One of the considerations in choosing a spot is narrowing down what kind of wedding experience you're looking for. This goes beyond the ceremony itself. Because the destination wedding often turns into a weeklong event spent with guests before the ceremony and a weeklong honeymoon after the ceremony, you want to make sure you're headed somewhere that's right for you. You don't want to be in a loud, hustling, bustling city if you're looking for peace and quiet; conversely, you don't want to spend your time in a secluded area if you constantly need to be on the go.

Seclusion

If you want to be alone with your groom and immediate family members, you may want to look into some of the less-developed islands in the Caribbean. St. John, for example, is a quiet paradise, free from hustle and bustle. Now, that also means that there's very little to do other than relax and spend time with your loved ones. You can hop a catamaran over to St. Thomas for some shopping and more in the way of nightlife, but on the island of St. John itself, you will, for the most part, be blissfully free from noise and other people.

You also can find seclusion at a bed-and-breakfast. You often can book an entire B&B for a week or a weekend, leaving the cooking and cleaning to the proprietors. Instead of sharing living quarters with strangers, you'll be hanging out with your family. And since there are B&Bs out there to suit almost every taste, you might choose an ornate Victorian mansion or a simple country home.

If you're really looking for seclusion, think off-season. You might look into the ski resort towns out West for a summer destination wedding. These locations are beautiful in every season, but when the snow melts, prices drop — and the crowds evaporate.

Like the Nightlife?

Fortunately for couples looking for some action and nightlife wrapped into their destination wedding experience, there are plenty of options to choose from. Almost any booming metropolis — Las Vegas, New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami — has a lot to offer in the way of dancing and partying.

How will you ever narrow down the choices? Go with your gut and choose a place you know and love. Even if you've only been to Las Vegas once, for example, you know whether it's the right kind of place for your wedding. And since most cities are divided into distinct areas — New York, for example, has midtown, uptown, downtown, the East Side, the West Side, the Theater District, and so many other sections, such as Soho and Greenwich Village — you can really choose the atmosphere that best suits your wedding. One bride might dream of walking down the aisle in St. Patrick's Cathedral, while another might dream of a Central Park wedding, and yet another can envision a ceremony in a grand hotel.

Cruises are another great option for lively destination weddings — they're filled with round-the-clock, instant entertainment. With casinos, shows, and nightclubs galore to choose from, you and your guests will have a rollicking time!

With all of this excitement to look forward to, don't overlook the wedding! When booking a cruise ship wedding, your first priority is to look into what types (big or small, civil or religious) of wedding ceremonies the ship offers. Many ships offer a choice of two or more chapels or reception sites, each with its own ambiance.

Sun and Fun

If you're looking for a little R&R, loads of sun, a swim-up bar and — oh yeah — a wedding, you'll find an abundance of sites to suit your needs. Some of the most popular beach wedding sites include:

• Jamaica

• Aruba

• The Bahamas

• The U.S. Virgin Islands

• The Dominican Republic

• Hawaii

• Cancun, Mexico

• Puerto Rico

• Bermuda

• Florida beaches (Miami, Key West, Siesta Key, and others)

There are countless other beaches to choose from: The entire East and West coasts are lined with picturesque towns that are perfect for destination weddings. Maine is a popular — and beautiful — spot for die-hard fans of New England, while the coast of Oregon is breathtakingly gorgeous and a nice choice for nature lovers.