Are you thinking of heading out of town for your wedding? If so, you’re not alone. Conde Nast Bridal Group’s American Wedding Study (2006) reported that 16 percent of couples are now choosing to have a destination wedding.

While you may think they’re for the rich and famous, destination weddings can actually be less expensive than traditional celebrations closer to home. This may be advantageous to brides and grooms who are feeling the effects of today’s economic crunch. That’s because destination weddings generally have smaller guest lists, and many of the “extras” that are tacked on to a traditional wedding are covered in the all-inclusive price of a destination event. So you can cut down on the cost of the $20,000 to $30,000 average-priced wedding, particularly if guests are paying for their own tickets.

Destination weddings are for individuals who want to put the focus on fun. They enable you to pump up the enjoyment factor and marry a vacation and a wedding into one handy package. They also start the honeymoon at the point of arrival at your destination. One-of-a-kind memories are created with a destination wedding, particularly when exotic locales are the backdrop for your celebration.

Because travel is involved, destination weddings are often facilitated with the help of a travel agent or wedding planner. This person can help you work out all of the details of the wedding, primarily when you’re working with vendors that may be out of state or out of the country. Keep in mind that if you have your heart set on all of your friends and family being able to attend your wedding, destination weddings may not be the way to go. That’s because even with the best planning, it’s relatively impossible for everyone’s schedules to coordinate for this kind of event.

While there certainly are negatives to having a wedding away from home, the growing list of positives attracts more and more couples each year:

• reduced fuss over a wedding that takes place at home, where most of the planning is being handled by the couple

• budgetary factors, including lower costs for a less elaborate affair

• informal choices for wedding attire, saving even more money

• something different for the couples who like to stand out

• alternatives for second weddings or those who prefer less tradition

• loosening of marriage laws overseas, which make it easier for couples to tie the knot in foreign locales

• the opportunity for “destination anniversaries,” where couples can revisit their wedding site for even more memories

Couples looking to add excitement to their wedding without much fuss can turn to destination weddings when tying the knot.