Originally the two main reasons for a destination wedding were because the couple had cause to elope or the couple and their families wanted to celebrate the wedding with family in their homeland. Today, reasons for destination weddings have expanded to simply wanting to do something different and get away from it all.

Indeed one of the biggest reasons to hold a destination wedding is to avoid the unpleasantness of planning a traditional wedding. Although a wedding is supposed to be a celebration and coming together of two families, sometimes that very fact causes much heartache. The bride and groom are torn between what they desire and what their families want. Old customs may come into play that the couple either resent or do not feel appropriate for their event.

In addition, typically the person or persons paying for the wedding tend to take over the event with little regard to the couple's wishes. Since wedding planning can be very emotional and ultimately stressful, some couples feel that a destination wedding will eliminate all the ill will and provide a more intimate, loving affair.

Another reason for a destination wedding is the theme aspect. Certain cities do not lend themselves to specific occasions. For example, if you wanted to do a southern belle gala on a riverboat, you would have to live near a river. A hot air balloon ride would be difficult in the city. For many themes, you must travel to the destination where the theme is best suited or offered to the public.

Expanding on the theme or concept wedding, couples have chosen to participate in life long dreams or passions. Safaris in Kenya or visiting ancient Greece are once in-a-lifetime events. Combining these with a wedding celebration will mean that much more to the couple and create a lasting memory for both the couple and their guests.

Further, destination weddings are considered less work. It is normally assumed that a wedding planner or someone from the resort or hotel will organize the wedding freeing up the couple to continue with their daily lives and when the wedding is over, return home without having the added tasks of returning equipment and general cleanup.

Sometimes, the couple prefers a more private affair and by holding a destination wedding, they invite only those people closest to them. This gives them time to spend with all their guests and provides a holiday for everyone as well as a wedding celebration. It will also be easier to make a guest list as many people such as business associates and neighbors will not be invited to a destination wedding.

And yet, other couples choose a destination wedding because their immediate families live far apart from one another. In the case where the bride and groom are from opposite sides of the country or different countries altogether, they may find it difficult to choose which country in which to be married. Afraid of hurting the feelings of one family to the delight of the other, the couple may choose a destination wedding to keep everything on an even keel and to avoid offending anyone.

Lastly, in today's society, there does not have to be a reason to hold a destination wedding. With the ease of travel and family and friends living all over the world, in some instances, it just makes sense to hold the wedding miles and miles away.