My fiancee and I are planning our wedding about an hour from where we live, we live in a very small town and there isn’t any venue options available. However, most of our family and friends live about 4 hours from where we live. My mother is saying that because we’re having it where we live and most of the guests will have to travel this is a destination wedding. That being said earlier this year I had a cousin get married across the country and my family had no problem traveling there, and didn’t view it as a destination wedding because she lives there. So I was trying to figure out what actually constitutes a destination wedding?

Rebecca Black, Etiquette By Rebecca

Dear Jacqi,

Yours would not be a destination wedding. A destination wedding is a wedding held in a location where the couple would have to travel and find lodgings. It is most often one that is hosted in a more exotic location than our typical hometown.

Great question!

Joyce C Smith, MBC, President and owner of Weddings Unlimited, Inc.

I guess the answer to you question could be yes and no, depending on how you look at it. I am a destination wedding planner and would not look at your location (an hour away)as a destination wedding. Your wedding is very much like many others. Guests come from far and away to attend weddings, and unless the entire wedding partly, including the bride and groom travel a great distance would we call it a “destination” wedding.

Emmanuela Stanislaus, Precious Occasions, Wedding and Event Planner

A destination wedding would be one where guests have to travel to and usually involves them staying overnight or for some length of time. Your wedding wouldn’t be considered a destination wedding but since they would be traveling four hours to your wedding location, you should have options for lodging just in case some of your guests would like to stay over. Good luck!

Donna, Wedding Queen, President; Top Wedding Sites, Inc

If your bridal party members have to travel far enough that their trip requires them to stay overnight, please pay for their lodging.