“Traditionally, wedding planning has been the bride’s domain. However, planning a destination wedding involves a wide range of unique decisions and many grooms want to take part in the process,” said Brian Hegarty, Vice President of Marketing for Vacation. “The groom’s game plan we created identifies multiple ways that soon-to-be-spouses can pitch in and play an active role tackling some of the details – because they may not even know where to begin. This way it becomes more equitable and, together, you are sharing the workload so both of you can fully enjoy your big day.”

Here are just some of the ways that grooms can pitch in and help ensure the destination wedding is a blissful experience for the bridal couple and guests:

• Wedding Pregame. You have the ring, you have the date picked out and the venue for your destination wedding. But now what? Offer to jump in and reach out to vendors for things such as: tuxedo or suit rentals for the wedding party; a local band or DJ for the ceremony and reception; or coordinating a special surprise event like fireworks.

• Game Time. After all of the hard work and planning, the big day has finally arrived! While your soon-to-be spouse is getting pampered, think about providing family and friends with updates throughout the big day, whether that means possible menu changes, family and friends’ arrival times, or any shifts in plan due to weather patterns.

• Wedding Postgame. After you’ve danced the night away in celebration, there are still ways you can do some of the heavy lifting. Take the lead in making sure the wedding dress arrives safely back home and return any rented tuxedos; coordinating the return of any wedding décor; providing family and friends with your honeymoon timeline; and checking with your travel agent for possible flight delays to your honeymoon destination.

The game plan could also include a travel agent to help with the destination wedding details and planning right from the get go. Vacation has certified destination wedding specialists available who can create a customized destination wedding experience, organize travel details for you and your guests, and anticipate and handle unforeseen events – it’s their goal to pay close attention to many of your destination wedding details, so you can focus on the excitement of your upcoming nuptials.

In addition, both of you may have questions about the cost of your destination wedding. Destination weddings can actually be less expensive compared to a traditional wedding. The average cost of a mid-size destination wedding is $17,000, versus $32,600 for a local wedding. By working with a qualified travel expert, they can help both of you with an entire destination wedding game plan that includes the location, coordination of travel for you and your guests, opportunities for personalized extra touches to make your wedding truly one-of-a-kind – and, best of all, within your budget.

Vacation is a celebration of why people travel and its six categories—including Play (Adventures + Events), Unwind (Resorts + Spas), Bond (Families + Groups), Celebrate (Weddings + Honeymoons), Savor (Food + Wine), and Explore (Destinations + Cultures)—are filled with rich content. The articles, online quizzes, videos, infographics, and podcasts are designed to help modern travelers plan a vacay they’re going to love. In fact, it will be Love at First Travel. #LoveUrVacay

Vacation inspires, informs and guides travelers throughout their planning process, making every step—from researching a destination to connecting with the ideal travel expert—as rewarding as possible. The content-rich website is powered by Travel Leaders Group (www.TravelLeadersGroup.com), one of the industry’s largest travel agency companies, with annual sales over $21 billion through over 7,000 locations. Check out Vacation at www.Vacation.com or on social media at #LoveUrVacay.