News & Tips

Destination Wedding Inclusions – From the “I do to Everafter and Beyond”

In planning the destination wedding of your dreams the choices and inclusions that will lay before you will be as varied as the life moments that lay ahead of you.  No request  is too simple, or too over the top.  Aside from the need follow the legal requirements at hand, everything else is up to the two of you.  Your wedding planner will have many ideas to share, but remember to keep your eyes and ears open to what’s around you.

No package is a one size fits all.  Different resorts offer different wedding packages for a reason.  Hosting and managing groups of people whether it be for drinks, dinner or dancing all require resort planning and logistics like space, food and staffing.

Just because you have chosen an all inclusive resort as your “host hotel” don’t assume that your “cocktails or your reception” can be as simple as lets all meet at 6pm for cocktails and dinner after the wedding.   Typically restaurants seat no more than ten at a table.  Tables will be staggered, and guests will be ordering and dining as it fits the restaurant and kitchen schedule, all your guests will be on the schedule of the resort.

If you are on a tight budget and are looking for a work around, we suggest scheduling your wedding on the day that your resort hosts “their beach party”.  Most resorts host a beach or welcome party once a week complete with outdoor buffet entertainment and music.  Designate several of your guests to arrive early to “stake out” your area.  When choosing this path be aware that resort activities are subject to change.  Meaning the day or location of the party in actuality is fluid.

We highly recommend scheduling your reception and meal in advance so there are no wedding surprises.  Different resort wedding packages come with different reception options and inclusions. We’ve planned weddings where entertainment and lighting has ranged from donkeys to DJ’s and tea lights to Tikki torches.  Each was an important part of the couples wedding dream.

Just because it’s not on the list of possibilities doesn’t mean it can’t be done.  Walk the resort, if you see something out of the ordinary that strikes your fancy, don’t be afraid to ask, “Is this possible?”.  No request is too simple or too over the top for most resorts.  I had the privilege to attend a wedding where the bride did just that.

During the couples resort walk through, the bride fell in love with a view and a fountain.  The long rectangular fountain was a magnificent arch of water from one end to the other leading to a flower covered gazebo by the Caribbean Sea.  The perfect wedding aisle she said to the wedding coordinator.  And so the resort got busy building a walkway down the fountains’ center to the gazebo by the sea where the princess met her prince charming and they said “I do”.  Now that was “over the top”!

Learn More:

Planning a Destination Wedding >>

Choosing a Destination for your Wedding >>

What is a Destination Wedding Planner >>

Tags: destination wedding, Punta Cana