Guests staying off the resort

That's a great question. Personally I would pay for them as I don't like drama. They're probably staying elsewhere due to the cost. I'd be interested in hearing opinions too.

Why would they need to buy a day pass just to come to the wedding? Maybe I don't understand how resort weddings work, though.

Yea i'm confused with having to pay for a day pass, aren't they attending a wedding at the resort? i didn't know resorts could charge extra for that considering your already paying to have the wedding there.

Confused here too

My friend had a DW wedding and anyone not staying on the resort had to pay a small fee to get on for the day. She told anyone that wasn't staying on the resort that they were responsible for purchasing the day pass (which was $30 per person). She felt that most resorts were comparable to the one she choose and that there wasn't any reason why her guests should not stay at the one she chose. Not saying that this is the right way to go about this, just stating what she did for her wedding.

For mine I am paying for the day pass. Whether they stay on the resort or off the resort I have to pay for "fees" anyways.

I have to pay for my guests' dinner and bar even if they are staying on the resort. So the day pass is essentially going to be the same cost.

If someone is not staying at the resort, they must buy a day pass to have access to the resort for the day. Just like you cant just walk into any hotel and use the pool or hangout.

I think my day passes are $125 each.

I've worked at a few resorts and some of them do charge a day fee for offsite guests. I would check with the hotel or onsite wedding planner just see if you can either get them comped or get some kind of a discount on the pass. I know that for weddings, some resorts will usually have a special rate for offsite guests.

Were you specifically told that wedding guests need day passes to attend your event?

If you want them to go in the pools and have access to the facilities, then you may need the day pass. I live in a resort town and we go to dinner at hotel restaurants and walk thru the hotels all the time. Iʻve never needed a day pass to do that. Iʻd call and clarify that.

The bride and groom should cover the cost of the day pass

We are getting married at the Grand Palladium In Puerto Vallarta, and I have talked with the wedding coordinator on-site and she said any guest not staying at the resort needs to buy a day pass which is $60 us, so that works to $80 Canadian.

I just think because we did all the work of researching resorts and negotiated a great price for our guests, that if they choose to stay somewhere else, that is totally fine, but I don't think we should have to pay for their day pass. They are choosing to stay somewhere else......

I don't know, maybe im wrong and we should pay...

@Kristen I love that resort! But yea, definitely the hosts need to cover that cost.

Thatʻs really strange, Iʻve never heard of that. We go to events quite often and not stay at the resorts theyʻre held at, weʻve never even been questioned. Maybe itʻs a safety thing being Mexico?

I would make it clear to guests staying elsewhere that they may need to purchase the pass if they so choose to stay elsewhere. I wouldnʻt blind-side them with it and I wouldnʻt necessarily cover their personal choice to stay elsewhere either. If they have no clue that doing so would need a day pass to attend the event, then Iʻd be inclined to cover it for them, but if they know full-well and still choose to stay elsewhere, then thatʻs on them.

Ok thank-you everyone. Yes it was on the invitation that if guests chose to stay somewhere else there would be a fee of $80 to be on the resort for the day.

I appreciate everyones advice.

The hosts should cover that cost. Your guests should never have to pay a fee to attend your wedding. It's one of the downsides to having a destination wedding at a resort, unfortunately.

It's an all inclusive thing. If the resort wasn't AI then they'd be no fee.

Wow, I didn't know it worked that way.

I'd say the gracious thing to do would be to cover it, since as Robin says, if they're staying somewhere else, cost is probably an issue. And I agree with ItsGoodToBeKing that if you won't cover it, you should let folks know in advance. Maybe phrase it as "we encourage our guests to take advantage of the block rate at X Resort and to avoid being charged the day pass fee of $Y to be admitted to the hotel."

As a guest Iʻd be surprised if the bride and groom covered that for me since I chose to stay elsewhere knowing there was a fee.

Some resorts offer free wedding packages if you have a certain number of rooms booked/guests staying for a certain number of night. THis resort isn't like that, it doesn't have a free wedding package. We are paying per person for both the reception and the beach party just like at a wedding at home. I just think becuaes we gave them the info upfront that they should cover the costs if they still choose to stay somewhere else. The reason they are staying somewhere else is because they own property in mexico and want to stay there. I totally understand, I would want to stay at my own place if I had property in mexico too.