[ear1069]

My fiancé and I want to plan a destination wedding/honeymoon. Our idea is to marry in the Virgin Islands on a beach, and then a charter a large sailboat and invite 2 or 3 couples to join us for the following week. While that may seem odd for a honeymoon, neither of us is a "first-timers" and having some friends with us would be fun for all. Obviously this idea has several complications, but my biggest concern after reading many of the posts here is that it might be rude to invite others and then ask them to pay their portion of the charter. Does that apply in this case? We view it as a good excuse for them to plan a unique vacation, while sharing costs and participating with us.

This post has been edited by TWQadmin: 04 November 2025 - 03:10 PM

[Etiquette Now]

Dear Ear,

Yes, it applies here as well. If you invite guests, you are expected to host, which means that you provide the party. If you were to discuss with a few friends that you are considering chartering a boat and wonder if they want to share the cost, this is something entirely different. It would be the same as going on vacation together. But, you couldn't "invite" them. So, decide if you want to invite them or ask them if they would like to go on vacation together. Then all of you could discuss costs. Of course in this case, they have equal say in what will happen during this vacation.

Also, if you invite guests to your wedding, you are expected to provide "something" for your guests. This "something" is usually a reception, but could be as simple as a welcome cocktail. Most go beyond this simple gesture for the destination wedding because their guests have incurred so much cost to attend.

Best wishes,