1) Why plan a destination wedding?
There are many reasons to choose a destination wedding. Destination weddings give couples and their families the chance to bond, spend several days together and build memories that will last a lifetime, rather than just a few hours in a reception hall. Destination weddings can be as luxurious or simple as you like and can be planned with budgets both small and large. Destination weddings combine the best of both worlds because everyone, including your guests, enjoy the benefits of having a once in a lifetime celebration combined with a vacation in an exciting destination.
2) How far in advance should I plan my destination wedding?
Destination weddings take considerable planning and research, so it’s best to start as soon as possible. We recommend securing your villa rental a year in advance for best selection. Of course, if you’re flexible, you can always plan with less advance notice, too!
3) Can I rent a villa just for one night to have my wedding reception?
Villa rentals have a minimum stay of 3-5 nights. If you plan on inviting more than the guest occupancy at the villa you’ve rented, a one night additional event fee generally applies (may vary and depends on group size). For instance, if you reserve a 6 bedroom villa and you plan on having 60 guests for a reception, an event fee will apply (please inquire as fees vary since each villa is privately owned). Please fill out our wedding questionnaire and/or provide us with as much detail as possible so that we can assist you with a more accurate proposal and quote (your dates, estimated number of invitees, budget for accommodations, if you’re working with or would like us to recommend a wedding planner, etc).
4) How many people can I invite?
Most villas have a capacity limit of 60-100 guests. Larger venues up to 150 guests. There are also many resorts that will accommodate larger groups when the size reaches 200+ guests for your ceremony and reception (even a beach ceremony). It is important to know your approximate group size so that we can help recommend the right location for you.
5) Can we rent multiple villas close together to accommodate all of our guests?
Yes, we have many villas that are neighbors or within close walking distance to one another, so it’s common for large groups to reserve multiple villas to accommodate friends and family (discounts are also offered for multiple rentals). In many cases, we can arrange up to 20+ bedrooms together in neighboring villas. Normally, hotel accommodations in various price ranges are also close by (within a 5-10 min. cab ride) to all of our private villas.
6) Are there noise restrictions?
Most villas are privately owned and located in residential neighborhoods, so loud noise must not be audible to neighboring homes after 11pm.
7) What other rules and restrictions should we be aware of?
Once you have narrowed down your preferred villa, we will forward along a copy of that particular property’s wedding policies for your review. Policies vary as each of the villas are privately owned.
8) What does the “Event Fee” cover?
Depending on the villa and your wedding details, an additional event fee is customary (usually a one night stay but can vary by property). Please inquire so that we can provide exact pricing based on your event details. Normally, the event fee is a flat based fee that covers “wear and tear” only – and does not include any additional services such as food and beverage, catering supplies, décor, service staff, etc.
9) Will I need a wedding coordinator to handle the ceremony at my destination wedding location?
Depending on your ceremony details, we can help recommend one of our preferred planners to help finalize the details. For example, if you’ll be having outside invitees that will not be staying at the villa attend your reception/party at the villa, you will need a wedding planner to assist you with your details. In some cases, the wedding party is smaller and only those guests actually staying at the villa will have a special dinner/party that can be arranged by the staff and an outside planner is not necessary.
10) What are the legal requirements when getting married out of the country?
The legal requirements depend on the location of your destination wedding and your wedding planner will be able to help you answer these questions. It is simpler to take care of legalities in your home country prior to your destination wedding, so we do recommend having a legal civil ceremony prior to your arrival (or afterwards) and a symbolic ceremony if you’re getting married abroad.
11) Will a destination wedding be affordable for our guests to attend?
The beauty of a destination wedding is that only your best friends and family will attend. If you plan and give at least a year notice, most people will be able to also plan and save accordingly. Keep in mind, there are options for almost every budget when planning a destination wedding and much will depend on location and time of year. Surprisingly, a destination wedding can be more affordable than a conventional wedding.
12) What is the best month for a beach destination wedding?
Popular months are October through May for beach destinations. The shoulder months of October and May particularly tend to be very popular because they are not within the “rainy season” yet still offer low season pricing for travel during off peak season dates. The weather is ideal between mid November and end of April. Mexico is popular year round, but keep in mind temps tend to warm up in May and June-September tends to be the rainy season in the evenings.
13) Should we make a special trip to select our venue?
It’s not necessary to make a special trip to choose your accomodations and venue. Most couples are comfortable with working with a destination consultant to select their ideal villa or resort, however, we are always happy to assist with coordinating on site selection, as well. We can arrange an itinerary and transportation to view potential properties for you for $100 USD which will be applied towards the cost of your villa rental.
14) What if we have to cancel?
Deposits for villa rentals are non-refundable unless your original reservation dates can be re-booked (less a 20% facilitating fee) so it’s very important to purchase trip cancellation insurance. We recommend www.travelguard.com. Please keep in mind that it is important to purchase a policy within 14 days of your deposit date if you need the Pre-Existing Condition or Cancel for any Reason coverage for anyone traveling in your group or family member even if they are not traveling with your group.