Destination Wedding Cost vs Elopement Costs expenses add up fast — from gourmet catering to luxury accommodations to professional photography and videography, the cost of a wedding can quickly skyrocket. This makes many dream weddings feel financially out of reach, but a destination wedding can help make your special day a reality.

On average, a Destination Wedding Cost for Mexico and the Caribbean is $8,000 lower than a wedding in the United States. The main reason for this is the presence of numerous all-inclusive resorts that offer wedding packages. These packages include food, drinks, venue rental, wedding flowers and decorations, and even airfare for guests coming from the United States. In addition, these all-inclusive resorts provide couples with the convenience of consolidating all of their variable costs into a single, predictable fee.

Mexico vs. Caribbean: Destination Wedding Costs Compared

The number of guests also plays a role in your destination wedding cost. A smaller guest list can help you keep your cost down, but it may require more thoughtful consideration when choosing who to invite. Adding pre- or post-wedding events such as welcome dinners and farewell brunches will increase your budget, as well.

Choosing your destination location is also important to reduce the overall cost of your destination wedding. Popular destinations like Cancun, Tulum, and Los Cabos have competitively priced all-inclusive resort options that offer an excellent value for your dollar. Choosing off-season travel dates like April and May or October and November can also save you money on resort pricing, as well as flight costs.