Tips for Planning Your Destination Wedding
Written by Travel, Trek & Tour Contributor, May 12, 2016
It’s the height of wedding season, so Paradisus Resorts– offering ideal settings for destination weddings – has tapped their Corporate Romance Manger, Marilyn Cairo, to compile the Top Ten Expert Tips on the “dos” and “don’ts” of planning the perfect destination wedding to ensure your big day is flawless and memorable. Additionally, Marilyn has shared some of the top trends she’s seeing for 2016 weddings.
With properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Paradisus Resorts feature romance offerings that are customizable to meet the needs of the most discerning couple. Paradisus Resorts’ qualified Romance team is readily available to help guests curate the ultimate, romantic escape with an unsurpassed level of all-inclusive romantic luxury.
Top Ten Expert Tips
1. Location: While a destination wedding may be your lifelong dream, remember without your guests there is no event. Consider travel costs and accessibility from where the majority of your guests will be traveling from when selecting a destination.
2. Knowledge is Power: Ask the hard hitting questions before making a commitment when shopping around for a destination wedding.
3. Peaks and Valleys: The best time of year to travel to the Caribbean and Mexico is the fall. Often, room rates are lower and some hotels reduce their wedding package pricing or offer added perks/concessions.
4. Strength in Numbers: Most hotels will offer reduced rates, incentives and concessions for wedding groups who commit to a minimum number of rooms under contract.
5. Listen to the Experts: Hotels that are committed to destination weddings will have on-site wedding coordinators. Listen to their advice; who else knows the resort better than they do. They are your eyes and ears during the overseas, long distance planning phase. Furthermore, there’s no added cost to utilize the service and expertise of the resort’s coordinator.
6. Keep it Local: One of the easiest ways to cut costs is to keep it local. Instead of insisting on midnight blue orchids that have to be imported, use flowers grown locally. Don’t insist on bringing your own vendors. Ask the resort for a list of their trusted vendors and capitalize on the relationships built by the resort with these vendors.
7. Time is on Your Side: Book at least 9-months in advance for best date selection. Last minute planning can result in unexpected costs. Furthermore, make sure the save-the-dates are in the mail well in advance to allow family and friends time to budget and plan.
8. Legal is so “Yesteryear”: There is no need to get legally married in the destination you’ve chosen. Take care of the legal paperwork in your home state to save hundreds of dollars on the cost of a legal ceremony in another country. Additionally, you’ll avoid a variety of other ‘legalities’ such as needing to translate documents and blood tests.
9. Arrive in Style: Plan on arriving at your destination at least three days prior to the wedding day. Use the extra time at your destination and resort to scope out the place, get to know the staff, and meet with the resort coordinator and vendors.
10. Don’t Go on Price Alone: Trust in the hotels that are willing to show you their pricing upfront. Every ‘free wedding’ promotion has restrictions and requirements.
Top Destination Wedding Trends for 2016
1. Experience:
Couples are incorporating local culture and traditions into their wedding weekend to create an overall experience. For example, if tying the knot in Mexico, organize an off-site tour or host a tequila tasting happy hour.
2. Food: Exciting culinary options that pays homage to the location of your destination wedding has become an investment for most couples. Live action Sushi station at the cocktail hour or a food truck at the after-party are unique ways to create a memorable culinary experience.
3. Multiple Events: Couples are turning their destination wedding into an action-packed getaway. A true destination wedding is a minimum three-day event. A prepared itinerary for weddings guests filled with exciting activities will turn a destination wedding into an experience.
Visit paradisus.com to plan your next destination wedding!
