When it comes to saying "I do", it seems increasing numbers of people are adding "and I'll have a holiday while I'm at it".

Accelerated by the financial crunch and the challenge of getting time off for a holiday – combined with the complications of modern families – destination weddings have become a huge business.

The editor of wedding website i-do.com.au, Victoria Van Brugge, says more than three-quarters of intending couples are using a civil celebrant rather than getting married in a church. And with the cost of a traditional wedding hitting the $40,000 to $50,000 mark, a destination wedding can become "an obvious choice".

Others are inviting guests but keeping the venue modest: the NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Park has had a "sharp rise" in wedding bookings this year, with couples booking out multiple cabins and making their wedding a weekend with family and friends.

"Weddings are doubling as an excuse for family reunions," NRMA spokeswoman Lisa Kable says. "The brides to date have worn traditional white for the ceremony ... and then are cooking breakfast on the barbecue the next morning for their guests."

The above article is only part of an article published in The Age Newspaper on 20 September 2009 - written by Jane E. Fraser. To read the full article please click here.

Source: The Age, 20 September 2009 - www.theage.com.au