Caroline Cotto, 29, who lives in Oakland, Calif., said she attended five multiday destination weddings around the country from July through November. These events, which included dinners, picnics, tubing trips and brunches, offered a welcome change from her days spent locked down at home earlier in the pandemic, said Ms. Cotto, the founder and chief operating officer of Renewal Mill, a company that recycles food waste into pantry staples.
“My partner and I have really been enjoying these weddings because we haven’t taken a lot of vacation during the pandemic,” said Ms. Cotto, who added that at each wedding, she was required to show proof of vaccination and a negative Covid test before the first event.
The cost to attend these weddings, though, was not insignificant, she said. Ms. Cotto had to purchase flights to attend three of them and, for one, she was in charge of renting a house to sleep 14-plus people. She estimated that she also had to pay hundreds of dollars on Covid tests, in part because other guests tested positive for the virus during some of the multiday weddings she attended.
For a couple hosting a multiday celebration, costs can run the gamut, said Becca Atchison, the founder and creative director of Rebecca Rose Events. Ms. Atchinson said that, per person, it is not uncommon to spend between $40 and $150 for a welcome party, between $600 and $1,200 for a rehearsal dinner, between $1,500 and $2,500 for a reception and between $60 and $250 for a brunch — in addition to the cost for any other activities.
Ms. Smith added that some couples hosting multiday weddings may also need to cover vendors’ travel costs in addition to their fees. In some cases, she said, couples will also cover a portion of their guests’ accommodations, too.
“Factoring all of these additional items on top of the main event often increases the budget by 30 to 70 percent,” Ms. Smith said.
