with Kate Rokosz, Manager, Group Operations, AAA Travel

Your wedding is a series of planned celebrations that begins with the bachelor and bachelorette parties and continues through to your honeymoon. Get answers for all of your wedding travel needs from the experts at AAA Travel.

Q: How do we graciously ask for money to help pay for our honeymoon, instead of the usual gift registry items?
A: Invite your guests to contribute to your dream honeymoon with AAA’s new honeymoon registry. This is a free service to you and your guests—we’ll even provide you honeymoon registry cards and manage your gift contributions. Buyer beware: You’ll find many websites that offer honeymoon registries, but check for service fees before you register.

Q: How can my fiancé and I get married in the Caribbean and avoid all of the rules and legalities that come with getting married outside of the U.S?
A: I recommend a quiet civil ceremony in your state. This will keep the paperwork easy and the legalities clean. You can then have a “symbolic” ceremony on the island. This is a very popular way to go. It is also a great idea for vow-renewal ceremonies!

Q: What is the best way to ensure that my family and friends will attend a destination wedding?
A: Advance planning. Most destination weddings are planned 12 to 18 months in advance. This gives your guests plenty of time to save up for your big day (and their vacation). At AAA, we can arrange different travel date options for your friends and family based on their budgets and schedules. We’ll also set up a payment plan for your family and friends, which is easier on their pockets.

Q: Do many people have destination weddings?
A: It’s quite popular; in fact, one out of every four weddings is a destination wedding.

Q: Is there a cost benefit to planning a destination wedding? 
A: Most definitely! The average cost of a destination wedding is $5,000, versus upwards of $40,000 in your hometown. That’s a huge savings! AAA tip: Choose an all-inclusive resort for even more value and savings for you and your guests. 

Do you have a question for the Wedding Expert at AAA? Email Kate today at weddings@aaamidatlantic.com. And check back Friday, Dec. 16., for a new “Ask the Wedding Expert” series! 

Kate Rokosz is the Group Operations Manager for AAA Travel and the owner of Savoir Faire Bridal Expos in Delaware. She has been in the travel industry for 15 years, specializing in destination weddings and honeymoons. Kate holds a Certified Travel Associate (CTA) designation from the Travel Institute as well as numerous courses focused on destinations, lifestyle traveling, and destination weddings. In addition to her extensive travels through the Caribbean and Mexico, Kate has also traveled the world; recent trips include Kenya, China and river cruises on the Rhine and Danube.