Destination Wedding at a Discount.

2009-04-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

Though my wedding wasn’t a first and I wasn’t a young bride, I still wanted it to be lovely with memorable moments that I would cherish. The endeavor would create a blended family and there were children to consider. So with them in mind and a budget, I carefully began to lay out every detail of the beginning of our new life.

The Westin Maui was my destination of choice because it held a special moment in time for my husband and myself. Having been there previously, I knew it would as well be a lovely vacation spot for my guests. The Westin Resort is on Ka'anapali Beach in the heart of many hotels which are connected via a beach front walkway. This destination provided a variety of shopping and activities so I didn’t have to worry about entertaining my guests. It also provided the romantic atmosphere I was looking for. If you're interested in more information about activities along Ka'anapali Beach, Whalers Village is a great resource.

I wanted as many of my friends and family to attend the wedding as possible so I set out to find discounts for local hotels and airfare. I began my Internet search using Google because it was my search engine of choice. I typed in “cheap airline tickets” and came up with a number of links which would lead me to airfares. After reviewing several travel sites, I discovered that I could get cheaper airfare if I traveled on specific days and the same was true for hotels and resorts stays. Meaning one could save substantially if you plan a mid-week destination wedding. Which is exactly what I did.

In any wedding or vacation it is advisable to know a little about the weather for your destination. So I once again, searched the Internet and located Maui Weather Today. This site featured a month to month summary of the weather for Maui, which helped to identify the perfect month, where the flowers would be in full tropical bloom and the sun would be shining.

April was the month for my wedding. As I researched April airfares I discovered that booking directly after Spring Break lowered cost substantial both for the airline tickets and for hotel stays. The date I choose was 4-5-6, it seemed easy to remember and allowed for substantial savings for my guests. In fact, I saved so much on airfare and room costs that I was able to purchase all you can eat breakfast for everyone for the 5 day stay. The breakfast allowed for the wedding celebration to be extended and a great place to gather before everyone’s day began.

After the date was set, many of the details needed to follow. I began with my gown. I wanted something that would flow with a destination wedding and travel well. Something memorable, something I felt elegant in and something not white. David's Bridal advertises wedding dresses for $100.00 on a regular basis and that was perfect for my budget. So I started there. Though I did not find the dress of my dreams, there were many which I could have used and many which I did try on. As all brides I went to several wedding stores and found they all had discount racks. Even the prom shops had wedding dresses at a discount, you just had to look. My ultimate dress came from an outlet store which was going out of business. So in short ladies if you don‘t mind shopping you can find the ultimate wedding dress at a real discount just like those designer shoes and purses. My dress was less than a $100.00 and we made a double score when we found my daughter's dress as well.

For my wedding I wanted the guys in tuxes so I priced rentals. I found that the starting price was anywhere from 50 to 300 dollars a night but don’t spill anything on it because you’ll have to pay more. With that in mind, I thought how hard can it be to get that look. I mean either it is all white or black and the ties can be color coordinated. As I shopped at my outlet stores I found Burlington Coat Factory had a great selection of Tuxes and owning was cheaper than renting, a lot cheaper. It was almost too good to be true but it was and we purchased the boys tuxes and my husband. I also found that the Tux pants and shirt came in very handy for band concerts and proms which followed in the year. We got the use out of them 10 fold and saved a small fortune.

Because the wedding was a “Destination Wedding” I was able to use the wedding staff at the Westin to coordinate the rest of the details. As part of the package deal I was entitled to a cake, Pastor & photos. I looked through wedding books and of course to Martha Stewart for some helpful hints on cakes designs and craft ideas for a flower basket ideas. Once I had the idea together and the colors of my liking I sent them via e-mail attachment to my wedding coordinator. Even though the standard package does not allow for your own designs I was able to ask if the florist could provide the basket and cake toper to look like the pictures I had chosen. It cost a little extra but because the florist wants to keep the Hotel happy they were very reasonable with the little added touches.

In the end, it all came together and created the wedding of my dreams at a fraction of the cost. It was a remarkable vacation for my family and guest and created the memories I would cherish for years to come.