A spectacular getaway wedding may seem like only a fancy dream for some people, but one local woman says such occasions are easier to organize and pay for than they appear. Perhaps that’s why they’re growing in popularity, too.

In the past 12 years, Jane Crowley, owner of Stuttgart Travel in Austin, has watched more people set off on adventurous weddings to places such as Colorado, Mexico, The Bahamas, Jamaica and beyond. Crowley recently helped organize a Las Vegas wedding for a group of 30 people. They departed today. Another group will leave for San Diego this weekend. Crowley now books about 12 to 15 destination weddings per year, and she keeps hearing the same thing from those who experience them: It’s much easier than they thought.

“It seems like it’s not as stressful,” Crowley said. “Everything is taken care of before you go.”

From food to reservations to attire, she added, it can all be simplified.

“A lot of them are doing all-inclusive, where everything is included: the wedding, the reception, the food, snacks, drinks,” Crowley said. “Then the guests that go along know what price they are going to pay.”

A destination wedding may sound expensive at first glance; however, Crowley said her average booking is $1,500 per person with a five- to seven-night stay. That price includes, travel, hotel, food — everything.

“A lot of my clients say it’s less expensive than doing it locally,” she said.

And Crowley’s past and current clients have learned to view things differently, too. Simply put, they’re not just going to a wedding; they’re going on vacation. Many guests who return book their own trips and weddings with Crowley.

“I just had a group of 50 come back [from Playa del Carmen, Mexico],” she said. “Their family considered it a family vacation. This is just a specialty thing that they’ve all been looking forward to.”

That still may take a lot of planning, but people like Crowley coordinate several times with the bride and groom throughout the process and ensure the prospective resort has everything organized. Of course, not everyone can commit to a vacation, so Crowley recommends invitations be sent up to a year in advance. That way, guests have plenty of time to make arrangements or find out if they can’t make it happen.

For those who are still on the fence, though, Crowley has a few tips to make everything easier and less expensive:

—Organize weddings after tax season, when many people have received their tax returns and have extra money.

—As bride and groom, request wedding gifts in the form of gift cards from your travel agency or resort, which will help pay for the trip.

—Where appropriate, choose more casual attire for bridesmaids and groomsmen, such as tropical shirts and sun dresses for a tropical setting.

—Make the destination wedding double as the honeymoon.

—Make payments: Have your wedding trip paid off in advance.

 

Stuttgart Travel is located at 500 W. Oakland Ave. in Austin,

507-433-3319, stuttgart travel@charter.net.