understand that the more effort it takes for guests to get there, the greater the chance many may not be able to attend.” 

For the guests who do RSVP yes, you should make the experience as stress-free as possible: This means handling details that range from hosting pre-wedding tours of your location to subsidizing costs to booking shuttles. When you ease the effort involved, your guests can relax and enjoy your event, fully appreciating the meaning of the moment. “Ultimately, the location should reflect the couple’s vision, story, and the details that matter most to them,” says Cadet-James.

How to Choose a Location for Your Destination Wedding

Dozens of factors can influence the final choice of where to hold your wedding, from the surrounding scenery to the in-season travel costs. But any destination you pick should be significant to you as a couple, say the experts, whether you’re set on the city where you and your partner met during study abroad, on your rural hometown, or on a remote island you two have always dreamed of seeing. “The selection of that location should feel purposeful,” says Laurie Arons, owner of Laurie Arons Special Events. 

A location that’s deeply significant to the two of you provides a memorable spot for beginning your marriage, and adds a layer of authenticity and personalization to your event. “We’re seeing more and more of our couples gravitate toward places that hold meaning, whether that is their hometown, where they vacationed early on in their relationship, or where they got engaged,” says Lynn Easton of Easton Events. “Ultimately, it’s about choosing a location that feels authentic to who you are as a couple. Whether that’s found in the rolling hills of Tuscany or the sentimental charm of a childhood hometown, the most important thing is that it resonates with you. When the choice feels meaningful, it becomes that much more special for everyone involved.” 

If the spot resonates with you and your partner, then there’s no rule on how close or convenient it needs to be. “A couple’s connection to their wedding destination plays a significant role in shaping the authenticity and meaning of their celebration,” says Cadet-James. “A hometown wedding, even if it’s less accessible, carries deep emotional resonance and can make the event feel uniquely personal. On the other hand, choosing a destination because it’s always been a dream is equally special—it adds an element of adventure and creates lasting memories tied to that location.”

How to Make Your Destination Wedding More Appealing to Your Guests

Planning a far-flung destination wedding often means going the extra mile—figuratively and literally—to perfect your guests’ experience. “Travel can be part of the magic when it is handled with care,” says Easton. “If you have equipped your guests with as many details as possible upfront (hello, wedding website) and implemented measures and touchpoints (think: passport reminders, packing lists, and event transportation) along the way, we feel you have done your due diligence.”

You want your guests to feel excited about attending your wedding—not overwhelmed by details—and to experience the beauty of locations they might not otherwise visit. “This means providing a full immersion into the destination—letting guests enjoy the cultural influences of that place. When done right, a destination wedding can transport a guest to another world and create a lifelong memory for the group to share in a unique way,” says Arons.

Help With the Cost

While not every couple has the financial security to cover travel costs for their guests, any amount that you can subsidize toward accommodations or flights will make it easier for friends and family to join you. “I always suggest that my couples keep their celebrations as accessible as possible for their guests and provide any necessary accommodations to enhance the guest experience,” says Nicole-Natassha Goulding of Chic by Nicole. “These can include, but aren’t limited to, transportation, shuttles, and concierge services, as well as paying for hotel stays, villas, or Airbnbs.” Arons encourages her clients to do the same. “This is a sign of respect and gratitude for those who have uprooted their daily lives to join in the celebration, and a sentiment that goes a long way,” she says.

Plan an Itinerary

Cocktail parties, welcome lunches, and farewell dinners are all fun ways to extend your wedding celebration, but you should also consider setting up (optional) excursions to local landmarks, hands-on experiences, and sightseeing spots. “This allows for the most relaxed and connected time together with loved ones and helps guests enjoy the time away as a true vacation,” says Arons. 

Handle the Details

From creating a photo-heavy packing list to booking spa appointments, anticipating your guests’ needs improves their overall experience. “Ask yourself: If the roles were reversed, how would you feel? What details would you want to know in advance? What questions would you have?” says Easton. “We know that some of the best properties in the world can be difficult to get to—that’s part of what makes them so special—but how are we going to make it worth it for the guests?” 

How Guests Really Feel About Your Destination Wedding

You may have heard nothing but positive feedback from your friends and family as you shared the early stages of your plan for a destination wedding, but that doesn’t mean everyone will be able (or willing) to attend in person. “Guests normally fall into two categories: The first is those who love to travel for weddings and will attend regardless; the second would be those who are interested in visiting the couple’s destination, so they will make the sacrifice of investing their vacation time and funds to attend,” says Goulding. “If your guests are mostly close family and friends, they’ll be more willing to travel to further destinations, which require a bigger budget as well as more time off to attend your day.”

Those guests with disposable income and spare PTO days might feel as much excitement about your plans as you do. “In our experience, we have found that many guests see these invitations as a gift,” says Easton. “Destination events become the perfect excuse to visit a place they might have always wanted to go but perhaps hadn’t prioritized.”

But if your guest list is filled with friends and family members who aren’t financially able to travel, can’t take time off during their busy season, hate airplane travel, or don’t have available childcare for their uninvited toddlers, you can expect a high rate of regrets—and you’ll need to handle them with grace. “Guests should never feel pressured to attend if it’s beyond their budget or means—it’s perfectly okay to politely decline,” says Cadet-James. “Most couples understand this when they plan a destination wedding; they know that not everyone will be able to join them, and that’s part of the trade-off. Ultimately, the decision to attend should be about what feels right for the guest,” says Cadet-James.

Don’t expect your nearest and dearest to upend their schedules to experience a distant destination of your choosing—and don’t hold it against them if they won’t. “At the end of the day, we all know it comes down to timing,” says Easton. “For those who can’t attend, it is not for lack of valuing that relationship. For those who can attend, the timing was on their side, and they are able to embrace the couple, and destination, as an exciting adventure tied to a celebration.”