Weddings keep getting more expensive, and it might be time to rethink what that money should actually buy you. Do you want one long day of celebrating, or a full week away with the people you love most? More couples are choosing the second option these days, and Jamaica is having a moment because of it.
Instead of pouring a full budget into one afternoon, couples get several days on the beach with family and friends who flew in just for them. Jamaica keeps coming up in these conversations for a few practical reasons: it’s a short flight from most of the U.S., the scenery does a lot of the decorating for you and all-inclusive resorts make it easier to know what you’re actually spending before you get there. It’s less like planning an event and more like hosting a vacation everyone gets invited to.
Weddings Now Cost $34,200 on Average
The average U.S. wedding costs $34,200, and that’s before travel or a honeymoon. With numbers like that, a growing group of couples are asking a fair question: Why spend it all on one day? Nearly 20% are now choosing destination weddings instead, turning the wedding itself into a multi-day trip everyone gets to share.
What’s Actually Included in the Offer
Sandals is now offering free weddings in Jamaica. The catch: you need to book a stay of five nights or longer, and the offer covers up to 50 guests.
That gets you a wedding-planning team, the ceremony and cocktail-reception venue, flowers, a wedding cake and Jamaica’s marriage license fee, all included.
You’ll still pay for your stay and your guests’ stays, since Sandals resorts are all-inclusive rather than free lodging. But the wedding piece itself doesn’t add to that bill.
Where You Can Book This Offer
The free offer applies at three Sandals resorts in Jamaica. All three are reopening this winter after renovations.
Sandals South Coast reopens first, on Nov. 18. It sits next to a 500-acre nature reserve in Whitehouse.
Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Caribbean Cay both reopen Dec. 18. Caribbean Cay’s old name was Sandals Royal Caribbean, and the resort centers on a private island.
You can lock in a wedding date at any of the three resorts right now. Just know none of them will actually be open until their reopening dates hit.
If a big wedding budget has been holding you back from marrying the way you actually want, this might be the nudge to look into it. Check dates, price out flights, and see if the numbers work for your guest list.
Worst case, you get a good excuse to visit Jamaica. Best case, you walk away with a wedding you didn’t have to pay for and a week you’ll actually remember.