Wedding on a Budget - Honeymoon and Wedding Tourism in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Have you looked at wedding planners and budget calculators lately? In the United States of America, Home of the Free, the average cost is over $24,000 per wedding, an average that's somewhat skewed by big-name and celebrity events: but even setting that aside a quick search will tell you that most couples spend as much as $18,000 to $30,000 on their special day. The figures are not far off in the United Kingdom or Australia. And certainly it is special: it's something that's not going to happen to you every day or even every week--with some luck it is likely to happen only once: you want it to be magical, hassle-free, fantastic and grand. But costs are rising, your income isn't keeping up, your bank account is down and you may be in a tight spot with regards to your finances. Going all-out for the wedding reception of your dream is going to cost very, very much. Possibly more than you can afford. What do you do then? There are several choices:

a) settle with a courthouse marriage

b) take out a huge loans for the event

c) do without a wedding altogether

None of them is ideal, really. Courthouse marriages are not generally the stuff of dreams for most brides. Loans are loans, and can only end in tears: do you truly want to cope with it on top of your mortgage, rent and student debt, all of which accrue interests with worrying rapidity? The third possibility, of altogether skipping the event, is the most frugal but also simultaneously the most depressing. And even if you do take the plunge and splurge $30,000 on your wedding, what you are getting for your money can vary widely depending on the state. Certainly this sum isn't going to get you the very best catering, décor, event management because it is firmly mid-range. But there's a solution you may not have considered: have the wedding elsewhere, in a country where all costs would be much cheaper.

Chiang Mai, Thailand, can combine both your wedding and honeymoon in one fantastic and money-saving trip. At a four-star hotel you can spend as little as $17 per guest, including catering options, décor, rental of facilities and photo management: even if your guest list is 500 persons long, you will be looking at spending only $8333! Shorter guest list? Increase the budget to about $27 per head and again you will come out ahead having spent only $5333. Airfare to Thailand, depending on whether you are going in the peak or off-peak season, varies. On average, though, it costs about $600-800 per head. So end up at spending not much more than $7333 to $10,333 and the end result will net you some of the best food the hotel in question can offer, the best photography studio, and the most fantastic decorations, all in the same package (as most hotels that do wedding events will include accommodation for you, and a few family members, for free). While this may strike you as impractical, especially given the travel costs your guests will have to undertake, this is the perfect excuse to limit your invites to only the nearest and dearest. Don't really want to invite that annoying co-worker but know it'll be seen as terribly rude and anti-social if you don't so much as issue a card? Well, chances are good she or he will not invest a whole long distance flight just to attend your wedding one continent away: that's one guest down, one irritant dealt with. On and on it goes: the aunt you never liked, the uncle who's more embarrassing than endearing. Invite them. They will politely decline. What you will be left with will be people you truly love, and who truly love you, whom you want to be there on your special day.

Chiang Mai is a veritable hotbed of luxury hotels, and one or ten will catch your eye as the perfect location either by having a dedicated event facility, seasoned event coordinators, or an ideal location. Costs, as has been pointed out, are low and the choices are many--not only that, but it's an excellent location for a honeymoon with so many activities to choose from (white-water rafting, tiger farm, elephant riding, visiting hill tribe villages).