Instead of a traditional church wedding, more and more couples are choosing to hold their wedding in exotic locations.
According to the 2023 Destination Wedding Global Market Report, the destination wedding industry is expected to grow from $27.6 billion in 2023 to $36 billion this year.
Mexico tops the list of tropical locations chosen by engaged couples, with the Riviera Maya, Akumal/Tulum and Cabo San Lucas areas topping the list, followed by the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Guests typically spend an average of four nights and $2,000 to attend a destination wedding, and all-inclusive resorts offer wedding planning packages that make wedding planning less stressful.
“It's definitely a trend that I'm seeing,” said Colleen Peterson, owner of Greensburg-based Port of Call Travel.
Meet a Pittsburgh-area couple who chose travel over tradition for their wedding.
Barefoot Bride
Courtesy of Nicorette Drugs
Barefoot newlyweds Andrew and Nicolette Drag from Tarentum were married in Jamaica in 2017.
Nicolette Drag of Tarentum has spent her whole life planning her dream wedding.
“I wanted to get married in a barn and wear cowboy boots,” Drag said.
But a trip to a local wedding expo with her fiancé, Andrew, changed their minds.
After discussing the matter at a booth at the all-inclusive Sandals resort, the couple decided to abandon plans for a Pittsburgh wedding, book a trip abroad for the wedding, and invite 16 guests instead.
“We decided to have a wedding for two reasons: it was too expensive, and my husband's mother had passed away and we wanted to have a happy time together as a family,” Drag said.
The Drag family booked a week-long wedding package in Montego Bay for $7,000, a significant savings over the estimated $35,000 price tag for a wedding in Pittsburgh.
They're not alone: ​​Seven in 10 engaged couples say the economy is influencing their wedding planning decisions, according to data from theknot.com's 2023 Economic Survey.
“It was super easy, we just told the resort what colors we wanted for our wedding and they took care of everything,” Drag said.
They planned to arrive early enough to fulfill the required 48-hour waiting period before applying for a marriage license in Jamaica.
Nicolette and Andrew got married without shoes, and Nicolette wore a traditional white gown during their seaside ceremony in 2017.
“We wanted to stick our toes in the sand,” she said.
One attendee joined the ceremony via Facetime to honor elderly relatives who remain in the United States.
“Everyone still talks about how much fun they had,” Drag said.
Stacey and Sean Shannon of New Kensington were busy planning their wedding when Stacey suddenly lost her job.
“The timing was terrible,” Stacey Shannon recalls, “and everything was too expensive.”
The couple was disheartened and didn't know how to hold a wedding for 300 guests.
After noticing her sister raving about a recent trip to Jamaica, Stacey canceled a trip to a Steelers game and researched overseas wedding options online.
She booked an all-inclusive wedding package for under $10,000 in Lucy, Jamaica, for 50 guests who could pay for travel and accommodation in installments.
Stacey's mother, Gwendolyn Johnson of Allegheny Township, had always wanted to visit Jamaica.
“It was amazing and I had the time of my life. Once I got there it was all inclusive so I didn't have to worry about coming up with more money,” Johnson said.
According to 2022 wedding industry data provided by the Association of Wedding Planners, reasons why couples choose to get married abroad include fun, convenience and cost.
Two years ago, Cammie and Mark Picola, of Kittanning, booked their lavish wedding at Dreams Punta Cana Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The couple typically books their own trips, but for their wedding, they hired travel agency Ronnie Exotic Vacation Getaways in Kittanning.
“I wanted someone to do all of the planning and I didn't want to have to stress about it, and she took all the stress away,” Cammie Piccola said.
The Picola family loves cruises and this was their first trip to the Dominican Republic.
They chose the new location for two reasons.
“We decided to get married on vacation because we felt like we were getting older,” Camie Piccola said. “We chose Punta Cana because it was the most cost-effective option.”
The couple spent about $4,500 on a week-long stay in the honeymoon suite.
Cammie spent $200 on a beach-inspired wedding dress, while Mark wore khaki shorts and a white shirt, and they got married in a beachside ceremony.
“One of our most memorable memories was the private trip we took after the wedding where we all went out to a cove to snorkel and swim,” Cammie Piccola said.
Maritime Wedding
Courtesy of Donna Ludwig
James and Donna Ludwig, of Indiana Township, were married in 1983 off the coast of Hawaii.
Jim and Donna Ludwig, of Indiana Township, met on a blind date in 1981 and married in 1983 on a yacht off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii.
Now married for 40 years, the Ludwigs look back on their special days at sea.
“The parents knew, and we wouldn't have done it if it would have upset them,” Donna Ludwig said. “We sent out an email announcement from Hawaii right after the ceremony, and by the time we got back to Pittsburgh, everyone knew.”
Their decision to marry was based on several factors.
“I was married when I was 19, and my husband didn't like fuss,” Ludwig says.
But choosing the right body of water for our at-sea wedding took a bit of research.
“We looked all over the East Coast, but we wanted to do something of our own choosing,” Ludwig said of why they chose Hawaii for their overseas wedding.
The couple currently owns a boat called the Beach House, moored at a marina on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, Maryland.
“I know it sounds far-fetched and made up, but we just sailed off into the sunset. He's a really nice guy,” Ludwig said.
Wedding in the extreme nature
Marla and Frank Intrieri, of Gilpin, never planned on getting married on an Alaskan glacier.
“We were researching bear hunting in Alaska and happened to come across an Alaskan photographer,” Mara Intrieri said.
The couple (pictured at the top of the article) decided to plan an adventurous, nature-themed wedding in a secluded location, choosing Knik Glacier in Palmer, Alaska for their September 2022 wedding.
They rented a helicopter and flew to the scene for five hours.
There were no guests other than the wedding photographer and the pilot who served as witness.
“It was like a dream come true,” Intrieri said of their choice of wedding venue, “and our friends thought we'd been Photoshopped into the pictures.”
All of the photos from their wedding day are genuine and show Mara, an avid paddle boarder, standing on her board wearing her wedding day outfit, including boots with toe warmers.
“It was cold,” she said. “The helicopter was heated so I was able to stay warm inside.”
The only food and drink after the wedding was a celebratory champagne toast on ice.
The couple then returned to Gilpin and attended a pig roast party.
Frank described their wedding as a “once in a lifetime” event.
“It's breathtaking,” he says. “No photo I've taken in Alaska can capture its beauty. I think everyone should go there.”
The couple honeymooned in Palmer, Anchorage and Seward, where they enjoyed salmon fishing and jet skiing.
“We're so glad we did it. It was stress-free,” Mara Intrieri said.
“I dos” in Italian
Courtesy of Kate Jacke
Josh and Kate Jacke of Pittsburgh chose Florence, Italy, as the location for their overseas wedding.
Kate and Josh Giacche of Pittsburgh love to travel, so they chose Florence, Italy, as the location for their wedding.
“Josh is Italian-American and Florence was the first city we fell in love with, so it's special to us because we go back almost every year,” Kate Giacche said.
The Jacquets exchanged vows in a rooftop ceremony at the Weston Excelsior in Italy and enjoyed a reception at the St. Regis.
Many of their wedding guests had never visited Florence.
“It was nice to be able to give my friends and family the opportunity to travel abroad,” Kate Giache said.
Travel experts give their opinion
Peterson, of Port of Call Travel, has worked in the travel industry for 36 years and said he noticed the trend of destination weddings about 10 years ago.
“There are pros and cons, but the upside is that the resorts usually have their own wedding planners so it's a lot less stressful for couples in that respect,” Peterson said.
But for the guests, it can be a bit of a scam.
“Yes, there is an additional cost to the guests who attend. It's great for the guests because it's a lovely getaway. But sometimes couples book it and think it's great, but then when the guests find out the reality, it can cost them extra.”
Peterson said all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean make up the majority of her international wedding bookings.
Destination weddings are often held on the beach, with Europe also being a popular destination.
Pittsburgh-based wedding planner Timothy Komen, owner of TK Event Studios, has planned destination weddings in Bel Air, Calif., Aspen, Colo., Anguilla, Miami and Italy, among other places.
“Couples love the idea of ​​a destination wedding because it makes their wedding day even more special and memorable,” Komen says. “There's a vacation built into it for everyone, and depending on the location, a destination wedding isn't necessarily going to be expensive, excluding travel expenses.”
Komen added that guests often feel more attached to the wedding when they get married abroad.
“If you travel to attend a wedding, you're investing in that experience. Think about it: if you've made the effort to travel for a wedding, you're putting your all into that event,” Komen said.
What advice would you give to engaged couples who want to have their wedding in an exotic setting?
“Do your research. I think people see things on TV that look romantic and want to have fun without too much stress,” Peterson says. “Right now we're booking international weddings in Greece, but couples are finding out that there are additional fees involved. Once you've decided on the destination you want to travel to, you really need to do your research.”
Peterson recommends choosing a local, reputable travel agency and being wary of online travel agencies.
One Mercer County couple went all out for their engagement ceremony in France.
Erin Bonner and Joshua Buchholz started planning their overseas wedding early, jetting off to Europe for a special engagement ceremony in Paris on September 25th of last year.
The engagement photo shoot lasted several hours, with Bonner donning two formal dresses for the photo, which showed Buchholz kneeling in front of a backdrop of red rose petals, flowers and the Eiffel Tower.
“It was truly my fairytale engagement dream come true,” Bonner said.
The couple is planning an out-of-town wedding at the Grand Resort in Warren, Ohio, later this month.
“We wanted to have our wedding closer to home so that all of our closest friends and family could be with us on our special day,” Bonner said.
Joyce Hanz is a Charleston, South Carolina, native and feature reporter covering the Pittsburgh area. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in media arts. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com.
