Amazing Costa Rica Destination Wedding captured by ABrit&ABlonde Photography. See more of Emmanuelle + Alex's wedding album here!

Read any list on marital woes and you are sure to see M.O.N.E.Y. somewhere at the top. So, how do you make sure that your marriage doesn’t start off on the wrong financial foot? One way is to start early by building good financial habits while planning and saving for your destination wedding! If you can get into the groove now, you’ll be on auto-pilot by the time you’re riding off into your sweet marital sunset.

All of this sounds good, but how do you do it?

You make fun of it...Seriously.

These super-cute Player1 & Player2 Pillows can be found on RoomCraft's site here.

Make a game out of it

Yes, this is a serious topic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a game out of it at the same time! Stay realistic and honest, but outside of that - all other bets are off! Whoever saves the most (or spends the least) for the month wins! Need reward ideas? Well, the object isn’t to spend more money, so all monetary rewards are out of the window.

You’re destination-wedding-budget conscious now, remember?

How about a 30-minute massage? Or no [insert most hated household chore] for a week, ultimate TV control for a night/weekend, a romantic homemade candlelit dinner, or a bedroom favor if you’re feeling frisky! Think of some rewards together and have fun with it!

It’s your game and no one else has to know about it --wink, wink.

Celebrate the small victories

Shenko Photography captured this beautiful destination wedding and you can check out the full album here: DESTINATION WEDDING IN AKUMAL | BEN + FRANK — Shenko Photography captured this beautiful destination wedding and you can check out the full album here: DESTINATION WEDDING IN AKUMAL | BEN + FRANK

There is a great movie called “What About Bob” starring Bill Murray that can explain this better and funnier than I can, but the basis is that Bill Murray’s character (Bob) had a multi-phobic personality disorder and his psychologist tried his best, throughout many funny and frustrating situations, to teach him that setting small, reasonable goals or “baby steps” are the key to happily making it through life.

I say all of this to say that baby steps are paramount!

Of course, you have a larger total budget amount that you are going for, but you’ll get there in time. Set small goals and celebrate the hell out of them once you reach them! Small victories are perfect confidence builders and you’ll need all the confidence you can get in this process.

Break the savings up on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis...or even better:
Assign goal amounts to milestone dates and have a 2-for-1 celebration -- 200 days to the wedding AND $X.00 banked! Whoop it up!

My personal favorite celebration is the champagne toast, but whatever you both really enjoy...do it! Treat yo self!

Follow financial convos with fun times

Give yourselves something to look forward to AFTER the conversation. These conversations are not easy for everyone. I myself still struggle at times--less than before--but still a struggle nonetheless. But what makes it easier? Planning something fun afterwards!

Shenko Photography captured this beautiful wedding and you can check out the full album here: DESTINATION WEDDING IN AKUMAL | BEN + FRANK — Shenko Photography captured this beautiful wedding and you can check out the full album here: DESTINATION WEDDING IN AKUMAL | BEN + FRANK

***IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not perform the opposite of this!
Having a difficult conversation AFTER your fun act is bound to wipe the history of fun out of your memory banks.
Think of the financial conversation as the sundae and the fun event to follow as the cherry on top...You don’t put the cherry at the bottom...
if you did, you’d never get to really appreciate/savor it because it’ll be lost in the sauce.

Refer back to your goal often

At the very end, you know that you are saving to start the best days of your life. Don’t let each other forget it! Keep some inspiration close by, and as you continue to plan and save together refer back to that light at the end of the tunnel. You both have things that you are looking forward to for your destination wedding - discuss them and keep reminding each other of it! In this case, it is best not to think about the emotions, but something tangible.

Whatever you choose to make saving for your destination wedding fun, make sure that it is enjoyable for both of you! This is supposed to be a dream destination wedding for the Desti Bride and Desti Groom, ya know!

There are plenty of details to stress over for your destination wedding. Don’t let saving be one of them!

Always remember the objective:

To have the time of your life, while planning the best days of your life!

Good Luck Destis + Bridefriends!

Try one or all of these and be sure to comment below and report back! I can’t wait to hear about the fun times (that you can talk about - another wink, wink)!

Do you know any other ideas to make destination wedding budgeting and saving fun? If, so don’t be stingy...SHARE the Wealth! Show us what ya got!