Here's the bottom line on destination weddings: Many resorts, hotels, and other popular wedding spots take the hassle of planning a wedding out of your hands. They narrow down the choices for you and offer them up in neat, easy-to-read-and-comprehend packages.

In other words, you won't decide which florist to use or which band to audition, but which bouquets are prettiest and how many hours of music you'd like to have at your reception.

Hometown weddings are being edged out these days for a simple reason: Brides are busy. Sure, there are still engaged women who are thrilled by the prospect of investigating every chapel, reception hall, and baker in a sixty-mile radius, and for them, an in-town ceremony and reception is a welcome project.

For plenty of other brides-to-be, though, the thought of holding down a full-time job, planning a wedding, and finding time to nurture the relationship that's on its way to the altar is just too much to bear. These women realize that it's really hard to focus on everything — life, work, and wedding planning — all at once. They're realistic enough to know that their wedding day will be happiest if they're totally relaxed — and how better to achieve that goal than to plan a vacation around the ceremony?

Some brides willingly admit that they need to be in control of their wedding at all times. Should a woman who fits this description think twice about planning a destination wedding? After all, if you're leaving the details to someone else and you're very particular, isn't this just a recipe for disaster? Not at all! Though you won't be able to fly down to your wedding spot every weekend to check on the details, you can prevent most problems by choosing the right spot in the first place.