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"If you&amp;#39;ve ever been on the receiving end of a destination wedding invite, you understand the look of horror that crawls across one&amp;#39;s face when she thinks about what&amp;#39;s in store: how much money it&amp;#39;ll cost, how much time off of work she&amp;#39;ll have to request, how bored she&amp;#39;s going to be. And you don&amp;#39;t want to be the bride that causes that...and we haven&amp;#39;t even mentioned pulling off the big day without draining your bank account and sanity reserves. With these pro tips, everyone will be toasting to your big day with you, not ticking the &amp;quot;regretfully decline&amp;quot; box on your invite.\nPinterestFacebookA snap from one of the Atlantis&amp;#39;s new wedding lookbook styles.\nI talked to Anna Wilson, VP of Weddings and Special Affairs for Atlantis, Paradise Island and One&amp;amp;Only Ocean Club, Bahamas. Wilson currently oversees a team of wedding pros in charge of more than 400+ a year in the Bahamas (translation: MANY). She knows weddings, but she also knows the business side of things with an MBA in Marketing and 20 years in the hospitality industry, so she knows how to save you money, too!\nHere, Wilson shares her tips to make sure that destination weddings won&amp;#39;t bust your budget, and leave your guests groaning at the invite.\n1. Get &amp;quot;officially&amp;quot; married before you reach your destination\nBefore you head to your destination, file your paperwork to get get legally married locally. &amp;quot;Every destination has a different set of legalities and time required to be in the country before you&amp;#39;re legally able to marry,&amp;quot; Wilson says. &amp;quot;You will save on legal fees, transportation to and from government offices, not to mention the extra night room charges on the front end that you could save for the honeymoon.&amp;quot;\n2. Pick a destination and resort that has something for everyone\nWilson suggests researching several different kinds of resorts, and picking one that &amp;quot;that offers a range of room categories and prices, as well as activities that satisfy the dynamics of your group.&amp;quot; Things to consider: Are there kids activities? Fine dining? Coordinated retreats? The extra time that goes in on your end can end up saving both you and your guests time and money (and you won&amp;#39;t have to play concierge during your wedding weekend).\n3. Ask if the resort provides you with a weddings coordinator\n&amp;quot;There are many destinations and resorts out there like Atlantis that have dedicated wedding planners on staff, not just a group coordinator that has been thrown into weddings,&amp;quot; Wilson says.&amp;quot; She suggests asking the resort about their previous experience with weddings, plus the kind of services they&amp;#39;ll provide, so you can avoid a last-minute expensive of having to hire a wedding planner.\n4. Pick the wedding package\nAt first, the idea of choosing an all-inclusive wedding package may seem a bit too cookie-cutter for you, yes, but if a pro told you it might save you money, would you reconsider? &amp;quot;The resort normally works with local suppliers and has already built significant discounts into their packages,&amp;quot; Wilson says. &amp;quot;Ask if you can customize one of the basic packages by adding on a few elements to make it special.&amp;quot; For example, Atlantis has recently created a series of brand-new wedding lookbooks by Kristin Vining of Weddings &amp;amp; the City, based in Charlotte, N.C., that showcase a variety of venues and suggested design options for couples, with the option for a customized version. Who&amp;#39;s a cookie-cutter bride now? (Not you. Duh.)\nPinterestFacebook5. Off-season is when you&amp;#39;ll find your biggest savings\nYou likely already know that you can find the best special and discounts for destinations during off-peak seasons, but Wilson says couples often overlook other opportunities to score specials. &amp;quot;Consider holiday weekends such as Mother&amp;#39;s Day, Fourth of July and Halloween. These are not as heavily traveled in the US, and resorts, especially in the Caribbean, might offer some great deals.&amp;quot;\n6. Choose a wedding venue overflowing with character and natural beauty\n&amp;quot;You didn&amp;#39;t decide on a destination wedding so that you could have your reception in a ballroom. You fell in love with the location, the local flavor, and the breathtaking beauty of the destination,&amp;quot; Wilson says. &amp;quot;Pick a wedding and reception venue that is representative of the city or country and its natural charm. So many venues at beautiful destinations really require little to no additional d\u00E9cor or floral.&amp;quot;\n7. Group savings are a big plus\nMost resorts offer discounts for groups, so make sure to ask if your group is large enough to qualify--and continue to ask as your guest list grows! Wilson says to also remember to ask about discounts not just for rooms, but for activities, dining, and transportation. Want an idea of how group packages work? Here&amp;#39;s an example of what Atlantis offers.\nThanks, Anna!\nWould you consider a destination wedding?\nP.S. If getting married in the Bahamas sounds like heaven to you, go to LoveAtlantis.com for more on getting married with the help of Anna Wilson&amp;#39;s team at the Atlantis, Paradise Island!\nMore ways to save money while wedding planning:\n50 Genius Wedding Cost-Cutters\nGoing to a Wedding: The Broke Guest&amp;#39;s Guide to Surviving Wedding Season\n51 Wedding Shoes Under $150 to Fit Your Budget\nWedding Budget: 6 Pros to Paying for the Whole Shebang Yourself\nPhotos: Courtesy of Atlantis"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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