Trying to narrow down a resort

[jennieestelle]

I am in the process of choosing a resort to have my wedding. What type of questions and information should I find out prior to booking a resort. Any information would be helpful. Thanks!

[TATrisha]

I think some of the questions that I asked before choosing my resort were:

* Can I have a beach wedding (replace beach with gazebo, church, garden... whatever you want)

* Can I have a private Reception? How much per person extra is it? Can it be outdoors? Can I have a DJ? How long can I play music for? Can I have a custom cake?

* Are children allowed?

* Can I bring in my own vendors for photography/makeup/hair/cake/dj services, etc

* Do you offer group rates?

 

Questions like that will start to get you down the right path. Good luck!

[CarlyChristine]

You should definitely make a list of your must haves (wedding on the beach, a resort that does or doesn't allow children, private reception, etc.) Once you know what's important it gets easy narrowing it down.

[renee1811]

I am so overwhelmed right now in the process of trying to decide on a resort! I have it narrowed down some, but I can't decide! For those of you that have decided, what sold you on your resort of choice?

[*Meagan*]

I love lists. Make a list of all the must have's and dont needs and start asking around!!!

[ChristinaP]

I went and got a whole bunch of travel books from different tour operators as well in my search (although we ended up booking the resort that I had my heart set on before we started looking as we've been there). Choose your top resorts in the area you want and then look at reviews, experiences of other brides (that's how I found this site!), and then what the other girls talked about in your "must haves."

 

I then went to my travel agent with a couple of my favorite picks, and asked her for other suggestions as well. She then went ahead and requested the pricing for my top three resorts.

 

Happy Hunting!

[Jenna20]

I def think making a list is a great idea and the questions everyone has listed are great. Do you know where you would like to go, all inclusive or not?

 

Some things I had to keep in mind:

 

Travel duration for elder guests - Meaning shortest flight possible to destination.

 

Not too big of a resort, too much walking for the grandparents etc would be too much esp with the heat.

 

Kid friendly, which was already mentioned...some have kids clubs etc.

 

Look at what the wedding packages cover and how many people. If you are having a large wedding, the standard "free" package usually covers around 10 people...everything else becomes an additional cost.

 

Happy Planning!

[nicitica]

I chose NOT to do a resort at all. And I decided not to marry on the beach (so far... nothing has been officially booked)> My concern is the wind. I dont want my guests to not be able to hear our vows. Have you seen other wedding pictures you LOVE? That's where I would suggest you begin. That, and what sort of resort will you feel most comfortable in? My friend just got married at Ceiba Del Mar which is a small and lovely resort. You may want to check that!! Oh, and they have specific Destination wedding mags too! good luck. big decision... difficult.

[thefuturemrslutz]

These girls are SO right! They gave me the same advice. LISTS, LISTS, LISTS!! I had "must haves," "things I could leave without," and "no way!" I have finally narrowed it down to two...however, there will be about 50 times that you change your mind and want to sit on the computer all day researching resorts. ha! Just stick to what you like. Good luck!

[simba1234]

when I started wedding planning I didn't even know what COUNTRY I wanted to get married in:) Talk about overwhelming...first I had to narrow it down to one country and then to a resort.

 

So what I did was research resorts online that looked nice & had good ratings(i.e. orbitz, hotels.com, tripadvisor.com) and I went to each website and requested a proposal and pictures. Once I got proposals, I created a spreadsheet where I listed all my favorite hotels along with prices and pros & cons for each. Then I compared each one until I narrowed it down to one choice. I'm so happy & in love with my choices and I think it's because I know that weighed all my options very carefully so there are no regrets. It was very overwhelming to think about until I got it all down on paper.

 

Try a spreadsheet...i think once you get everything out of your head and down on paper it will feel less overwhelming. Good luck!