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Tips & Advice
Choosing a hotel for your destination wedding can be a confusing task for you and your groom. The first thing you two should do is sit down and talk about what each of you want to have to make your destination wedding a day to remember. Discuss expectations, budget and ease of access to you and your family and guests, and decide where you can have the wedding (and honeymoon) of your dreams.
Once you’ve decided on a location, it’s time to look at the hotels in the area. Maybe your budget is a no-expense-spared one, but you may want to be more aware of not only what you can afford, but what your family and guests can spend to be with you on your wedding day, so you should choose a hotel in an area where other, less expensive choices are available, too, to offer others attending your wedding can fit everything they want into their own finances.
If you’ve chosen a popular wedding location, your cost will be affected by the date you choose for your destination wedding. Book early to avoid any problems with an overfull hotel from too many weddings or events being held at the same time as your destination wedding. You could go with a large hotel chain or find a small, but perfect, boutique-style hotel just right for the type of wedding you’ve chosen. Your hotel should reflect the local customs to some extent, rather than being a large, impersonal place – otherwise, why bother to travel to an exotic destination?
And remember, it’s not all about you – although your wedding certainly is. There are several other people to consider when choosing your hotel – your parents, your wedding party and your guests – whose budget may be much different than yours, so try to find a hotel in an area that caters to all budgets and needs, whether it be other hotels, restaurants in several price ranges or easy access to airports or other travel spots.
Find out if the hotel you’ve chosen will provide a destination wedding package, a special reward program, frequent flyer miles or other extras to thank you for your patronage. Especially now, with the economy strained in many travel locations, you may be able to work a really good deal for your destination wedding simply by asking for a few perks. So don’t be afraid to let them know what you need, and also what you want to make your wedding day special.
Your hotel staff and concierge should be able to refer you to local vendors who can help with your wedding needs. Find out if there are vendors who have special contracts with the hotel to discount their packages or offer extras, too, like extra flower arrangements or no delivery fees.
Don’t forget to do your research well ahead of time and, if possible, make a scouting trip to check the hotel for amenities, staff service and cleanliness before you decide on it for your destination wedding. Choose the hotel that’s right for your special day, so you can relax, knowing they’ll take care of you, your guests and your wedding. |
