Top 10 Reasons to have a destination wedding

For those of you who have been able to avoid my wedding spam, (seriously how have you done it 😉) I’m having a destination wedding in Bali. I’m braving the humidity and risking the Bali belly (even in a wedding dress) and completely going ‘Balo.’

Aside from the weeks spent poolside and eating glorious food, there’s a number of reasons why I opted for a destination wedding, but here’s my Top 10:

1. Because who doesn’t love a holiday?<
y ideal morning of my wedding.

– Roll out of bed

– Jump into yoga gear and do a yoga session with my bridesmaids

– Swim off the sweat in our infinity pool

– Have a Bali Cider

– Shower

– Let the chaos begin while my wedding planner works her magic

– Best of all I never have to leave my villa!

How does the above sound? I'm sure there will be some stress but I know that just by being in Bali I'll be zen and just happy to be there. It's a holiday version of a wedding day.

2. Your budget will thank you (kind of)

This is true to some extent. What Bill and I can afford in Bali is far more glamorous than what we could in Australia. We’re getting a 5 star, ocean view wedding with unlimited cocktails and the most amazing villa. We would never be able to do that in Melbourne and if we’d wanted to we would’ve have been able to do it far cheaper in Bali than we have. It all comes down to your personal preference.

3. Give your guests a reason to holiday too!<
e're getting married in the middle of winter and I'm 100% certain each and every one of our guests is using the wedding as a great excuse for a holiday. The best part is, in the lead up to the wedding everyone gets to be excited about the big day but a joint holiday too!

4. Because the celebrations are endless<
ecause you're on a holiday, it means all of your guests will have endless amount of free time and will be opting for good food and of course alcohol. We're scoping out welcome dinner and after party venues to make sure we get to spend some quality time with each and every one of our guests.

5. Minimised stress<
here's not a whole lot you can do when you're thousands of kilometres away. I haven't even been to our venue before! Im an absolutely control freak, but the fact that I'm completely removed has made this whole experience a lot less stressful, which for me was a massive bonus. A wedding planner is a must, and most often, Bali venues won't let you hire their venue without a wedding planner – proving that it's chaos without one. You need to trust their guidance and thankfully these days with Instagram and the internet, it's easy to find out others experiences. Trust that your day is going to be perfect, and if they've run the show a million times before, they know better than you!

6. It will be unique<
hile I've never been to one similar wedding, I do believe destination weddings can add an extra flair of exotic food, boozy nights in the lead up and pool sessions afterwards. A destination wedding doesn't need to be overseas either, I've loved weddings where it's just a weekend away and everyone hires a house – amazing 🙌There's minimal budget required to make it one hell of a night and often the added character of the people, the venues and of course the food make it a day not to be forgotten. I've heard hilarious stories about brides walking down the aisle to a very incorrectly sung wedding song while all the guests giggled with laughter, or grooms getting a bit too excited about being overseas with the lads the day prior and winding up worse for wear.

7. Host your hens and bucks do’s overseas too

Why not take the opportunity of being overseas with all your nearest and dearest and knock out the hens and bucks days there too? Think pool parties, endless $2 cocktails and lady boys for the bucks day (😂😂😂). But seriously, hens days can become quite pricey affairs, so why not bundle it all in one and enjoy your holiday together?

8. Keep the guest list low

So this is definitely not a ‘Top 10’ tip I’m taking advantage of. Our last count was roughly 100 people and it’s safe to say we’re relishing in the opportunity to have a massive party. BUT, for people wanting to keep their numbers low, it’s a lot more easier to have a more intimate gathering overseas. People understand that by having a destination wedding you’re not necessarily going for something traditional, and you can do things your way. There’s less control for not only yourself by also for family who can sometimes make the wedding process more stressful. The added complexity means that everyone feels slightly more detached from the one day and less wed to their traditional ideas

9. Have your honeymoon overseas too

Is any further explanation required? Extend your stay, book a romantic, hidden away villa for a week and soak up the first moments of being husband and wife. The wedding day can be quite hectic and it often leaves minimal time to enjoy moments alone together – so take the time to savour the moment before heading home.

10. Share your ‘happy place’ There’s something about Uluwatu, Bali that brings Bill and I an immense sense of happiness. Perhaps it’s the waves for days, overload of delicious food and yoga on tap (sounds about right)? We always dream about moving there and couldn’t think of anywhere more perfect to hold our wedding with our nearest and dearest.