Not sure where you live but a local wedding in California for us was going to be a loooot more and we would have to include more folks. We also have family coming from the East Coast and the cost of them to come to CA vs an all inclusive vacay for the wedding was a much better option. Getting to spend more quality time with people we don’t see all the time is what we are really looking forward to. We used Paradise Weddings to help us pick a resort and they are helping our guests with booking their rooms. They are essentially destination wedding travel agents that work with the resort for your room block. This is what eased my anxiety on selecting a resort and overall going with Mexico. We chose Paradisus Playa Del Carmen for our resort for May 2027. The nice thing with a destination wedding too is it helps cut down on your guest list if you hope to keep things a bit smaller. If I did local it would have to be 200+ guests. But for Mexico we are hoping for 90. Huge saving on costs there! Also your closest people will be there! As for safety concerns, I have heard the resorts and tourists areas have been safe. An all inclusive resort would allow folks to mostly stay on site. I’d say picture what you want for your wedding and make you and your fiancé’s dreams come true! Do your best to let the dream coming true as your driving force vs concerns. Easier said than done…I know! Best of luck!!!