With so many incredible destinations and hotels to choose from, how is it possible to find the one place on earth that is absolutely perfect for your destination wedding? This guide is sure to help.
1. Select your interest category: It is important to first know what you want and then stick to it. Do you see yourself getting married on a beach, in a historic fairly-tale castle, at a famous landmark, or under-water while scuba-diving? We, at Romantic Planet Vacations, have create three main interest categories to help you narrow down your search.
Beach/Relaxed: If you envision yourself getting married on the beach, you're not alone. 54% of couples planning a destination wedding also want the same. This category will satisfy those looking for shopping, dining out, spas, all-inclusives, lounging by the beach, water-sports and scenery. Our destination recommendations for these beach-seekers are Fiji, Cook Islands, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Mexico, St. Lucia, Barbados, Turks & Caicos, Hawaii, Jamaica, Aruba, Antigua, Bahamas, Bali, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Puerto Rico, St. Martin/St. Maarten,Tahiti, Florida, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Adventuous/active: This is for the couple who want a little more action on their trip. 23% of destination wedding couples are planning a trip to places that offer more for hiking, snorkeling, biking, scuba-diving, island hopping and more. Our destination recommendations for these fun-seekers are Costa Rica, Australia, Belize, Africa, New Zealand, South America, Thailand, Malaysia, Bali, Mexico, Hawaii, and Fiji.Sophisticated/trendy: Favorites for this category include cruises, large hotels or castles, culture, museums, history and shopping. 16% of destination wedding couples have this in mind when exchanging their vows. Our destination recommendations for these culture-seekers are England, Italy, France, Greece, Ireland, Spain, New York, Turkey, Austria, Australia, Canada, Monaco, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, USA, with the best city stays as Paris, Rome, Venice, San Francisco, Sydney, London, New York, and Las Vegas.
2. Research the wedding requirements: The wedding requirements for the various countries may also hinder or encourage your ideal destination choice. For example France requires a residency of 1 month before your wedding date but no residency is required in Greece. A full list of wedding requirements for each country can be found at http://www.romanticplanet.ca/weddingrequirements.html
3. Select your date: It is important to know when high, shoulder and low season are for the destination(s) that you are interested in. Generally speaking, any holidays such as Christmas, New Year's and Easter are going to be peak high season worldwide, and therefore you will pay peak high season rates. Other high seasons will be the summer months for Europe, Australia, Fiji, Cook Islands, and Tahiti and Winter for the Caribbean and Mexico. Another factor is the hurricane season which runs from August to October in the Caribbean. If you still want the Caribbean during these months but are concerned about the hurricane season, then countries that are considered less likely to be in the path are Aruba, Turks & Caicos and North Coast Dominican Republic.
4. Know your budget: Certain destinations are less expensive than others, usually because of it's access and if they offer all-inclusive properties. If you are on a tight budget, than you may want to consider countries in which charter flights go to from your city such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica. On the same token however, one may lower the amount of nights from seven to five, for example, on those packages that are flying with a regular scheduled airline, and thus lowering the over-all cost of the trip. Generally speaking, the longer the flight, the more expensive the package will be. If this is a concern, it would be important to look at destinations within easy flying distance from you.
Hopefully the four steps above have aided you in narrowing your options to one to three destinations for your wedding. The next thing to look at is the hotel that will host you and your guests and which will aid you in creating your spectacular event. Every property listed on http://www.romanticplanet.ca/nonflash.html or in the brochure are well-experienced in planning and performing weddings and offer a highly romantic and memorable experience. To help you select the hotel that is right for you, we have added four more steps.5. Star rating: Hotels are rated on their facilities, comfort levels, service and price and this is seen in their star rating. Properties with a four and five star rating is recommended for your destination wedding, as this is one of the most important days of your life and a good quality of hotel will be sure to make it a dream come true. However, if budget is a concern, many reputable and quality 3 and 3.5 star hotels are also available. It is recommended that you go through the Romantic Planet Vacations brochure and cross out any that do not meet your star rating requirements or alternatively go through the web-site at www.romanticplanet.ca.
6. All-inclusive vs. EP: Many hotels and resorts these days offer an all-inclusive plan which includes meals, activities and entertainment. EP, or European Plan, offers room only. The latest trend shows that 43% are now wanting non-all-inclusive properties for the quality and variety experience whereas 31% want all-inclusive properties for ease of mind and affordability. The other option is to choose a hotel that is EP with an optional meal plan or all-inclusive feature. The latter works best for larger groups in order to please everybody's interests and budgets. Something to keep in mind however, is at an all-inclusive resort, the reception dinner is included (unless you want a private function with a set menu).
7. Mega Resort vs. Quaint Hotel: Another aspect when choosing the right hotel is knowing
what you want out of it. The benefits of a mega-resort is in it's facilities. Such places offer many different restaurants and bars, fitness centres with top-notched equipment, kids clubs to entertain the kids in the group, activities coordinators and nightly entertainment so you're never bored, a variety of wedding locations - some with even a wedding gazebo, tour desks and many more. The benefits of booking a quaint hotel however, is it's personalized service, a less of a chance that there will be another bride walking around the hotel on 'your' special day, the feeling of closeness with you and your wedding guests and in some cases, the opportunity to rent out the entire hotel.8. Availability: Once you have found the right destination and right hotel for your special day and before you send out your invitations, be sure to check on the availability of the airfare and hotel with your dates of interest. It is recommended to book the wedding date and time, airfare and hotel for at least the main wedding party, at least 6-8 months in advance to ensure you get the hotel and date of choice.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your travel agent or Romantic Planet Vacations at 866-247-8123 or travel@romanticplanet.ca.
Author: Laurie Keith copyright 2006
