Destination Wedding- affordable
Sep 20th, 2016, 07:22 AM
#1
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Destination Wedding- affordable
Hey everyone, I'm looking for a resort for a destination wedding. I have about 65 people attending. The Bahamas is ideal, because I have people who dont' want to fly (they could boat over from Miami), but I'm open to other ideas. I just would like to know some pricing of your weddings at different resorts on what would be affordable. What was the overall cost? What did it include? Did your guests pay for all their own airfare and rooms? What about food and drinks?
I really have no idea how to start this process or any idea if its even in my budget. Please send me any info at all you can!
Thanks!
I really have no idea how to start this process or any idea if its even in my budget. Please send me any info at all you can!
Thanks!
Sep 20th, 2016, 08:37 AM
#2
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In order for anyone to be of help you have to define what "affordable" means to you in terms of actual dollars.
Weddings, no matter where they are held, can be done in various price ranges and the overall cost will depend on the venue, what items you as the "Bride & Groom" are willing to pay for, what type of ceremony you expect, what type of reception you want, how long you plan to stay, etc., etc., etc. Suffice to say a wedding with 65 people in attendance could run you as little as say $3,000 if all you want is a simple ceremony and a champagne toast with a few hors d'oeuvres afterwards to upwards of $500,000 if you want a full sit down wedding and week long accommodations at a 4 star resort on some tropical island. As with any private function what's included is dependent upon "how much you are willing to pay".
Also, with destination weddings you'll have to decide if you are willing to foot the bill for your guest's airfare (or boat fare) and accommodations. This can add a huge amount to your budget. If you expect guests to pay their own way then you can safely assume some of your intended invitees may not be able to afford the cost or have the available "vacation time" in order to get off from work.
For starters, you should probably price weddings where you now live so you get some idea of the general costs for the type of function you desire. Once you have that number, you can probably figure on a similar function on a Caribbean island will run you about 25% to 35% more (everything cost more in the Caribbean). Add to that the average per person cost for airfare and the price for rooms at the hotel/resort where you plan to house your guests and you'll come up with a fairly accurate estimate of what your wedding will cost.
Suffice to say, unless you plan on a simple ceremony with just a few relatives and close friends, weddings in the Caribbean can be a very costly affair, even if you don't pay for your guests' accommodation and airfare.
Weddings, no matter where they are held, can be done in various price ranges and the overall cost will depend on the venue, what items you as the "Bride & Groom" are willing to pay for, what type of ceremony you expect, what type of reception you want, how long you plan to stay, etc., etc., etc. Suffice to say a wedding with 65 people in attendance could run you as little as say $3,000 if all you want is a simple ceremony and a champagne toast with a few hors d'oeuvres afterwards to upwards of $500,000 if you want a full sit down wedding and week long accommodations at a 4 star resort on some tropical island. As with any private function what's included is dependent upon "how much you are willing to pay".
Also, with destination weddings you'll have to decide if you are willing to foot the bill for your guest's airfare (or boat fare) and accommodations. This can add a huge amount to your budget. If you expect guests to pay their own way then you can safely assume some of your intended invitees may not be able to afford the cost or have the available "vacation time" in order to get off from work.
For starters, you should probably price weddings where you now live so you get some idea of the general costs for the type of function you desire. Once you have that number, you can probably figure on a similar function on a Caribbean island will run you about 25% to 35% more (everything cost more in the Caribbean). Add to that the average per person cost for airfare and the price for rooms at the hotel/resort where you plan to house your guests and you'll come up with a fairly accurate estimate of what your wedding will cost.
Suffice to say, unless you plan on a simple ceremony with just a few relatives and close friends, weddings in the Caribbean can be a very costly affair, even if you don't pay for your guests' accommodation and airfare.
Sep 20th, 2016, 12:07 PM
#3
65 people is a large wedding. Can you really afford to pay for everyone's airfare, hotel room, food, drink, etc.?
Maybe someone will chime in here with personal experience, but I think you'd get the information a lot faster and more accurately by contacting a couple resorts you have in mind, and asking them for a proposal.
Maybe someone will chime in here with personal experience, but I think you'd get the information a lot faster and more accurately by contacting a couple resorts you have in mind, and asking them for a proposal.
Sep 21st, 2016, 09:06 AM
#4
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All my guests would be paying for their own airfare and hotel accommodations. The only thing I'm concerned for pricing would be for the Actual wedding including ceremony, reception, food, and drinks.
Sep 21st, 2016, 09:17 AM
#5
Sep 21st, 2016, 09:18 AM
#6
I am just guessing but I bet islands like Jamaica or the Dominican Republic would be less expensive than an event in the Bahamas. There are All-Inclusives in both places that specialize in weddings.
Sep 21st, 2016, 11:49 AM
#7
My niece had a destination wedding in Mexico - between Cancun and Play Del Carmen.
It was very nice - but not a five star property. She wanted to keep it afforbable for everyone so she picked a 3.5-4 star place. We all had a great time. The ceremony was right on the beach and the reception was at the restaurant which has a huge wrap around deck (it's elevated so if you have any wheelchair bound guests, it might be difficult).
This is the place:
http://www.cataloniacaribbean.com/en...-playa-maroma/
It was very nice - but not a five star property. She wanted to keep it afforbable for everyone so she picked a 3.5-4 star place. We all had a great time. The ceremony was right on the beach and the reception was at the restaurant which has a huge wrap around deck (it's elevated so if you have any wheelchair bound guests, it might be difficult).
This is the place:
http://www.cataloniacaribbean.com/en...-playa-maroma/
Sep 27th, 2016, 12:38 PM
#9
<<Why propose Mexico when Cassidir is proposing to go to the Caribbean islands?>>
because he said this:
"The Bahamas is ideal, because I have people who dont' want to fly (they could boat over from Miami), but I'm open to other ideas."
Not that it is any of your concern anyway.
because he said this:
"The Bahamas is ideal, because I have people who dont' want to fly (they could boat over from Miami), but I'm open to other ideas."
Not that it is any of your concern anyway.
Sep 28th, 2016, 08:30 AM
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To answer your general question about destination weddings, we recently had one in the Colorado mountains. We had negotiated a very good room rate of $235/nigh. We have extensive experience at the resort destination, and knew that it is worth every penny of that and our guests would be really happy there.
We did not pay airfare, rental cars or lodging. I think that's unnecessary.
We did take care of nearly all the meals for our guests. Instead of a traditional rehearsal dinner only for the wedding party and families, we invited everyone for a dinner Friday night, when people arrived. The wedding was open bar all evening, with plenty of hors d'oeuvres served before, and a sit down dinner. The next morning, everyone was invited to an extensive brunch buffet.
No complaints from anyone. We invited about 180, could have seated 160, and had 130. So the numbers all worked out. Thank goodness.
I'd rather not share the budget, though. There are many other ways to do it than we did, so just look into it.
We did not pay airfare, rental cars or lodging. I think that's unnecessary.
We did take care of nearly all the meals for our guests. Instead of a traditional rehearsal dinner only for the wedding party and families, we invited everyone for a dinner Friday night, when people arrived. The wedding was open bar all evening, with plenty of hors d'oeuvres served before, and a sit down dinner. The next morning, everyone was invited to an extensive brunch buffet.
No complaints from anyone. We invited about 180, could have seated 160, and had 130. So the numbers all worked out. Thank goodness.
I'd rather not share the budget, though. There are many other ways to do it than we did, so just look into it.
Sep 28th, 2016, 02:37 PM
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PS. When I say "we" above, I mean we shared expenses, because the groom's family hosted Friday night's BBQ and they split the Sunday brunch with us. Don't mean to misrepresent our expenses. It was just right, according to our two families and our ranch styles. So lucky we already knew the perfect venue.
Good luck with it. It can be a lot of fun to host a weekend event. I agree there are resorts that specialize in destination weddings. Consult a couple you find on-line. Ask if they require you hire a wedding planner. Some do, and that adds a chunk of money.
In the Dominican Republic, I have been to Casa de Campa, and it's a lovely place for a wedding. Do not know the cost, but probably much more than the new AIs that have sprung up.
Good luck with it. It can be a lot of fun to host a weekend event. I agree there are resorts that specialize in destination weddings. Consult a couple you find on-line. Ask if they require you hire a wedding planner. Some do, and that adds a chunk of money.
In the Dominican Republic, I have been to Casa de Campa, and it's a lovely place for a wedding. Do not know the cost, but probably much more than the new AIs that have sprung up.
