Want a great destination wedding, but want it on the cheap? Remember, it is possible to have affordable destination weddings without leaving your own country. While Mexico, the Caribbean or Fiji are fabulous destination wedding locations, you can also have spectacular destination weddings closer to home. You could just go to the coast or to a lakeside or mountain setting within a few hours' drive from where you live. This makes travel cheaper for you and most of your guests.

Perhaps you're fortunate enough to have a national park nearby. The natural beauty of the surroundings can make an amazing setting for affordable destination weddings, as well as add a stunning backdrop for all your wedding photos.

Not all national parks allow weddings, but many do. The Chapel in Yosemite National Park is probably one of the best wedding locations in a national park. Surrounded by spectacular cliffs, along with a great view of Yosemite Falls, the historic chapel can accommodate approximately 125 people, and features an organ and baby grand piano. 

Other well known parks that will accommodate affordable destination weddings include

• Grand Teton (Wyoming)
• Glacier (Montana)
• Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina)

All of these parks offer a chapel and/or reception facilities. Many other parks may have chapels or lodges or allow you to get married in certain areas of the park. You will probably need a special use permit that you can get from the park. Of course, you will also need a marriage license for the state where the national park is located.

While there are many plusses to having your wedding in a national park, the downside is that you will probably have to keep it small, as there are likely to be restrictions on the number of cars and the number of guests that you can have. And, also remember that you won't have exclusive use of the park. There will be tourists and other visitors around. Of course, if you have your wedding in a chapel in the park, you will have that all to yourselves.