When Do I Need to Book By? The couple’s wedding invitations will have a booking deadline. The earlier you book, the more options you have at better rates. There are a lot of detail the bride and groom must plan, so try to be considerate of their time and have your reservation set up at least 6 months ahead of the wedding date. Booking early will give the bride and groom an idea on the numbers they will need to prepare and finalize the plans and budget for the wedding. We can help you book for as long as the hotel has rooms open. When you make your reservation, the deposit will be paid, and final payments are due between 60 and 90 days ahead of travel.
How Should I Book My Trip? Depending on the couple, a wedding website will be available with information regarding how to have your trip booked. Either rates for the rooms will be listed, or there will be a quote form you can fill out to send to us. Most resorts will offer the couple amenities for their wedding based on the number of rooms booked, so the resort and couple both are relying on us to organize the rooms and keep count of how many guests there will be. Book your room with us to help the couple keep a smooth organization and planning process. It is important to book on time. The bride and groom will need an accurate guest count to prevent any last-minute scramble for extra seats, dinners, and décor. Good deals are great, but last-minute booking and guests puts stress on the bride and groom.
How Much is the Trip Going to Cost? The wedding website will have room rates most of the time. If there are not any rates available, submit a quote request with us and include all the details you can. For an accurate quote, we need to know:
How many people are in one room?
How many nights will you be there?
If air is included, where will you fly from?
A destination wedding can cost between $1,000 and $1,5000 for guests depending on the departure city, the destination, and how long they are staying. The cost will cover flights, the resort fees, any accommodations, and any food/drinks for 3 nights and 4 days.
What if I Can’t Afford it? We understand, and the bride and groom do too. Not everyone can attend, and that’s fine. Alert the couple you will not be able to make it.
What’s Not Included with My All-Inclusive Trip? You’ll want to bring 1’s and 5’s for tipping. While gratuities are technically included in the travel package, you will want to have some extra cash to tip the bartenders and waiters. Bring small bills so you can tip them. Non-hotel employees such as the shuttle driver and airport employees will be expecting at tip. US Cash is fine for tipping. Tours, spa treatments, and excursions are not included with the trip, but you can pay with your credit card or cash at the hotel if you want to participate in these. Insurance isn’t included in the travel plan but is an optional addition while you are booking. If you order a full bottle of specific liquor, you will need to pay for it. All other liquor is fine. There are some destinations that require a small country tax, such as Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic. While the tax is not included, we will alert you of this so you can plan accordingly.
What if I Find a Cheaper Price Online? We work hard to get you the best price available. If you find a less expensive price for the same package, including the airline, airline times, dates, taxes, transfers, insurance, etc, let us have the chance to try and receive the same price. This way, you can still be counted in the wedding party and we can handle booking your reservation for you. Normally any online prices will lack something like possible transfers or taxes. Let us have the opportunity to help you, and alert us which website you found the deal on. Please also include screenshots of the flights, the hotel room, and the dates. This way, we can recreate it and help make sure everyone is booked in the bride and groom’s block.
What do I Wear to a Destination Wedding? Dress cool, since where you will be going will be warm. Men should look for linen shirts, khaki slacks, and nice sandals. Suits and ties will be few and wearing one will cause you to get warm quickly. Ladies will want a nice sundress, or capris with sandals. Unless the bride and groom have noted differently, destination weddings will be a little more casual than traditional weddings. If you are unsure, ask the bride and groom. Sometimes couples will have special dress restrictions, such as a specific color. Double check with them to make sure you do not arrive at the hotel unprepared.
Should I Bring a Gift? Destination weddings typically do not involve wedding gifts. Some couples will insist the presence of the guests is enough of a gift, but a card is a nice touch. If you want to give them a gift, discuss getting the couple a tour or room upgrade with us. In most cases, this is easy. If the gift is monetary or a boxed gift, give it to the couple before you leave or after you come back. This will be one less thing to keep track of during the travel.
What if I Run into Problems? A key etiquette tip for destination wedding guests is avoid involving the bride and groom in any issues you encounter. Contact US if you missed your flight or you discover your name has been misspelled on travel documents. If your room isn’t ready when you arrive, or the view isn’t perfect, don’t complain about this to the couple or the other guests. This creates a bad atmosphere and causes extra stress. If you run into a problem, call or email us. Our phone number will be on your travel documents. Let us know of any issues you have with the hotel while you’re there. Once you check out, very little can be done. And keep in mind, not everything goes the way it was planned, so be flexible, polite, and understanding so the bride and groom can have a perfect wedding day.