Going Off To Get Married

When Bernadine Rivera and Kevin Campion get married next spring, they won't do it in Lomita, Calif., where she lives, or in nearby La Mirada, where he lives. They'll do it in Paris before a dozen friends and family members. Rivera, 46, and Campion, 47, plan to exchange vows in one of the city's historic churches (for legal reasons, they will first have a quick ceremony Stateside) and take their guests to dinner at a three-star restaurant before embarking on a European honeymoon. "What could be more romantic than a wedding in Paris!" says Rivera.

Traveling afar on the wedding day used to mean one of two things: elopement or honeymoon. But today the lines between traditional wedding, elopement and honeymoon have blurred as more couples incorporate aspects of each into the big day. Destination weddings, or "weddingmoons"--in which couples invite their nearest and dearest to jet off to an island beach, accompany them abroad or gather at some other favorite place--have become so popular that an entire industry has arisen. Destination-wedding planners, custom-wedding packages offered by resorts and cruise lines, and dedicated websites providing links to long-distance services are now available to help couples plan their weddings-to-go.

"Destination weddings have become a huge trend because weddings overall are much more personalized," says Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings. "Nobody wants a cookie-cutter occasion. Couples want their wedding somewhere special and meaningful--where they met, where they spent childhood summers, or a fun vacation spot where everyone can turn the wedding into a holiday."

Moreover, the days when a girl lived with Mom and Dad before marrying the boy next door are long gone, and with them the ease of gathering guests for a local wedding. Many young people live far from their hometown, and their parents may also have moved. For a bride who grew up in Nebraska, attended college in Chicago and has lived in California, New York and Arizona, her current residence may seem less than a home base. Chances are, no matter where a couple holds a wedding these days, people will have to travel to attend, so it makes sense to choose a special place that everyone will enjoy.

Global insecurity and other travel concerns haven't slowed the long-distance wedding march. Couples are saying their "I dos" in Europe, Mexico, Hawaii and California's wine country, but the most popular destinations seem to be Florida and the Caribbean. Resorts and wedding planners in both areas report growth rates of 40% to 80% over the past two years. The Westin St. John Resort & Villas was host to 176 weddings in 2002, more than double the number in 2001. Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, off the Florida Keys, welcomed only 12 weddings in 1997 but had 153 last year, and bookings are up 80% for 2003.