TORONTO — Just like everything else in these post-pandemic times, demand for destination weddings is relentless, and shows no signs of slowing down.

It’s an upswing that destination wedding travel specialists are doing their very best to accommodate.

“By June 2023 we were completely booked for destination weddings in 2024 and I had to stop doing bridal shows. The inquiries became too many for my agency to handle as there are only two of us,” says travel and wedding consultant Shauna Sharp.

Sharp is working hard for her destination wedding clients at her Red Deer, AB agency, Rock-IT Travel. She’s a member of the Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialists Association (DWHSA).

Sarah Boville is also a DWHSA member, with her agency Barefoot Travel in Grimsby, ON.

Travelweek connected with both Sharp and Boville to get their front-line take on destination wedding trends, in the wake of the DWHSA’s recently-released 2024 predictions for the booming sector.

“QUALITY IS NOW PRIORITIZED OVER QUANTITY”

“Getting away together was once a ‘luxury,’ but now it’s a priority” for Canadian and U.S. couples, says DWHSA’s Executive Director, John Hawks.

Every year DWHSA’s 850 Canadian and American members plan more than 12,000 destination weddings and more than 35,000 honeymoons. The association is the world’s largest network of romance travel professionals.

Based on the DWHSA’s surveys, conducted in Q4 2023, demand for romance travel will continue to increase well above ‘revenge travel’ levels, adds Hawks. Industry reports show that destination wedding bookings surged from USD$21 billion in 2022 to $28 billion in 2023 – and DWHSA members expect that rise to be even larger in 2024.

Hawks notes that couples now value experiences together more than they want physical things.

“Destination wedding couples will continue focusing intently on experiences – for themselves and for their guests – on these trips. In the past, destination weddings were ‘all about the bride,’ but today couples want their guests to have an amazing time too. This will mean alternative welcome events (for instance, a catamaran cruise on the arrival night instead of a cocktail reception at the resort), enhanced closing events (fireworks on the beach, for example), and extended destination wedding schedules (‘wedding weeks’ with several days of activities between guest arrivals and the ceremonies),” says Hawks.

He adds that couples are customizing their destination wedding ceremonies well beyond suppliers’ standard packages. “They’ll increase their use of off-site vendors, locally based artisans and musicians, and destination-specific menu options,” Hawks says.

It’s a trend that Boville is seeing with her destination wedding clients.

“Quality is now prioritized over quantity,” she tells Travelweek. “Couples are seeking unique and authentic experiences for themselves and their guests. They are on the lookout for off-site venues that can host multiple events, including welcome parties, ceremonies, receptions, and post-wedding brunches. Cultural performances and local cuisine are highly preferred.”

The ‘experiences, not things’ trend extends to fun activities for the wedding party and their guests. “I am loving the couples that are adding a touch of adventure to their wedding experiences. They want to explore the great outdoors with their guests, whether it’s hiking through scenic trails or hiring local guides to discover hidden gems in the country they are visiting,” says Boville.

STICKER SHOCK FOR MANY COUPLES

DWHSA members have begun acting as ceremony planners for their couples – “a huge shift from just booking the travel components in the past,” says Hawks.

Sharp says she’s seeing this trend first-hand, to her agency’s advantage. “We provide both services of a Certified Travel Agency and Certified Destination Wedding planner and this has been in even more demand since travel reopened. It’s our biggest asset,” she tells Travelweek. “I have noticed the demand of couples wanting someone to be the liaison between them and the resort. Couples definitely want more assistance in the full process of their wedding and are searching for the combo agency so that they know all bases are covered.”

For destination weddings and everything else, travel advisors have always helped guide clients through price point options. That’s especially true these days as travel prices post-pandemic have gone through the roof.

Says Sharp: “We have been surprised by how many people think pricing is the same as pre-pandemic. Many couples, when pricing is sent to them, they’re shocked. Rates for travel out of Canada have increased and that shocks them.”

In line with post-pandemic price hikes, destination wedding group sizes are bigger too, as Sharp notes.

“Destination weddings have a much larger attendance than they did pre-pandemic,” she tells Travelweek. “The average destination wedding was 30-40 people prior to the pandemic and now they are 50-60 people or more. We have had multiple weddings on the 80+ side. This creates more work for an agency as you are working with more people, more planning and more coordination. When booking resorts/venues you need to know that the locations can hold higher capacities, that there are enough seats/rooms to book as many as the couple think will come and more.”

Budgets are much higher for couples as well, she adds. “They are willing to spend more for destination weddings than they were before because home wedding costs have skyrocketed, dates are fully booked as well and many are finding it is significantly cheaper to do a destination wedding than a home wedding.”

From one extreme to the other, Boville says she’s actually seeing more couples opt for “smaller, more intimate celebrations surrounded by their closest friends and family.”

Boville also says couples are getting creative with wedding dates, to help with costs. “While all-inclusive packages still hold their popularity due to their convenience and value, couples are now opting to book off-peak dates or days of the week. This allows them to secure better rates and have more availability at their dream destinations.”

DWHSA’s survey shows that members believe hotel and resort rates and airfares will continue trending higher, but they’re anticipating more moderate prices for U.S. and Canadian travel starting in summer 2024.

This story ran in the Jan. 25, 2024 issue of Travelweek. To read the complete article, with additional trends from the DWHSA, insights and more, click here.