Planning any wedding can be stressful. When you want that wedding to take place at a destination away from home, one that you might not even see before the wedding, a lot of questions should be asked before committing and signing a contract.
A destination wedding is one of the most beautiful and happy occasions that a couple can experience together. However, you should go into planning a destination wedding with your eyes wide open. With that in mind, here are some of the questions to ask once you have narrowed down the number of venues you will be considering to host your destination wedding.
Starting
Get started by emailing or calling the hotel manager to ask:
- Do you celebrate destination weddings at your resort?
- Is there a dedicated wedding planner on the site? Can you be contacted by email?
- What services does your wedding planner offer? Is there a fee?
- How long would we need to book our wedding in advance?
Staging a destination wedding
Questions to ask about the ceremony and reception:
- What private indoor and outdoor areas of the resort are available for a wedding? Do the interior spaces have air conditioning?
- How many people can each of them accommodate?
- Can you send me a design and images of these places?
- Can you provide pictures of other destination weddings that have been held at your property?
- What do you offer in terms of decorations?
- What time of day do most destination weddings occur? Why?
- Will there be other weddings during the same time as ours?
- If we want our beach wedding, what is the setup?
Calculating the cost of a destination wedding
Get a price estimate and see if you can negotiate a better deal.
- What is the cost of a destination wedding at your resort or is it included in the price of our stay?
- Do you offer a set destination wedding package or do we choose the elements individually?
- Can you email me a price list? Do you expect those prices to change on my wedding date?
- If I want to bring friends and family, do you offer a discount on the price of the rooms?
- Do you offer a courtesy bridal suite?
- How many guests are allowed at your standard destination wedding? What do they charge if we exceed that number?
- Does it require a down payment? How much? When is the balance due?
- What is your cancellation policy?
Destination wedding details
Of course, add your own questions to this list.
- Who performs the ceremony at the destination weddings at your resort?
- What if we want a ceremony that honors a particular religion? Can someone of that faith be provided?
- On the other hand, what if we want a non-religious ceremony?
- What do brides and grooms typically wear at your destination wedding resort?
- Will someone be available to iron my wedding dress?
- Can I do my hair and makeup on the spot?
- What do you do if I schedule an outdoor ceremony and reception and it rains?
- What kinds of flowers are available locally? Is there a florist on site?
- Is there live music available? Can you send an mp3 file of the musicians in your house?
- Can we supply our own music on CD?
- Can you send me suggested menus for the reception?
- What can you provide in the way of a wedding cake?
- Do you offer photography / videography services? What is the cost and what do we get for that amount?
Destination wedding legalities
Each country has different marriage laws. It is important to ask about the details of the legality for your destination wedding.
- What are the requirements to obtain a marriage license at your destination?
- Do we need proof of any medical exam?
- Is there someone who can handle the details for us and guide us through the process?
- Are witnesses required?
People who cannot attend the destination wedding
There will be people who will not be able to attend the destination wedding. Help them to be there in more than spirit.
- Can you make a webcam available during the ceremony?
- How long will it take to get our photos back? Can they be quickly posted to an online album?
- What type of Internet access is available at your property?
Additional Destination Wedding Questions to Ask
It’s your wedding. Ask away. There are never too many questions!
- Do you have a dedicated honeymoon suite? Can you show me what it looks like?
- Is there a private terrace or outdoor area where we can host a rehearsal dinner?
- Is there a charge for guests to participate in sports at the resort?
- Can you organize a special tour or activity for our guests?
- Do you mind if I ask all these questions?
