“Why should I book a group room block for my destination wedding?” is in the top 5 destination wedding questions that I receive – and it’s a good one! Booking a group room block often requires contracts, deposits, and has terms, conditions and stipulations that can seem overwhelming and unnecessary, especially for smaller destination wedding groups.

On top of that, there will always be a destination wedding guest (or two) that don’t like the resort that the wedding will be held at, have a friend who said that they can borrow their time-share, prefers a cheaper hotel stay off-site or simply found a “cheap travel deal” online or at a big box travel retailer store.

I have a separate article that goes into detail about the benefits, advantages and disadvantages of group room blocks which you can find HERE. However, I want to focus this article about what happens in the event of a hotel shutdown, evacuation, sale, fire, weather event (like a hurricane!), government-imposed travel restrictions by your destination country or other unforeseen event.

Before you start thinking, “well what are the odds of THAT though?!” or “I’ll be fine, because my wedding isn’t scheduled during a predominantly bad weather month”, I do want to gently point out that the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected everyone on a global scale and seemed to come from nowhere.

In that same vein, so can hurricanes, floods, volcanoes, fires, blizzards and hotel acquisitions – and yes, I do mean that your hotel could be sold to another owner before your wedding and they may have plans to shut down and renovate! Yikes!

I'm going to warn you now, that this is a relatively a long article. :) There is so much to know and understand which often go overlooked before it's too late. I have gone through many of the above scenarios with clients, and wanted to share one of the latest stories I've encountered with a wedding group just a couple weeks ago... 

Throughout my 11 years of planning destination wedding travel, I've had at LEAST one event per year affect a wedding group of mine and sadly, sometimes 2-3 in a year! Considering that I usually only accept a maximum of 20 weddings per year, so I can dedicate the time and attention required to my couples and their guests, it's statistically high odds that you might be affected by an unforeseen event – which in turn means that your guests will also be affected.

In addition to the coronavirus pandemic affecting all destination wedding couples in some way, one of my wedding groups had to do deal with two separate situations that wreaked havoc on their wedding vacation. While originally, they had done “all of the right things” and booked their wedding well out of hurricane season, when COVID hit, they (along with every other couple, group, and vacationer) had to reschedule due to travel restrictions and hotel closures. Due to the options offered in the early COVID chaos period – the availability was scarce, and they had to select an early October postponement.

Unfortunately, a sizeable hurricane began to head toward the popular tourist region where their wedding was scheduled just a day before travel – while rare, nothing is impossible, and thankfully the hurricane weakened before it made landfall and people in the area had time to evacuate to remain safe. The resort the wedding group was scheduled to arrive at, sustained damage and had to cease operation for repairs. The guests who were already staying at the resort, and those who were scheduled to arrive in the next few days (such as my wedding group!) were all diverted to a sister resort that had not been impacted by the hurricane.

What I really want to do, is give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what happens to a destination wedding group during an unforeseen emergency. Below will outline three ways your guests may make their room reservation to attend your wedding, and everything to think about BEFORE they do, just in case something like the above scenarios may happen to you, perish the thought!

The group mentioned above was comprised of wedding guests who booked in the following three ways:

1. Booking Style #1: Within the group room block, through the couple’s destination wedding travel agent (in this case, myself, Haley Davis, owner and founder of Destinations HD Boutique Travel Agency).
   
   
2. Booking Style #2: On their own, at the same resort, but through a different travel service provider via an online booking engine.
   
   
3. Booking Style #3: On their own, but at a different accommodations option altogether – be it  a rental property, alternate resort, time-share, etc... These guests of course, would not be able to spend time with the group staying on property, but instead had plans to purchase resort “wedding day passes” to attend the wedding events on that day.
   
   

Unfortunately, the reality of the experiences, outcomes, and even the ability to attend the wedding itself, were very different for the wedding guests and members of the wedding party depending on how they actually booked. It was an unfortunate lesson that many guests had to learn the hard way. I felt it was a good lesson to share to ensure you understand what could happen if things don’t go as planned.

Booking Style #1
It probably goes without saying that if you book with the travel agent and within a group room block that you’re likely to fare better, but let me share the specific reasons why...

1. Destination Wedding Travel Agents have personal relationships with at least 3 different people involved in your wedding! They have a relationship with the wedding coordinator, the resort business development manager, and the group contract manager who assists with negotiating your contract. This means that a destination wedding travel specialist is likely to get advance notification of resort closures, evacuations, etc... which in turn means that they can pass on this information to you and your wedding guests as soon as internal decisions are made.
   
   
2. When you are booked at a hotel within a group, the hotel will ensure that the group is kept together – so if they need to move the group to a sister resort and they have four sister resorts in the area, the guests who are booked within the group will all be re-routed to the same resort.
   
   
3. Logistics: When your property gets evacuated or your group gets moved you have a new problem – what about your flights and ground transportation?? Wedding guests who are booked in a group room block won’t need to worry about it – as the destination wedding specialist travel advisor that is taking care of your group, will be rearranging, rerouting and regrouping everyone – so that all you have to do is remember to pack your carry on with essentials so that you can drop your luggage when you arrive and head to the pool for a nap while your group coordinator, travel agent, wedding coordinator and the hotel work on getting all of the logistics reorganized!

 
Booking Style #2
These guests are often wary of “contracts”, travel advisors, and are savvy personal vacation planners who may have simply found a promotional deal through a third-party travel retailer. While there is nothing wrong with that, should an unforeseen emergency arise, they are often left with the following problems:

1. Late notification (if any) of resort closure. It’s sad but true, with limited staffing and the DIY nature of online booking sites, it doesn’t permit for individualized and personal notifications in the event of emergencies concerning your hotel. As such, it is highly unlikely that those guests will ever receive personal communication from an Expedia representative to inform them they are being rerouted to an alternate hotel. Eventually, those individuals are likely to receive a generic email – but if the emergency is a matter of days or hours before their flight, they could miss important details as they are preparing to or already traveling to the destination.
   
   SIDE NOTE: Most events causing resort closures won’t necessary be easy to find either – as hoteliers make their first announcement within the travel industry community as soon as they are able, which is released by their corporate offices, before releasing to public. The hotel leaves it up to the travel companies to pass along the news to clients with reservations. This goes back to the above point, that outside bookings may never get notified or know what is happening until after arrival.
   
   
2. No Group Guarantee. When booking outside the wedding group, there is absolutely no guarantee that these guests will be moved to the same resort that the group block is being transferred to. As far as the hotel is concerned, they are individual vacationers and have no idea they are part of the wedding. In the midst of trying to appease ALL guests and keep ALL guests safe, the hotel most likely won’t have time to take personal requests about hotel preferences. Most guests aren’t notified until arrival when events like a hurricane occur, so may be transferred without knowledge to an alternate hotel.
   
   The terms and conditions for traveling, and the contract that one enters into when booking through a chosen online or big box travel agency, could be different than those contracted within the group room block, and as such, those other companies may have different hotels contracted that will house their clients should anything affect their travel or when overbooking. These outside reservations are likely to receive very different treatment if not booked under the wedding group – whether they are the mother of the bride or a daughter! Booking through a third-party supplier can be risky when it comes to important events like a wedding or other group celebrations when you want everyone to be together.
   
   
3. Logistics – Hold times have been unusually longer since the COVID-19 pandemic impacted global travel, and they are significantly higher during any unforeseen event which affects travelers such as weather events. If one of these disturbs your wedding group travel plans, and those outside guests that may have received late notice about a hotel closure or evacuation, they may find it difficult to reschedule both air and ground transportation between the airport and hotel – if they are even able to do so at all before arriving.

 
Booking Style #3
The most risky, whether there is an unforeseen event or not, but especially in the case of a destination wedding group moving locations due to an emergency. Should something happen, these guests that decided to stay off-resort often have no recourse at all – whether prompt or otherwise.
​

1. Receiving notification may be iffy at best, but in majority of cases, unlikely altogether – particularly (and most importantly) about the resort where the wedding is being held. In this case, the wedding attendee(s) will need to monitor not only their own travel accommodation, but also that of the hotel the wedding is scheduled at – otherwise these guests may arrive to no accommodation and no idea where the rest of the wedding group went! As the wedding couple, you'll now have the added stress to also keep all those guests outside the group informed of the situation at hand and as things develop, in addition to preparing for your own travels.
   
   
2. No vacancy. As these guests are booked at outside accommodations, it’s extremely unlikely your resort will have any last minute availabity for outside guests to book. Since the hotel transfers all their guests affected to other properties, those rooms will likely be full due to the movement of other groups and guests. External requests will likely be out of luck in sourcing space during an emergency – particularly if the emergency was related to a weather event, in which case not only are hotel occupants affected, but the entire population of the region.
   
   Another good point to ponder is even if your hotel is impacted, the hotel, house or other accommodation that some guests booked on their own may not have been, and they may not be able to get out of their stay to try and find something closer to your new location. That is even if they will be allowed in at your new property (see section for Day Passes below for more explanation).
   
   
3. Air and ground transportation may be sparse and commandeered by those who had solidified bookings via a reputed provider – for those who planned on “winging it” and taking a taxi or uber service from the airport, they may be in for quite high fares, if even available – especially if the wedding group has been moved to a location that is a significant distance further from the airport than initially scheduled to be.

Day Passes
As regular readers and clients of mine will already know, I would never recommend counting on purchasing a resort day pass to attend a destination wedding – too much can go wrong here.

You can read more about why here. However, in the event of a situation that requires guests to be moved to a different property, the reason is simple:
​

• It's likely that the resort will NOT have any day passes available. Accommodating hundreds of new people who were meant to be at one resort, to another resort which presumably already had their own bookings, means that it’s highly probably that the resort will be filled to capacity now. When the resort is at capacity, no day passes can be sold due to local safety and fire code laws.

 
Refunds or Partial Refunds
This is a hot topic and an important one when facing emergency situations that require a change in plans and accommodation. Unfortunately, force majeure events are not usually covered in any travel package terms and conditions – this is where travel insurance becomes a vital backup.

While travel insurance policies have their own terms and conditions, oftentimes you’ll find that you are usually covered for reimbursement of some, if not all, expenses incurred in an emergency situation*.
*For specific terms, conditions, and coverage policy details you will need to reach out to your preferred travel insurance provider to discuss. 

Most hotels and airlines are not required to reimburse you in anyway or to “make up” for the fact that an event impacted your trip, so if provider offers anything at all, is usually in the faith of good customer service, but not all companies will make exceptions.

With that in mind, if you are booked with a group who has entered into a group room block contract and has a travel advisor on your side, you’ll tend to find that the travel agent will advocate on your behalf for possible partial refunds or additional comps, perks and amenities for the trip interruption that you faced. Online or big box travel retailers do not provide these services and the single traveler is unlikely to get far when asking for favors – the simple truth is that a good destination wedding travel agent already has a relationship with the right people in addition to being likely to promote and sell the resort in the future for groups and as such, will have more chance of using that leverage to your advantage.

What to Expect If Disaster Strikes
Understanding the behind-the-scenes details when disaster strikes (whether it be natural, managerial, or accidental), can help better appreciate why it can appear that resorts are slow to act.

In the example of any disaster, the safety of the guests and staff comes first, and their comfort second. The order in which this works is also tied to guests already on property and then transitions to guests who are scheduled to arrive next and so on – but priority is always given to those guests who are currently at the hotel. During this time staff are overwhelmed with moving guests to safety, securing the grounds and retrieving guest belongings from the rooms to forward on to the new property - just to name a few.

This flurry of activity often results in delayed check-in and room allocation at the new property as the staff works with accommodating the influx of new guests and belongings that they were not prepared for. This can take quite some time especially as the staff navigates displaced guests and groups and attempts to accommodate all the special requests that were included in the original booking, as they transfer essential details into their computer systems – all while continuing to manage the property and the guests currently in place and who were scheduled to arrive.

The best thing that you can do is be patient, flexible, and enjoy the resort amenities while you let the resort staff tackle the monumental task at hand – remember, they want you to be safe, happy and to have a wonderful vacation, so they are doing all that they can to ensure that you leave with a positive experience! 

I hope you found some valuable information to help you understand the importance of protecting your destination wedding and your guests with a group room block. If you feel overwhelmed or would like assistance to navigate contract negotiations, we are here for you! This is what we do every day!

We spend most of our vacation time touring resorts, meeting with the wedding coordinators and training for destination weddings, so we can make it very simple for you. We save you time by filtering out all the bad advice and countless options for you. Let us take the guesswork out and match-make you to the destination and resorts that fit your style, vision and budget the best.

​Together we will find your most perfect wedding resort and we take care of the logistics after that. All you have to do is the fun wedding planning and creating an unforgettable event your friend and family will remember for a lifetime! Schedule your free consultation to see how we can assist and learn more about our services!

With so many amazing resorts to choose form, it gets overwhelming trying to figure out the best resort for your destination wedding! We tend to look at resort features, aesthetics, and pricing first and foremost, but there are a lot of other details that you should consider that could be destination wedding deal-breakers.

Read on for some examples on what to look for as you compare resorts for your beach wedding. 

Wedding Package Options
You should go over the resort wedding package options with a fine-toothed comb – preferably with your destination wedding travel specialist – and be sure to check the fine print. While some packages can look appealing at a glance, there are often red flags in the fine print – and some that you may not even find out about until you ask the specific questions related to it!  

Some things that you could run into include, but are not limited to:

• No included wedding reception dinner - and no, just because it’s an all-inclusive resort, you can NOT just all head to one of the restaurants together at the same time!)
• No private reception/ceremony options - some resorts only offer semi-private section within a restaurant and charge a location fee if you want a private location to customize your reception with  dancing or special event after dinner. 
• Limited ceremony/reception locations – and some may even incur a hefty fee in addition the wedding package price.
• Chairs not provided for wedding guests
• Altar additional fee for set-up - while others already have designated structures designed for weddings around the property that are included in the ceremony package.
• Beach location additional fee or has government costs associated - for ceremony and/or reception. Some destinations require a permit for beach weddings or do not allow any decor set-ups directly on the beach due to local laws. 
• Too many weddings scheduled in one day - if you want to be the only bride around the resort on your wedding day, there are resorts that only offer 1 - 3 weddings per day, while others can pack them in every hour during peak seasons - so don't forget to ask if that's important. 
• Waitstaff for reception additional cost - may be included within your package, or a separate charge.
• What is their vendor policy? - Most charge a vendor fee to use outside vendors not on their preferred list, but check to see if that fee is outrageously high - those fees vary greatly between resorts. 

Will You Be Rocking a Neon Wristband With Your Wedding Attire?
You’ll likely want to find out if the resort that you’re considering requires hotel guests to wear wristbands – and what they look like. If wristbands are mandatory, you’ll want to find out what the resort policy is for wearing wristbands during the wedding.
​
Many resorts don’t allow wristbands to be taken off at all, so your wedding pictures could end up showing brightly colored wristbands or you might need to pay extra for a photographer who can hide them or edit them out later.

Additionally, some resorts might allow the couple or bridal party to take off wristbands for the ceremony and pictures, but may charge a fee for allowing this privilege.
 
Glassware – and I don’t Mean Cinderella’s Glass Slippers
Yet another aspect that many people don’t give a thought to during resort selection process, but end up being disappointed in upon arrival. If you’re dreaming of colorful cocktails in tall pretty glasses (perfect for those insta-worthy posts!) and then get handed a small, flimsy, plastic cup like you’re on Spring Break in college – you might end up unimpressed. Especially if you have waited awhile for your fancy tropical drink! 

Don’t Throw in the Towel! (no, really, that might be your only one...)  
Towels are another often overlooked and yet important detail. Some resorts cost cut by requiring guests to use a beach towel brought from their room or picked up upon arrival to the pool area in exchange for your “Pool Towel Card”.  You are then required to use that same towel and return it before they close for the day to get your card back. If you end up losing that card or towel during your stay, you are on the hook for a hefty fine - all for a cheap towel you can’t even keep. Whereas other properties simply have unlimited towels available for use with no card to track.

Foodies, Take Note:
Most of us love the idea of the different variety and options of dining available at resorts, however, you’ll find that some have strict rules governing their restaurant use. Yep, you read that, rules for eating at all-inclusive resort restaurants!

During your search for the perfect resort for your destination wedding, you’ll find some that don’t have all of the restaurants “included” in your stay, and some require reservations to be made in the early morning so you aren’t stuck at a buffet for dinner too (which usually means that someone has to head downstairs before breakfast to try to beat the line at the concierge desk).

Mind you, all of that is STILL better than the resorts that hand you “tickets” for dining during  your stay or limit you to only dining once at certain establishments – so too bad if you loovveed that ceviche at the gorgeous seafood restaurant overlooking the water – it won’t be an option a second time!

Lastly, be wary of resorts that limit how many a’la carte restaurants you can enjoy based on your length of stay. Buffets are not the most gourmet of options, so if you get stuck with buffet food for 4 days out of your 7-night stay, morning, noon and night, you may get board or even worse, ready to head home for some decent food. These restrictions can be hard to find on the resort websites, so it’s important to deep dive for these things while you are doing your research.
 
Differently Abled Accessibility and Entertainment
Are you inviting anyone who has trouble with walking on uneven surfaces or long distances? In the same vein, you’ll need to consider if any guests require a walking frame or wheelchair. If this is the case, then you will need to pay close attention to what accessibility the hotel offers for differently abled guests. There isn’t much point choosing a resort for the amazing over-the-water sky terrace if Grandma Sally will have to watch the ceremony via Zoom at the bottom of the stairs after all.

Please note: There are many quality resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean where you may run into this issue. They do not have the same ADA laws that we do in the United States and thus, are not required to include ramps, elevators or alternate entrances for guests.

Likewise, if you have anyone attending with other special needs or major dietary concerns, you’ll need to take that into consideration as you select your resort – while a mega-resort could sound appealing due to the amount of different activities on offer, you don’t necessarily want any of your guests to be confined to their room because they are unable to walk the length of the hotel. (There are quality resorts that offer golf cart assistance around the property for this reason, but you’ll need to check for that amenity and be sure to inquire about the availability, wait time, etc!)

Mind Your Business – Powder Room Practicalities!
Whether we like to talk about it or not, the fact of the matter is, that everybody pees! Granted, when you sit down to excitedly plan your dream destination wedding day, toilets are probably not something that come to mind. 

I recommend paying close attention to the bedroom layouts, as the newest “open room concept” has been taken to an uncomfortable level at some resorts – so if you personally prefer privacy, you can bet many of your guests would also want that seclusion. Especially if you’ll have families with kids or friends sharing rooms together! It’s not a fun surprise when you arrive for your tropical vacation and realize you’re going to be real close and personal with your roommate (or new spouse!) You don't want to worry about how to awkwardly hide from each other for bathroom privacy.

Special Services to Escalate your Event
We see a lot of couples who would like to incorporate a special family tradition – or create a new one – on their big day and the last thing that you want is to select a resort, sign a contract for a group room block, and then get into the planning stages only to find out that your request can’t be accommodated or will cost a significant amount extra to implement.

On that same note, if you have visions of a beachy welcome bonfire party with your guests, fireworks at your reception, or are envisioning a cocktail hour with strings of fairy lights reflecting off of the grains of sand while enjoying drinks by the firepit, you’ll need to find out in advance if any of that is even available before settling for that resort.  There could be government laws on the public beaches that may not allow those type of options, or require a permit.

Pretty as a Picture... Created in Photoshop
Sad as it is, touching up photos for the internet isn’t just limited to magazines and Instagram. Resort brands have been doing this for a long time and it breaks my heart to see disappointed couples when they arrive on property and realize that they were sold an illusion.

This is a bit of a minefield because even resorts from the same brand, may not be consistent from country to country, so this is where a travel advisor who specializes in destination weddings in your chosen location can really be worth their weight in gold.

Even without an agent however, you can still try to do your due diligence by sourcing pictures from other travelers and really looking past the cocktails and pool to look for the details.

Take note of the following areas within a resort:

• Furniture in pictures – pool loungers, patio chairs, lobby or restaurant seating. Is it threadbare? Plastic? Is there rust on the edges of metal or holes, stains, or tears in fabric? *In the case of fabric covered lobby/dining furniture, see if you can find any OLD pictures of the resort. Did it have the same fabric print on the furniture in those pictures? Odds are that if that is the case, they probably haven’t refreshed their furniture for quite some time!
  
  
• Pools/Tubs – Can you see cracked tiles? Rust around any showerheads or faucets near the drains? Do you see stains on the walls of pools and bathtubs?
  
  
• Air-Conditioning Units – Are they visible on balconies or buildings? If so, what condition are they in? Rusted? Are there drips running down the wall or balcony that they are placed on?
  
  
• Beach Area – Is the water as blue as the website pictures indicate? Do you see rocks or large waves? Evidence of significant amounts of seaweed? Are there beach umbrellas or “palapa” style coverings to provide some shade from the relentless sun? Are there beach waitstaff or a beach bar nearby?

I could keep going on and on – with having over a decade in the destination wedding industry and seeing, as well as, experiencing countless resorts first hand, it has opened my eyes to situations and questions I had never thought about before until I observed the major differences between properties. Nonetheless, I’ll just leave you with the above points to consider for now and will be here when you need any assistance! 

I hope you found some valuable insight on what to look for as you search to find the best resort for your beach wedding. If you feel overwhelmed or would like assistance to narrow down the perfect destination or resort, we are here for you! This is what we do every day!

We spend most of our vacation time touring resorts, meeting with the wedding coordinators and training for destination weddings, so we can make it very simple for you. We save you time by filtering out all the bad advice and countless options for you. Let us take the guesswork out and match-make you to the destination and resorts that fit your style, vision and budget the best.

​Together we will find your perfect wedding resort and we take care of the logistics after that. All you have to do is the fun wedding planning and creating an unforgettable event your friend and family will remember for a lifetime! Schedule your free consultation to see how we can assist and learn more about our services!

Are You STILL Unsure About Room Blocks?  
 
One of the most important reasons to have secured group space is to protect you and your group fromunforeseen events that may affect your travel plans.  
 
Most recently, COVID-19 wreaked havoc on millions of travelers forcing wedding couples and their guests to reschedule.  
 
Most of the horror stories you probably heard were likely related to: 
   

• People who booked directly with third-party online agencies. If you didn’t hear, one of the largest Online Agencies in the world, Bookit.com, closed their doors permanently DURING the crisis. Theyliterally just walked away, leaving millions of people without refunds, recourse, or options for retribution. The airlines and hotels can’t do anything for you either, because the money hasn’tactually been paid to them by the online company until just before the trip.   
  
  
• 6-8 hour hold times  to get through to random customer service lines – and after waiting hours,having their call dropped and forced to try again just to reach someone for help.  
  
  
• Travel agents. I know, I know, how can I say that – look, I am not throwing all agents under the bus here – I personally know many AMAZING advisors - but the simple truth is that just like most industries have specialists in particular areas of the industry, travel is no different…  
   
  When it comes to one of the biggest days in your life, a “hobbyist” selling travel on the side, or even an agent who isn’t an expert in group travel is probably not the right choice. Unless you are working with a destination wedding specialist, it’s unlikely that your agent is familiar with the ins-and-outs of how to create, book or manage group reservations in the most efficient manner. 
  
  ​On top of that, if your agent doesn’t work with the right suppliers (oh yes, there are definitely WRONG suppliers), resort brands, or create the reservations that best fit the needs and size of agroup, you can find some policies that aren’t as flexible or supportive.  

 
 
Room Blocks and Resort Closures  
 
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had to deal with a resort closing right before your 113 person wedding group was about to depart for the big event! Okay... now... multiple times?? Trust me, it’s not fun, but there are ways to mitigate the impact on you and your guests – and a good travel advisor knows how towork with you to achieve the best outcome in the worst circumstances.    
 
I’ve had to move wedding groups for resort closures due to:  
  

• Sale of the resort 
• Hurricane damage  
• Alternate destruction of property (fire) 
• Renovation decisions or delays 
• Global Pandemic  
   

And remember those are just the reasons I’ve dealt with personally!  
 
As a specialist in group travel, when you have a contracted room block with a reputable supplier, it can be a seamless process to the couple and their guests, as we work behind the scenes to move the entire group and the money over to a new property.  
 
Booking direct on your own or through an online website, or worse yet, using an agent that does either of those things – means that each guest is responsible to handle those changes, and often times must pay for a whole new stay, then just wait for a refund to be processed for the original booking.  
 
To add frustration to the fire, if you’ve booked directly with the property and run into situations like this, you’ll probably have to navigate local currency exchanges, language barriers, overseas customer service departments (and wait times get really old, really fast), and/or the fact that the resort had to shut down and doesn’t have the staff to help. On top of all that – every one of your guests will have the SAME problem and no one to turn to for help – which means, they’ll probably turn to you.  
 
You’ll have a lot of other changes you’ll need to reorganize with re-planning an entire wedding, soeliminating the worry about your guests travel plans, money and anxiety, will be a weight lifted in a rather upsetting time. Let a professional take care of everything and handle the logistics to take some of that pressure away.   

Nope, I Still Don’t See the Need For a Room Block. 
  
Two things I’ve learned over the last 11 years, is that you don’t tempt fate and that famous last words are famous for a reason. But alright, you don’t want a room block, so let me at least give you a tip.  
One of the very first things you should do - really, when you are selecting your resort – is to find out as soon as possible, what your options are (if there are any) if the resort sells out before your guests reserve a room.  
 
Most all-inclusive resorts will offer a day/night pass, that you can purchase for guests staying at a different resort so that they can attend the wedding ceremony or reception – however day passesoften  have significant restrictions, including but not limited to:  
 

• Range from $70-$150 per person 
• Are ONLY available for pre-allotted time frames determined by the hotel on the day of the wedding  
• Limited passes available to each wedding group   
• If property is at capacity, NO day passes will be issued due to fire and safety code laws  
• Do not allow entry on additional days or to other group-related events on the property  

 
I Think I Promised You Some Fun Stuff...  
 
Now the boring logic talk is over… it’s all about PERKS!!!! The happy nearlyweds that decide to move forward with a group room block are in for a treat – or 10!  
 
Resorts love organized people, they love happy people, and they love when guests leave their resort and tell everyone what a great time they had – so to show their appreciation to you for choosing their property for your big day, bringing your loved ones along, and keeping things streamlined and simply by negotiating a group room block contract, they GIVE YOU STUFF!  
 
It’s a contract, so there are always terms and conditions, fine print, and jargon that will mean nothing to you, so if you choose to go it alone and not use a travel agent, read through your contract, over and over and ask as many questions as you need to, in order to thoroughly understand what it says.  
 
Having said that, provided you meet your minimum requirements and have elected to collaborate with aquality property to make your dream wedding vision come true, you can expect to enjoy some of the following benefits or perks:  
 

• FREE Room Nights!!! 
• FREE Upgraded Room(s) 
• FREE Private Cocktail Hour w/ sparkling champagne and hors d’oeuvres  
• FREE Wedding Ceremony 
• FREE Private Function (use for welcome party or farewell dinner) 
• FREE Group Check-in 
• VIP Gifts 
• Spa Discounts 

 
*Perks vary by resort and meeting the minimum number of rooms required. 

Using a travel agent specialized in resort destination weddings, and by securing a room block for your guests, you can rest assured that you’ve negotiated a smoother and more stress-free experience for everyone involved. If you have questions or concerns, be sure to bring those up during your consultation with the travel agents you meet with before you get started. 

​I hope you found some valuable insight to get you started. If you feel overwhelmed or would like assistance to narrow down the perfect destination or resort, we are here for you! This is what we do every day!

We spend most of our vacation time touring resorts, meeting with the wedding coordinators and training for destination weddings, so we can make it very simple for you. We save you time by filtering out all the bad advice and countless options for you. Let us take the guesswork out and match-make you to the destination and resorts that fit your style, vision and budget the best.

​Together we will find your most perfect wedding resort and we take care of the logistics after that. All you have to do is the fun wedding planning and creating an unforgettable event your friend and family will remember for a lifetime! Schedule your free consultation to see how we can assist and learn more about our services!

Your next decision will be to decide what type of property you prefer. When selecting an all-inclusive resort, you will have the option to go small, mega or something in between. Properties also vary in experience and vibe, which can range from a spring break party feel to a tranquil relaxing ambience. The quality, inclusions, service level, comforts and benefits differ as well, so it’s important to understand what you are getting into before committing. Photos can help you narrow what you like, but the true assessment, that you will need to dig more in depth to find, is the experience you and your guests can expect.  

As you compare resorts, think about your own style. Do you like more modern chic décor, large resort feel, upscale luxury, eco-friendly features, or perhaps you want cultural elements that tie in the feel of the destination you’ve chosen. Once you know the type of property you are looking for, you can filter out options rather quickly.  
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Keep in mind – as mentioned in my post regarding planning a destination wedding on your own – that reviews, opinions and suggestions are based on a person's own style, budget, experiences and expectations, so what was amazing to someone else, may be unacceptable to you.  

Another thing to consider as you narrow down accommodation options, is the wedding date you’re planning around. Check what’s going on locally. If it’s a national holiday or festival time in the country you’ve selected, you might want to avoid certain areas that will become more congested and crowded. Some businesses could also be closed, so you’ll want to ensure your local vendors or tour company you were planning to use will be available.  

Speaking of tour companies, do you have a certain activity or excursion you were planning to do with your group? If so, you might focus on hotels that are closer to that particular area to keep transfer costs down and utilize travel time efficiently. If you’re looking for multiple off-resort experiences to go shopping or party nightlife most evenings, you should focus on those properties that are closer to points of interest to you.  ​

Furthermore, if you have mermaid blood coursing through your veins, and want a property where you can spend more time playing in the ocean instead of just lounging around the resort pools, you’ll need to research the area very well. Some destinations have rough water or rip tides and warn you to not get in the water for your safety. 

​Other areas have pockets along the coast line that are rockier, more prone to seaweed, have large or smaller beaches, clear or murky water, etc…, so knowing what experience you prefer will help you narrow the area you should focus on to find a resort. One tip I have in this regard – do not trust the resort pictures of the beach. Unfortunately, many properties have very skilled marketing firms, photographers, and photo-editing that know how to make a beach look like something that it isn’t.   

As you look at the resort options, don’t forget to know what the “Plan B” venue location is in case weather is an issue the day of the wedding. In addition, review the wedding packages and group amenities in careful detail. You may find that one property has much better perks or inclusions that can end up saving you money or provide a superior wedding affair.   

Lastly, if you are thinking about moving resorts after the wedding for your honeymoon, you might want to focus on accommodations that are closer to your next location to make it easier and more efficient with time and the cost to transfer over.  ​