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Around the world, destination weddings are continuing to make their mark, with new offerings and unique ideas consistently emerging in order to satisfy a growing and ever more diverse market. Wedding professionals with an eye on capitalizing on this market will find that it is imperative to stay up-to-date on the intricacies and opportunities available in destination weddings.

EXOTIC LOCATIONS

Beach escapes will always be popular. Puerto Rico, St. Lucia and Grenada have emerged at the top of the list this year. More adventurous couples, though, are seeking out venues off the beaten path, and scenic countries such as South Africa, Iceland and the South of France are claiming their rightful place among the world's hot wedding spots. Politics will factor into both opportunities and challenges worldwide. A change in the diplomatic wind in Cuba, for example, could make it a prime spot for weddings in the very near future. Short wedding gowns for destination wedding

PERSONALIZATION

Each couple has a story to tell of their journey into love and down the aisle. This journey is an important part of their narrative, and is the motivation behind personalization. Gone are the days of pre-planned, formulaic destination wedding packages, built for convenience over individuality. Today’s couples are exercising their influence over ceremony spots, rituals, menus, favors, attire and entertainment. A mariachi band on a snowy mountaintop may be the perfect combination of a pair’s cultures and backgrounds--destination weddings are increasingly pliable backdrops for anything that lovers desire.

GOING GREEN

Preserving the planet is no longer a trend, but a mandate to many, and millennials are accustomed to exercising their influence over their environment. Opportunities to conserve and preserve are substantial, particularly so in destination weddings. Green resorts, eco-friendly wedding packages and digital innovations--such as purchasing a carbon offset when a better “green” practice can’t be found--offer a host of options.Couples are turning to "save the date" e-cards as well as recycled paper for their stationery needs, while eco-friendly wedding attire options continue to be more readily available. Organic, local menus and tree-planting ceremonies all appeal to couples wanting to tie the knot away from home while still honoring their commitment to a sustainable lifestyle.

SAME-SEX WEDDINGS

With growing recognition of marriage equality, same-sex weddings are more prevalent across the U.S. and around the world. Wedding professionals must research local laws, religious standards, and the general atmosphere of a destination to ensure the safety and comfort of their clientele. This year, Curacao is the place to be when seeking social acceptance, with other spots such as Capetown, Barcelona, Cancun, Riviera Maya and Puerto Vallarta on the rise as well.

CULTURAL TRADITIONS

Couples love to include traditions and customs from their heritage on their special day, and there’s no reason to think this can’t be done at a destination. With an understanding of this need, select destination wedding resorts offer cultural wedding packages. From kosher cuisine for Jewish weddings and long celebrated experiences for Hindu weddings to seaside Catholic wedding chapels, an increasing number of venues seek to tailor their packages to meet every couple’s needs.

GROUP EXCURSIONS

Attending a destination wedding can sometimes be a burden—extra costs, taking days off of work, arranging sitters—which is why couples are being extra attentive to the needs of their guests. Couples want to make the trip worthwhile, and what better way to include some quality time with friends and family? Whether it’s a sightseeing tour or a boating adventure, arranging excursions for the group is a fun way to include everyone in the festivities. Group activities also pave the way for an amazing collection of images, as destination wedding photographers continue to offer more extensive coverage in an effort to capture the entire trip.

Successful promotion of destination weddings becomes easier as the market expands to meet diverse needs. Invest time and effort in learning about the latest offerings, trends, and advances, and make a plan now to increase your appeal to this specialty market. A world of opportunities awaits the dedicated and creative destination wedding professional! Rebecca Hochreiter is the vice president of marketing and customer engagement at DestinationWeddings.com, a leading destination wedding and romantic travel planning company. DestinationWeddings.com has worked with more than 20,000 couples and half a million guests to plan dream destination weddings.

Prom season is quickly approaching and the YMCA of Selma-Dallas County and its Leaders Club are doing their part to make sure that every girl feels like a princess. The YMCA is hosting a Prom Dress Drive, during which girls can donate any unneeded prom dresses to those that need a little help getting a dress. Leaders Club advisor Ashlyn Goodwin established a similar drive at Tuskegee University during her freshman year in 2011.

“I’m happy to say it’s still going this year,” Goodwin said. “I thought why not bring it to my hometown?” Goodwin brought the idea up to YMCA CEO Ann Murray, who loved it. The two began working together to make the idea a reality. “I was just so excited [when she asked me],” Murray said. “We’ve had great successes with getting the prom dresses but also with building Leaders Club.” Goodwin is also a teacher at Selma High School and said that she sees the need for a prom dress drive. “With me working in the school system I see a lot of girls that have a need for a dress for prom because they don’t have the income,” Goodwin said. “

The one thing I can say that makes it such a special event is the fact that it’s free. We don’t charge anything. The girls can really just come in.” So far, around 50 dresses have been donated to the drive, and Murray said there is plenty of room for even more. Selma Steam Cleaners have also created a $5 coupon for each girl receiving a dress to help cover the cost of cleaning and pressing. “We have lots of racks that we’re able to use. They’ve been loaned to us from the Little Lamb Sale, and so we have plenty of room for 50 more dresses,” Murray said.

“For people that would like to donate, [the dresses] can be short or long in any size, and we’ll put them on a hanger.” Dresses can be donated until April 1 and can be dropped off at the front desk of the YMCA. Friday, April 3 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 4 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., girls can go to the YMCA to try on and pick out their dress to wear to their prom. “We have plenty of space for them to try things on and choose,” Murray said. Girls that attend a school in Selma or a surrounding city are welcome to take part in picking out a prom dress, but Goodwin and Murray ask that each girl bring a parent with them if possible and a form of ID to show what school the girl attends.

Goodwin said the outpour of support from the drive has been overwhelming, but she is excited to do what she can to make every girls prom a success. “I’m just overwhelmed [at the response] … it’s truly a blessing,” Goodwin said. “When they get done [with the dress], the prayer is that they would pass it down to someone else that needs it, and the Prom Dress Drive will continue long after we’ve done what we have done here.”