Asia remains an affordable wedding wonderland for lovebirds across the world with abundant choices from white sandy beaches to ancient temple settings. While destination weddings have long been popular in Western cultures, Asian couples are now embracing the trend.
"Destination weddings are becoming a lot more popular than ever before among Asian brides and grooms. Couples want to incorporate a mini vacation for their guests when they attend a wedding," said Michelle Yuan, the founder of Asia Wedding Network, an online platform for weddings and related resources.
Sonya Yeung, founder and creative director of Bliss Creations, an Asian destination wedding specialist, has seen rapid growth in interest.
"People are realising that it's more fun to have a destination event and perhaps less stressful due to a more flexible approach to decision-making and the holiday experience upon arrival," she said.
In addition, more couples are taking control of wedding planning and many favour intimate affairs with slimmed-down guest lists. A destination wedding is one key to achieving this goal.
"Although costs per guest may rise, couples are happy to spend the money on their closest friends and family rather than their fourth cousin whom they've never met," she said.
That said, Ms Yeung has observed that destination wedding group sizes are getting larger, often topping 100 people where less than 80 used to be the norm.
Jonathan Goh, wedding director at Wedding Act, agreed saying that many couples are choosing to reduce their guest lists to close friends and family and to hold a more intimate and personalised experience in abroad.
"Just imagine that if the couple has a budget of US$50,000 for their wedding. Instead of spending it on a 400-guest wedding in a typical hotel ballroom which is only a one-day event, they can create many more fond memories by spending that budget with 50-60 immediate family and close friends, guests who are important to the couple, for a three-day, two-night event," he said.
NEW DESTINATIONS
More couples also seem to be moving away from popular destinations and searching for something more under the radar, with Vietnam and Japan topping many lists.
"More couples are now moving away from the popular destinations such as Bali or Phuket to other destinations, such as Vietnam, the Maldives and Australia," said Mr Goh.
"Bali and Thailand have always been very popular places for destination weddings, but Vietnam and the Maldives are also gaining popularity," Ms Yeung added.
Bali and Thailand have a very well established tourism and wedding infrastructure to cater to every need but for couples seeking something different, Vietnam is gaining popularity for its affordability, she explained.
"The Maldives has also become more popular for those wanting the ultimate fairytale beach wedding with pristine white sand and azure waters," she added.
Hoi Cheung, co-founder of Hitchbird, an online wedding destination portal, said he was seeing more interest in Danang and cities in Japan such as Okinawa and Kyoto in addition to popular destinations.
Asia is popular among couples across the world for its variety -- from private island resorts on white sandy beaches to clifftops and ancient temples. International flights are frequent and there are many low-cost regional carriers as well, she added.
"Asia remains very affordable for a destination wedding. With the added variety of cultures and foods, your budget can go a lot further to make the entire experience truly one to remember," said Ms Yeung.
Mr Cheung said destination weddings used to be considered pricey but today they are much more affordable and the internet makes them easier to plan.
"A destination wedding is not as expensive as many couples believe it to be," he said
For instance, the average price for a local all-inclusive wedding held in Singapore and Hong Kong with about 300 guests could reach $70,000, according to Hitchbird statistics. However, a destination wedding held in Thailand with about 70 guests would cost only about $20,000.
"Cost and distance are the key factors affecting Hong Kong couples when they choose where to hold their destination wedding," said Vicky C, chief wedding stylist at The Theme Wedding Design.
Southeast Asia and Japan are close to Hong Kong, so travel costs are manageable as long as the guest list can be kept under control, she said.
"Holding a destination wedding is no longer a tough task nowadays," she said, adding that Danang, Okinawa and Hokkaido were becoming increasingly popular among Hong Kong couples.
The beauty of the location alone is no longer enough for many couples going on destination wedding, as they are paying more attention to meticulous details on their big day, said Ms C.
Some couples take charge of details including the guestbook, personalised menus, wedding favours with guest names, and deliver them to the venue before the big day.
"Generally speaking, the expectation of the quality of a destination wedding becomes even higher," she said.
Mr Cheung said the most important factors for many couples were venue location and ease of transport at a reasonable price. The quality of photographers and food are also increasingly important.
"Many people these days have high standards when it comes to food. They want their guests to enjoy the cuisine on their most important day. Food quality and the flexibility of the chef to meet the couple's personal needs can play a big part in decision-making," he said.
"Services related to planning a wedding are crucial as it helps a lot for couples who are going to a destination not in their hometown, while having top-quality service to ease their planning," added Jackson Ho from Match & Fusion.
In addition, he says, more destination wedding venues are upgrading their venues in terms of decor as well as amenities and services to meet the needs of couples from Asia.