Why Destination Weddings Are Best

There are a lot of things to consider when you decide to tie the knot. Who will be in your wedding party? What dress will you wear? Which awkward friend will you seat beside which awkward family member? But the most important part of planning your big day might just be deciding where your wedding will be.

Not only does your wedding's location determine the mood and overall vibe of your big day (whether that's beachy, classic, or all-out glam), but it also says a lot about your personal style and passions. And, sure, getting hitched in your hometown is romantic, but there’s nothing more exotic (or alluring) than jetting off to a beautiful location for a destination wedding. Whether they're on a tropical island, or across the ocean in a foreign countryside, destination weddings are truly a festive way to say "I do."

So to give you a little inspiration, we teamed up with the U.S. Virgin Islands and chatted with four couples who decided to have their weddings far from home. And we're not talking about just any location — think crystal-clear oceans, exotic locales, and beautiful landscapes. In other words, this might just convince you to say "I do" to a location far, far away.

Courtney and Drew

Secret Harbor Resort, St. Thomas, USVI

Courtney and Drew tied the knot in the warm and tropical U.S. Virgin Islands against a natural backdrop of the sun, clear blue water, and more sun. "As opposed to a traditional local wedding, we got to hang out and relax with the people we love most — and it was so affordable that we ended up saving thousands of dollars," says the bride, who told us she and her husband invited just a small group of their closest family and friends.

"The sound of the waves, the magic and mystery of the ocean, the sense of freedom and relaxation — it all made our special day truly memorable," says Courtney. In fact, the entire weekend was so relaxing that the brides biggest concern was not dropping her rum punch. How's that for a perfect wedding getaway?

Jacqueline and Florian

Asti, Italy

Overlooking tree-lined parks, green hills, and surrounding vineyards, Jacqueline and Florian's wedding included 65 of their family and friends in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. "Florian proposed to me during a stay in the area a few years ago and we fell in love with the region," Jacqueline says. "We knew we didn't want a large blingy wedding, so as far as intimacy goes, this was the perfect place."

The pair orchestrated quite an affair for their guests, who got to enjoy a wine tasting, cooking class, and an off-site tour of the region. And aside from trekking her two-piece wedding dress across the ocean, the wedding was virtually stress-free.

Suzanne and Tim

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

A small wedding was never in the cards for Suzanne and Tim, who both came from big, tight-knit families. And while most with large families would opt to throw a big celebration close to home, the pair flocked six hours away to Cape Cod and treated 90 of their guests to a beach-style wedding for a weekend-long affair. "We loved the idea of hosting a vacation for our guests that ended with a big celebration — our wedding," Suzanne says.

And with lots of unexpected moments (for one, the father's bride left his suit behind, forcing a family member to climb through her parents' window to retrieve it), the couple says that they wouldn't change a thing. "If we ended up getting married close to home it just wouldn't have felt the same," Suzanne says. "I would do it again in a second."

Zoe and Chris

Alta, Utah

Zoe and Chris threw themselves a once-in-a-lifetime event that felt more like a nonstop, three-day party than a typical wedding. With a "Mountain Chic Attire" dress code and a 15-piece Mexican band that had everyone throwing on their dancing shoes, it was anything but basic. "We loved getting married outdoors because we were surrounded by the most beautiful lakes and mountains," the bride says. "And the whole weekend felt like camp because we took over the entire hotel."

Who wouldn't want to RSVP?

This post is sponsored by the US Virgin Islands.

Images: U.S. Virgin Islands (TK); Snapshot Courtesy Of Courtney Turner, Jacqueline Broder, Suzanne Warren, and Zoe Weisberg Coady; Josh Blumental