Nello, newbie here

[jomia32]

Excited and relieved for this forum. It's such a big help.

 

1. Joy

2. January 23, 2010

3. We haven;t decided yet but we want somewhere tropical for sure.

[dinogomez.com]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations!! You've come to the right place; here you can find all the info you need for a fun, smooth and successful planning!! Enjoy!!!

[Destination Scout]

Congratulations! What are your priorties? Travel costs for your guests? Travel time? Do you want rainforest? Beach? Palm trees? What type of activities? All inclusive or boutique? It becomes easier to narrow down the choices once you list out your priorities.

[destinationbridegina]

Congrats on your upcoming wedding!! wish you all the best in planning... :) you'll find everything you need on here.

[jomia32]

Thanks for the warm welcome. So nice to know there's help out there.

 

Well, priorities are:

 

-beautiful location on or near beach (white sand, turqouise waters)

-affordable and somewhat easily accessible for most guests (East and West coasts)

-easy breezy wedding packages, incl reception planning

-awesome spa!

-nearby or on location entertainment, shopping

-easy for everyone to congregate for casual meetups and the wedding events

-good food

 

 

We expect about 50 guests, all with different budgets and travel styles. Some rich, some not, some Americanized, some very anti-touristy, some partiers, some laid back early risers.

 

At first I looked into Maui because it's so dang beautiful. Also, we almost always travel to Spanish speaking countries and wanted something different.

But, I'm worried that it's too expensive, too far, and too boring on that island. I know some guests could opt to stay at different hotels but my fiance really wants to be able to spend quality time with a number of his guests as he doesn't get to see them much. Some of these guests may not be able to afford the hotels we'd like to stay at and organizing meetups might be a pain.

 

All inclusive seems to offer most bang per buck with a little something for everyone, but AI's are not a main Maui feature.

 

So.....we're currently looking into Cancun, San Juan Puerto Rico and Punta Cana Dom. Republic. The former and latter seem to be the most affordable, accessible, and still beautiful. We can go to a non-Spanish speaking place for our 2nd honeymoon (Thailand anyone?!)

 

Our wedding budget is $10K for everything from lights to ceremony and short honeymoon. The fiance would like to keep rooms at no more than $250/night per couple/family.

 

Any thoughts? We're open to other locations if they fulfill the requirements. Thank you so much guys!

[Destination Scout]

It sounds like you are on the right track. The only other thing you might want to consider is an area with rental homes vs. all inclusives. This would please both your anti-touristy and well traveled guests. Places that come to mind are Soliman Bay an hour south of Cancun. All the rental homes are next door to each other and include common areas. May include private cabanas so people get a private house and kitchen but can walk next door to visit. All the convenience and privacy of a hotel, but more peaceful and intimate. I'm sure you can find similar areas in any of your locations.

[godaloveme]

Welcome

Congrats !!!

[Toronto_Bride]

Welcome!

 

You've found the right place. Good luck with your plans!

[dolfinluck]

Congrats and welcome to the forum!!!

[Robyn Louise Photography]

Welcome to the forum! It's great to have you join us!

 

=)

Robyn