• The best time to get married
• Insider secrets to free perks
• The one thing that will make or break your budget
1) Choose a destination that it is easy and affordable to fly into
The destination you choose can often make or break your budget. You might be dreaming of an uber-exotic out-of-the-way destination for your special day, but that might also mean uber-expensive flights and uber long travel days which may end up being a hinderance for you, your fiancé or your guests.
On the other hand, there are plenty of locations that are uber-exotic, but for a variety of reasons are
surprisingly easy and affordable to get to. A professional travel expert (like me!) can be a great guide to finding these not so well known locations. Please don’t forget to also pick a location you love. Regardless of your budget, this is your wedding, your special day, and you want to have nothing but joy-filled memories of this special day. Choose a location that you absolutely love and that appeals to your aesthetic, way of life, and look and feel of your wedding. You want your guests to go home feeling like the entire event was completely your style!
2) Take advantage of wedding credits and other perks offered at your destination
Did you know that hotels and resorts that cater to destination weddings will offer you wedding credits based on the number of rooms booked for your event? Did you know that it’s even possible at some destinations to have your wedding or honeymoon completely free based on the size of your group?
Wedding credits can be applied towards your costs, such as your accommodations, local wedding related government fees, or extra special perks like a fine bottle of champagne or a romantic catamaran trip around the island. Just like airline miles and credit cards perks, some are much better offers than others. A travel agent who specializes in Romance Travel can help you choose a property that will give you the most wedding credits based on the number of rooms booked.
3) Be open to getting married during the week, as opposed to a Saturday
Many venues offer lower rates for weekday weddings. You and your guests are already likely taking some time off for the wedding, so planning a destination wedding during the week is typically much easier than trying to schedule a traditional wedding during the week.
4) Choose flowers, food and favors that are easy to find locally
Shipping or traveling with your flowers, food or wedding favors is expensive and can be a real hassle. You might even run into restrictions when it comes to fresh flowers or foods depending on where you are traveling. Forget the hassle and choose these items that are unique to your destination.
Choose flowers, food and favors that are easy to find locally Part of the beauty and fun of a destination wedding is choosing flowers, food and favors that match the theme of your destination, to design the entire experience for you and your guests to be immersed in the locale.
Local souvenirs make the perfect favor for destination weddings. Find a local, high-end gift shop that sells tasteful souvenirs or consider giving local delicacies – wines, coffees, nuts, candies…
almost every location has some culinary treat that they are known for – with a quick online search or phone call to your wedding travel agency, you can come up with a wonderful, memorable wedding favor your guests will love.
5) Talk to your Travel Agent about negotiating special upgrades and perks based on the size of your wedding
…and make sure your guests understand how to book under your contract.
Your Travel Agent is an invaluable resource to you when it comes to negotiating group contracts with destination wedding venues. What this means for you is freebies and concessions such as upgrades, parties, etc. for booking a certain number of rooms.
You want to communicate with your guests and make sure they book with your Travel Agent so that their travel is booked properly and will count towards the guaranteed minimum number of guests that your Travel Agent negotiated for you so you don’t lose your perks.
There is nothing worse than negotiating a killer deal with a resort based on the number of guests you will have, only to get there and realize it was all for naught since half of your guests didn’t book their rooms under your contract! There are some resorts that now even charge the couple for guests that don’t book inside the negotiated group contract. Ouch!
As your destination wedding travel agency, we can help you communicate this clearly to your guests and you have our word that they will be treated to the exact same luxury experience that I will provide you.