Destination weddings: Are they cost-effective as travel becomes pricier?

Despite soaring travel costs, Canadian interest in destination weddings is growing. Some specialists say this can come at a much lower cost than a traditional wedding at home.

Against the backdrop of the Caribbean Sea, Ontario couple Matt Lassaline and Kirsten Whiteley got married in Jamaica last month in a small beach wedding ceremony that was everything they had imagined.

Having bought a house in 2021 and with a mortgage to pay off, the couple didn’t want to put themselves in more financial strain with a big expensive wedding.

“I think we wanted to do something nice, but at the same time cost-effective and we were surprised with how cost-effective doing a destination wedding was,” Whiteley said in an interview with Global News.

“We were really pleased with how it turned out.”

The one-week vacation, including the wedding ceremony in Trelawny, cost them roughly $18,000.

Being at the resort for a week also gave them an opportunity to spend more time with their guests, rather than having to rush through meeting everyone in a single day, Lassaline said.

Despite soaring travel costs, Canadian interest in destination weddings appears to be growing.

Some wedding specialists and travel agents told Global News they’ve noticed a spike in the number of couples choosing beach resorts for their big day and at a much lower cost than the price of a traditional wedding in their hometowns.