Weddings are not cheap - especially that dream wedding you’ve been fantasizing about since you were an innocent little child.
In March of this year Reuters.com reported that the average cost of a U.S. wedding is $27,000. In New York, the most expensive city in the United States, that figure skyrockets to an average of nearly $66,000 per wedding. (Click here to view the article.)
BestDestinationWedding.com members are already one step-ahead when it comes to reducing wedding costs. Destination Weddings are often considered as the more budget-friendly wedding alternative. Youngandthrifty.ca estimates the average destination wedding costs $17,000 USD, $10,000 less than the traditional wedding average. (Click here to view the article.) And unlike traditional weddings, destination weddings typically include the honeymoon.
Choosing a destination wedding is just the first-step for engaged couples that are keen about saving money though. The next step is to transform your wedding expenses into wedding gifts from loved ones and guests. Here are some excellent ideas for couples looking to tie the knot in the Riviera Maya, Mexico:
1. Wedding Photography Gift Registry
We at Playaloves.me Photography allow family, friends and guests of our clients contribute to their loved one's wedding collection, helping give the gift of professional wedding photography.
Just like engaged couples register for wedding gifts at stores, they can now register for their wedding photography with Playaloves.me! Playaloves.me will accept partial payments from family, friend and guests to be applied toward any contracted photography package.
Playaloves.me Photography Gift Registry
2. Hotel Wedding and Honeymoon Gift Registry
Ocean by H10 Hotels is now offering a free bridal registry service that even includes your own personal wedding website.
Ocean by H10 Hotels now makes it easier than ever to ensure your dream destination wedding and Caribbean honeymoon plans come true! Send links to family and friends to help them fulfill your destination wedding wishes and set you on your way to a perfect Caribbean honeymoon.
Hotel Ocean Maya Gift Registry
Many other hotels and resorts in the Riviera Maya offer this service. Be sure to ask your favorite hotel/resort property about their gift registry policies.
3. Tours and Excursions Gift Registry
HoneymoonWishes Registry offers a more comprehensive gift registry service that includes a large selection of hotel properties including Palace Resorts Properties, Karisma Hotel + Resorts Properties, Secrets Resorts + Spas Properties and more. The company even includes local excursions and tours as well as local shopping in its gift registry services. They also show you how it works through an online gift registry sample.
HoneymoonWishes. When only the best honeymoon registry will do. The #1 Gift Registry for Honeymoons! Wedding gifts may be forgotten but honeymoon memories will last a lifetime.
HoneymoonWishes Gift Registry
4. Cash Instead of a Gift
Dream Weddings Riviera Maya’s Joyce Mnguni just recently shared an article suggesting that couples simply ask for cash: Asking for Money Instead of a Wedding Gift.
BDW members have also dug up some of their own cash instead of gift resources. Check out this thread:
http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/76767/cash-gift-registries
5. Gifts that Give Back
This option doesn't necessarily cut costs for you. But it does help spread the "love" to those in need. Check out this BDW thread about gift registries that donate a portion of the gifting funds to charity:
http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/t/58346/gift-registry-that-gives-back