pointers for DW weddings?

Re: pointers for DW weddings?

• Latillo member

  

  March 2014

  I would start first with where you want to get married! Once you have decided on a location then I would start researching places/resorts on sites like tripadvisor or travelocity. You can go through a travel agent as well but we picked our top 3 resorts first before we went to an agent because they have certain resorts they work with and sometimes will try to persuade you towards a site you may not be interested in. Good luck getting started!!

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• Latillo member

  

  March 2014

  Oh and you have to consider budget as well! Yours and your guests. This will definitely determine where you have your wedding

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• Knottie37373131 member

  

  March 2014

  Once fiance and I decided to have a destination wedding I spent about two days researching and looking for affordable places. I originally was leaning towards Bahamas, but Jamaica was so much more affordable. We are getting married at the Grande Riviera on 05-15-15 in Ocho Rios Jamaica at a Sandals resort. I really wanted an all inclusive resort because it makes it so much easier to figure out the final cost of the destination wedding. Sandals also offers deals such as $500.00 of your wedding as well as $500.00 dollars to be applied to the rest of your weddingmoons experience.You get an included pre-travel wedding planner as well as an on site planner and coordinator once you reach your destination. I booked at an awesome price but noticed a few days after booking that the total went down almost $600.00 so I called and they adjusted this price for me. When it comes to Sandals I think the most expensive aspect is going to be deciding what type of picture package we want with our wedding. We are also paying for the videography as we are getting married just ourselves and want our family and friends the opportunity of watching.
  
  When we come home we will be having a reception. I am still looking and deciding on the location, but I think we will have around 30-50 guests overall.
  

  

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• Jells2dot0 mod

  

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  There are a lot of couples that like the idea of a destination wedding because it sounds neat. However, DWs are not for everyone. Do you have any VIP guests (parents, siblings) that are MUST attends? If so, then ask these VIPs how they feel about a DW. If it's super important to have grandmom there and she doesn't want to travel, then it's probably not a good idea how to have a DW. Also, if you want to have a significant amount of control over your plans, a DW might not be for you. A lot of times, it is difficult communicating with vendors and the coordinators. If you want to get married on an island, keep in mind that things often run on "island time". Also, since you are not there in person, it's hard to keep tabs on everything being planned. You can't NOT trust your coordinator. It's also important to note that if you want a very traditional wedding but in a destination setting, not every resort can accommodate that. DWs are popular with those on a tighter budget, but if you want very specific things, the good value wedding packages offered by the resorts probably won't cover it and very custom ideas will end up costing a fortune.

  That being said, as pps mentioned, you need to establish your budget and what you think is an ideal budget for those you want to attend. You can start your research from there or you can contant a travel agent who can assist you with narrowing things down based on your budget. A good travel agent will NOT push you into any resort. A good agent will listen to you and recommend a destination and resort that best fits what you need. Yes, there are agents out there that have preferred resorts they work with, but also keep in mind that because of their established relationships, you may get more perks by using a resort the agent liked to book. You just have to decide if it's something that fits your needs. If you are being pushed Sandals for example, but it is too pricey and the agent won't recommend another resort, then maybe it's time to find another agent.

  edit- computer froze.

   

  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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