It's hard enough for some people to accept that you aren't getting married in your hometown. However, it might be easier for your friends to understand that you'd want to get married in Hawaii or Cancun than to comprehend why you've chosen a small town in Minnesota, considering that you don't live there now and have never lived there in the past, but just fell in love with it when you were passing through on your way to somewhere else.

These are reasons why couples may choose an out-of-the-way spot:

• It's where they met.

• It's where they spent a memorable vacation.

• It's where they got engaged.

• It's where one of them went to college.

• It's a central location for most of the guests.

• The bride and groom are taken with the beauty of the area.

You can probably flesh out this list with a couple of your own reasons, but you get the point: The place you choose means something to you and your groom, and it's where you want to say “I do.” If your friends and family don't quite get it, don't get defensive — and don't be shy about sharing the reason why you've decided on this place, even if it's as simple as loving the general look and feel of the area. Your guests are sure to be intrigued by your decision to marry out of town in the first place, so make this a game for your own enjoyment: Do your best to sell them on the place, and watch how many of them show up.

Benefits of Out-of-the-Way Places

The biggest bonus of steering your wedding away from touristy spots (including big cities) is that you'll probably get more wedding for your buck, which is not to say that you'll pay next to nothing for the caterer and florist, but per person your costs are likely to be lower than they would be in a major metropolis or in a resort. Another perk of planning a wedding in a less popular place is that you'll feel like an individual bride. Some brides go out of their way to avoid places that specialize in destination weddings, fearing that they will feel like one of a cast of a dozen brides who will walk through the wedding chapel doors on a given day.

Squeeze Us In!

On the other hand, small towns are … small. If you have your heart set on getting married in a little village chapel on July 1 and there are already three weddings planned there on that weekend, you're going to have to choose another date or another place. The same is true of the reception halls in the area. Your choices will be somewhat limited.

Early planning and the ability to be flexible can salvage plans dashed by other engaged couples who beat you to the punch (or, more accurately, the reservation book). If July 1 is booked, maybe July 8 is open. If you're planning a year in advance, you should have no difficulty taking vacation time on either weekend — and you can also give your guests plenty of notice. If you've left the planning until mid-April, however, July 8 will probably be a goner, too.