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Just Said Yes February 2019

Destination Wedding - Yes or No?

Tasha, on January 24, 2018 at 4:56 PM Posted in Planning 0 5

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Hi! I just got engaged on the 10th of January and I realise this is early but I was wondering do you guys have any advice on whether I should consider a destination wedding in the Caribbean? My fiance is keen on the idea but I'm worried I'm going to worry being so far away and not be able to customise my wedding as I had once dreamt. What do you guys think? Can I get my dream wedding in the Caribbean or will I end up settling for various fixed packages and should consider having my wedding locally?

Much love and thank you for all your advice and help in advance x

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5 Comments

Latest activity by Amanda, on January 30, 2018 at 11:38 AM

VIP January 2019
Daria · on January 24, 2018 at 4:57 PM
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What about the people you most want to have there? Will they be able to make the trip?
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Just Said Yes February 2019
Tasha · on January 24, 2018 at 5:09 PM
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Yes they will be able to. I was more concerned with how I'd go about customising my wedding because tweaking packages can end up being expensive. Dont you think?
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WeddingWire Administrator October 2016
Lynnie · on January 24, 2018 at 5:16 PM
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Hi Tasha! It's such a personal decision!
Here are a few things I'd think through:
- Are your closest friends and family members willing to travel?
- Are you ok with less people possibly being able to attend?
- How do you feel about going with more a of wedding package than being able to hire each vendor individually?
On the pro side, you'll definitely get amazing pictures!!!
Here are some more tips and questions to think through from our editorial team:
Is a Destination Wedding Right for You?
6 Perks of Having a Destination Wedding
5 Things to Consider for a Destination Wedding
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Master May 2018
Forestwed · on January 24, 2018 at 5:48 PM
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It depends on what your custom vision is. Is it something that can be accomplished there? If you would pay for it here why not pay for it at a destination.
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Dedicated May 2018
Amanda · on January 30, 2018 at 11:38 AM
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Fellow DW bride here! here's how we approached our DW idea... a DW is not right for everyone, but it is for us
1. who are our VIPs? The folks that we could not get married without. our list was short - my mom, FH's mom. are the VIPs able and willing to travel? both moms said, "heck yes!"
2. connect with a Travel Agent who specializes in DW. Gave her a list of 'must-have' resort amenities - she gave us a list of 4 resorts in Mexico and 3 in the Domnican Republic.
3. research legal marriage requirements - in Mexico, you have to be in the country for 3 business days before the legal ceremony and the cost is about $1000 and requires a blood test in country, DR is 5 business days. You can do symbolic ceremony too, which is cheaper and less required days.
4. with TA - research estimate cost for each guest - how much we were willing to ask our guests to pay? We wanted to keep it under $1500 per guest (flight + 3 nights). We talked to a few key guests to determine this baseline
5. picked our resort based on travel cost, wedding planner reviews, and date availability.
We ended up at Azul Sensatori in Riveria Maya, Mexico. We chose this resort because the wedding package is good, our TA has personally attended weddings there and had positive reviews. It's family friendly and the costs to each guest are reasonable.
A tip for planning a DW - be patient and know you can't control every aspect. a lot of DW resorts give you a menu of items to pick from and that's it. You can customize most - but the costs add up, quickly and/or you end up hauling 8 suitcases of decor with you. We ended up with flowers from their standard menu. but we are DIYing the centerpieces bc I wasn't willing to spend $100/table, but yes, I'm hauling a whole suitcase for centerpieces.
Our wedding planning at Azul responds to emails within 1-2 business days and we have a conference call every few months - he's been wonderful, but not all resorts are the same. Some resorts won't start planning with you until 3-6 months out or are less responsive. You can do a site visit to see the resort in advance, but it is an added cost. we did not - we trusted our TA. This is our resort's wedding planning site (for reference): http://www.weddingsbylomastravel.com/planning
final recommendation - jump over bestdestinationweddings.com - tons of reviews from real DW brides on almost every resort. I've found this very helpful!
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