If you envisioned your perfect wedding, what would it include?  Would it be colorful or conservative?  What type of ambience would you want to evoke?  Do you want a small cozy wedding or an all out church wedding with the 5 course reception?  A more important question would be, what is your budget?  How much do you have to invest on your special day?

There are dozens of answers as well as beautiful themes from inexpensive to extremely expensive.  One of the newest theme weddings is the Destination Wedding.  Destination Weddings are becoming more popular.  Many couples are choosing to marry aboard, Europe and Greece are popular destinations.  However, there is one other choice that is growing in popularity and with good reason, its the Weddings at Sea.  Couples are not only spending the honeymoon on cruise ships, they are having the marriage ceremony aboard ship as well.  And family members, friends and guest are invited to cruise with the couple. (Note:  These mega ships are large enough for a couple to have a honeymoon and not run into family members unless there is a planned event)

The Cruise Lines are going all out to attract couples to marry at sea.  They provide professional wedding planners, gracious receptions, bachelor parties, bridal showers, rehearsal dinners, spa day for the wedding party, photography, wedding cakes and much more.

Couples can choose to marry in the ship's chapel (and broadcast the ceremony on the Internet to people back home) or on deck (weather permitting) or in one of the onboard lounges.

What is most important about Weddings at Sea are the choices.  The cruise lines insist on providing couples with lots of choices.

The most important factor involved in Weddings at Sea is when couples invite family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, church members, social club members and the friends of friends, the guest booking on the cruise can and often do result in a FREE wedding and honeymoon for the bride and groom.  The cruise lines give you a free cabin for every certain number of guest who book on your Destination Wedding.  Couples use the free cruise pass to offset the cost of their cruise and or wedding cost.  The actual cost of the wedding can range from $1,250 to $2,500.  This does not include the cost of the cruise or the reception.

There are affordable wedding reception solutions.  If budget is an issue, just ask to have the reception pool side and make it open to all! (of course it would be a good idea to have cake for all)

Weddings at Sea will be welcomed by the majority of your family members and guest, however, there will be a few family members who may not be able to take the cruise.  For this group, you would want to plan a land based reception once you return home.  Most of your guest and family members will thank you for giving them an excuse to take a "real" vacation.

Go to: www.travel360degrees.com  to learn more about  Family Reunions at Sea and Weddings at Sea.  Special booking procedures for children to lower the overall cost is part of the T360 specialty.

This short article was written by Cassandra Ingraham, webmaster for www.travel360degrees.com and publisher for purple monkey e-publication.