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Destination Wedding Articles
Planning a Destination Wedding?
Provided by: Petra Maurus
Congratulations!
Before you start booking it pays to do your research! The wedding market is a booming business and the choices are overwhelming, however, by following a few simple rules you can plan the destination wedding of your dreams without having a nasty surprise when you arrive!
Choosing your location:
There is literally no destination world-wide where you cannot get hitched these days!
There are great locations for every taste, whether you want a romantic Beach wedding or tie the knot on a snow covered mountain.
Remember that your choice has implications on other factors, your wedding attire for a beach wedding can be anything from a white sarong to a traditional wedding gown whilst a snow covered mountain requires a bit more substantial attire.
Once you have decided what type of wedding you want check out suitable locations and remember that high seasons are always more expensive than low season.
If you elope, its a lot more simple because you only have the two of you to consider. For couples with attending guests you have two choices:
a) You can organize the travel for your guests, or,
b) they are free to make their own arrangements.
Most couples try to organize all arrangements to ensure that their guests are located in the same Hotel or nearby. This can turn into a total nightmare but there are ways to simplify the task. Many airlines offer group bookings from 10 people onwards and the same applies to most Hotels. There are various travel agencies and other companies that can help and it's important to do your research well! The price differences offered for one and the same flight or Hotel can vary by several hundred $$$'s. Check Hotel prices through other country's websites (most are available in several languages) - you may be surprised at the difference in price for one and the same Hotel!
For the very adventurous with ample time on their hands you can always contact airlines and Hotels directly to compare prices. In some cases its more cost effective to choose a joint departure point for everybody and charter the entire aircraft depending on the number of guests.
Staying at the same Hotel has the advantage of minimizing logistics, however, please remember that although its great to have all family and friends around you, it can also be extremely trying!
Initially everyone will be on best behavior but eventually novelty wears off and year old grudges between guests may be revived that can contribute to creating a bad atmosphere! The truth is that we are all normal human beings who need their own space. The only time we usually have big gatherings is normally limited to one afternoon, an evening or at the most one day! Ask yourself if you can you bear uncle Jimmy's constant moaning or auntie Meg's unruly children for several days and evenings in a row!
Another point to consider is that you will feel obliged to entertain and look after your guests (after all, they only came to be at your wedding!) with the end result that you miss out on 'private and intimate' time as newlyweds.
A great solution is to change Hotels after the wedding ceremony and meet everyone again at the airport. Your guests will feel free to do their own thing and enjoy their vacation whilst you can enjoy an undisturbed 'honeymoon' and all of you have plenty to talk about when you meet up!
Just remember, no matter how hard you try to please everyone, there will always be somebody with issues, be it about the Hotel, the staff, the amenities, etc. but never forget that it's your wedding and it's perfectly ok to be a bit selfish!
All Inclusive Resorts are the most popular choice for group bookings - the vast majority of large Hotels are great for all your guests and have all the amenities you can think off, including wedding planning, however, if you want a romantic, intimate wedding it may not be the right choice for you!
Let me ask you this, if you are looking to have something special and you have 3 choices
a) you can do it yourself,
b) go to a supermarket or
c) choose a delicatessen shop, what will you choose?
Well, for most of us the answer is simple, you go to a delicatessen shop!
They offer a large choice of usual and unusual goods, you will receive good & friendly customer service, experienced advice as well as educated information that will help your decision.
Ok, I know.....The first thing that comes into our mind when we think of 'delicatessen' is 'high cost'. Not necessarily, but let's first think about the advantages and disadvantages for each option (the list is endless however, let's just look at a few):
DIY weddings:
Pro:
* You are in full control of planning your entire wedding
* you can work out deals with individual suppliers cutting costs
* hire your choice of suppliers
* and choose your dream location
* some wedding consultants or other wedding suppliers will offer you a list of suppliers in their area (there may be a charge) whom you can contact directly
Con's
* Most of us are in full time employment and spare time for planning a wedding is always an issue
* planning a wedding in general is a first time experience for most of us, a destination wedding requires extensive research and can be hampered by language problems that can easily cause costly misunderstandings
* You may have to go on an inspection visit prior to the wedding to finalize everything
* You will probably not be able to relax and enjoy your wedding day as you continue to feel 'responsible' and 'in charge'
Hotel Wedding packages:
Pro's:
* Everything is under one roof
* The Hotel may offer 'free weddings'
* You can look at beautiful brochures
* The Hotel may have one or more unique wedding locations
* Payments are easier to handle if you only have to pay one source
* Logistics to transport guests around between locations are usually not an issue
* You and your guests can all be at the same location making communication and planning outings easier to organize
* Spa service, hairdresser etc. may all be available at the Hotel or included in your package price
Con's:
* The Hotel's wedding packages are usually inflexible, i.e. if you don't want a particular service you still have to pay, if you have special requests, they may not be possible due to Hotel policy
* There is no such thing as a 'free wedding'! Read the small print and do your calculations, you will definetely pay for it in other ways, i.e. overpriced cake, flowers, etc.
* If you don't get on with the wedding planner, you generally have no option to change
* Most large Hotels have several weddings a day (we know from couples that 'their' Hotel's policy says they only host 1 wedding per day - however, sadly this is not always true! Check on forums and ask the question directly if anybody is getting married at 'your' Hotel on your wedding day!
* Many Hotels do not allow you to hire your own suppliers because they have contractors that have paid a lot of money to have the exclusive right to work at the Hotel. Ask and get it in writing before you committ yourself - you may save yourself a nasty surprise!
* In some countries, Hotel staff are paid very low wages. Their 'subsidary income' is made from commissions from hiring outside vendors for your wedding. In essence, many suggestions for photographers, videographers, etc. are not based on the quality you get but on the commission the wedding planner receives! Do your own research!
* If you have a problem before, during or after your wedding, most venues are not very receptive to your complaints. They may have hundreds of other weddings booked and one unhappy client doesn't make them loose their reputation.
Independant Wedding Consultants
Pro's
* You can easily find out names and contact details of independant Wedding planners at your chosen location on the Internet, forums etc.
* you can usually contact previous clients for reference at your request
* they are not tied to a choice of locations or suppliers
* Are generally happy to work within your budget
* If you don't get on, you can always find a different wedding planner and use the information you already received
* they know all the in's and out's for everything concerning a wedding, time frames, do's and don'ts, wedding etiquette, etc.
* can easily cater for special requests or needs
* most independant wedding consultants take a genuine interest in your wedding and offer advice and tips
* they will make sure that your wedding is perfect because they have a reputation to loose
Con's
* may not be able to organize a wedding at the Hotel of your choice (some Hotels do not allow outside wedding planners)
*may be too expensive (ask if they have a flat fee, percentage or hourly rate)
* may be too pushy to convince you that you need more than you actually want
These are but a few of the pro's and con's for each option available but its worth considering. Most independant wedding planners do not necessarily have professional training, however, this doesn't necessarily make them a worse choice.
The most important thing is that you do your research well and choose somebody that who has good communicational skills, is prepared to work within your budget, offers you references and advice and most important of all, choose somebody whom you feel you can trust and very important somebody you 'click' with. We are all different and whatever works for one person does not necessarly work for somebody else. Your wedding consultant, be it the Hotel's or an independant one, will be accompanying you from the planning stages of your wedding until you retire for your wedding night. How do you know if you picked the right one? If you feel that you are working with a friend who is professional and sympathetic to your needs!
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