Without a doubt, one of the biggest reasons that couples choose destination weddings is because it gives them something that other weddings (particularly elopements) lack: enough time to do everything, talk to everyone, and take in all of the emotion of the event. Couples who plan a one-day event might have the loveliest ceremony in the history of weddings, but it's still over in a matter of hours.

You know how people say that there just aren't enough hours in the day? Time seems to just evaporate on the typical wedding day. Everyone has anticipated the moment for so long, and there are so many details to contend with that before you know it: Poof! The day is gone. Destination weddings slow down everything, which may be just what you have in mind.

Catching Up

If you elope, who are you going to see on your wedding trip? Your new husband, your officiant, maybe a couple of random witnesses in the wedding chapel, and perhaps countless strangers (depending on whether you've eloped to a big city or a remote island). If this sounds like the perfect wedding to you, elopement may be your best choice. If you'd rather see and spend time with your family and friends, however, you definitely should consider a destination wedding, which typically is all about enjoying the company of your loved ones!

A destination wedding lets you take the time to really talk to people. You can reconnect with family members and catch up with your college pals. You still have to be able to budget your time among your guests so that you aren't spending every minute with your friends from high school and ignoring your relatives; but this is so much easier to do over the course of a week rather than over the span of just a few hours — especially in a place with built-in entertainment.

Reveling in the Wedding

When you arrive in town for your destination wedding, you've left the office behind. You've left your leaky sink behind. You've left your nutty neighbors behind. You've left real life behind, and you're there to focus on your wedding.

By leaving town and surrounding yourself with loved ones for days before the ceremony, you're entering into a relaxing atmosphere where you can sit back and just let yourself soak in the joy and fun of the occasion. If you enlist the help of a wedding coordinator (or if one is provided for you by the site), you'll have very little to even concern yourself with in the week leading up to the ceremony, other than getting on a plane and arriving at your destination.