Destination Wedding; Where do I start?...

​Below I will guide you through where to start with your destination wedding.  I have broken down my weddings that I've booked from 2017, 2018 and 2019 so you can see how travel costs, wedding prices and promotions work. Here you can see proof of past, current and future weddings.  I have included hotels in each destination so you know where to start looking.

​Before you start looking up resorts all over Mexico and the Caribbean you need to narrow down 2 budgets.  At the same time you need to consider your wedding date, does it fall over a holiday or peak time of year as you may have to increase the travel budget to accommodate or be flexible on the date/month.

​1. You and your guests travel budget.                      2. Your wedding budget.
Without having planned a wedding before you are asking the same questions... how to estimate travel budget? and wedding budget? without knowing where to start!?

I have calculated the nightly average price from 3 years of weddings that I have booked between Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Costa Rica to give you an average cost that is accurate to present day.

​The average nightly rate worked out to $185.50 per person per night x 2 adults in the room is = $371 per night.  If you stayed for a week that is $1,298.50 per person for 7 nights.

​Average wedding cost of $7,486 with an average of 42 guests for food, drinks, décor, DJ, dance floor with ceremony, 1 hour cocktail, 3 hour dinner reception.

​Average free room or free guest promotion couple received $5,194.

​How do free rooms work?  One of best promotions that quite a few different brands of hotels are offering is every 6th room free (average is maximum of 3 free rooms).  What that means is when final payment of your group is finished the hotel gives the wedding couple the monetary amount of the free room. 

​To keep it simple if the cost of the week is $2,597 and you have 12 rooms book that is $2,597 X 2 free rooms = $5,194.  If you had 18 rooms that would be $7,791 that you would receive.   

​What most couples do is reduce their travel costs and then put the rest towards the wedding but you may do what you wish.

​Total costs for hotel for 1 week  =$2,597
Total wedding cost                      =$7,486
Total                                              =$10,083
PROMO        -$5,194 ($2,597 x 2 free rooms)
New Total = $4,889

What isn’t included is photography and flights to the destination.

Now that you know what an average wedding costs you can decide if you want go up or down in your travel budget and wedding budget.

Resort Sourced
Riviera Maya, Mexico – Dreams Riviera Cancun – April, May, October, November 2019
Riviera Maya, Mexico – Hard Rock Riviera Maya – September, October, November 2019
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic – Now Onyx Punta Cana – May, June, October November 2019
Montego Bay, Jamaica – Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall- September, October 2019
Liberia, Costa Rica – Secrets Papagayo- September, October 2019