Cost Breakdown for a Destination Wedding

So you’re having a destination wedding. Now come the questions: Do the bride and groom pay for everything? What about hotel rooms and airfare for the guests? Does the wedding party pay for their own rooms? Here’s an easy checklist to help you decide who pays for what.

The bride and groom (and/or their parents) are expected to pay for:

The wedding reception (whether it’s a five-course meal or hot dogs and burgers on the grill)

A rehearsal dinner (Typically hosted by the Groom’s parents/family)

A welcoming (Can be as simple as meeting at a bar/restaurant for a drink before checking into hotels)

A morning-after brunch (a friend or family member may volunteer to host this for you as a gift)

Optional items the hosts can cover:

Selected activities (a group boating trip, a tour around town)

Transportation to and from the ceremony and reception sites

A shuttle to pick up your guests at the airport when they arrive

Attendant hotel rooms. According to tradition, the bride and her family should cover lodging for the bridesmaids; the groom or his family should do the same for the groomsmen. If these expenses will burst your budget, tell your attendants their presence is a gift to you.

Travel expenses for VIPs with no other means to make it to the wedding (think: elderly relatives or your brother who hasn’t found a job after college yet)

Guests should expect to pay for:

Their plane ticket to and from the destination

Their hotel room stay

Any meals or beverages that are not part of the wedding festivities

Any non-wedding activities that choose to participate in

Attendants should expect to pay for:

Travel to and from the destination

Formalwear and accessories

Hair and makeup or spa appointments (unless considered a bridesmaids gift)

Food and drinks that aren’t part of a wedding event