The Advantages of Booking Your Destination Wedding Early

By Marjorie Sanchez

Many folks who book vacations tend to do so last minute. While a destination wedding has the elements of a vacation, there are various essential considerations differentiating them. Read on to find out the differences and some very valid reasons to book your destination wedding early.

Many of our clients expect to find the best rates closer to the travel date. This is commonly true because airlines, hotels and resorts offer discounts to fill any empty seats and rooms so they don’t lose money, unless it is during a peak season or holiday where availability can be scarce.

However, it’s important to note that a regular “escape” typically involves booking for only 1 person, a couple or sometimes a small group, as in family or friends.

With a destination wedding, though, we’re dealing with a minimum of 10 people, more commonly groups of 30, and for some of the larger groups, we’ve helped over 150 people get to their destination wedding!

As with every life event, organizing a group of people together in one place at the same time gets more complicated with every invitation. And that’s not even counting events where travel and accommodation is necessary.

This is where a destination-wedding specialist can really benefit you:

        We’re well versed in group bookings and know how to get all your destination wedding guests to your destination and hotel at the same time – so they can make it to your wedding!

        Destination wedding specialists also know about the best deals (often before they’re even promoted) as well as crucial industry updates that might affect your wedding and/or your guests’ travel and accommodations.

WHY YOU MIGHT WANT TO BOOK YOUR WEDDING GROUP AND CEREMONY IN ADVANCE

While you could wait until the last minute to book your destination wedding, and you might (just might) save a couple of bucks (literally), you’d be taking several risks:

·     Not enough space on the flights that you require

·     Limited availability at the hotel/resort; especially the cost effective room categories

·     Financially sensitive guests may not be able to shell out the lump sum and would benefit from a payment plan

·     Wedding date and time may be booked if you wait too long

For instance, most hotels in the spring months of April, May & June or the Fall months of September & October are booked out a year in advance; if you want a sunset wedding on a Saturday during these months you need to do so a least 8 -10 months in advance.

We’re seeing a rise in advance bookings because couples want the early booking bonuses, reduced group rate, confirmed wedding date and time, rooms ready for guests to occupy, have their financially sensitive guests attend by using our payment plans and would rather pay a little more to offset the potential risks of waiting.

Did we give you enough reasons to book early in this post? If so and you’re looking to book a 2012/2013 destination wedding, now is the time to do it – especially for the busy months.

Contact weddings@easyescapestravel.com for more information and/or a free consultation.

Just Got Engaged? Consider a Destination Wedding!

By Marjorie Sanchez

So you’re a Holiday Engagement Couple, congratulations!

Many couples are en-fiancé over the holidays and welcome the New Year with visions of dream wedding scenarios. Some of those dream weddings will be a destination wedding!

Planning a destination wedding when you have the right team of experts supporting you in every way possible alleviates many stress factors. Keep in mind, not all brides are meant to have a destination wedding. Some opt for the more traditional, at home celebration while some desire the feel of sand between their toes and they walk towards the love of their lives and recite those magical words, “I do”

To determine if a destination wedding is right for you and your pocket you have to consider a few things. One is do you want a destination wedding or a wedding at a destination? Some brides & grooms to-be want a traditional wedding with a “hall” and a dance floor, full cocktail reception, specific flowers, table arrangements and other details that are easy to do at “home”. Your budget will predict what can and cannot be done. If you want specific peonies for an august wedding in Jamaica, be ready to shell out the funds for it since specific peonies may not be native to the island and will need to be imported. This means $$$. Well, you can have anything you pretty much want, if you are willing to pay for it.

If you are more of a laid back person and are happy with using the destinations natural resources in décor and menu, unless you want upgrades-which are always additional, then you are an ideal candidate for a destination wedding.

Most resorts offer a free wedding package with your stay based on the actual stay it self. These packages often have a maximum number of guests that can attend the wedding. Additional guests can attend at a per person price which is determined on the base package chosen. All resorts offer packages of some sort as well as a beach, gazebo or terrace ceremony option.

Narrowing down the options as to which destination, what property, who is attending and where to have the ceremony can be time consuming and really stressful. There are times where a resort can look perfect in photos but may not exactly be what you envisioned when you get there. At Easy Escapes, we have been to hundreds of properties in the Caribbean, Mexico, Latin America and the South Pacific. We can help you narrow down your choices, let us take that stress off you and your fiancé’s shoulders and allow us the honor to assist in creating wonderful memories.

For more information on destination weddings please contact Marjorie@easyescapestravel.com for more information or call 1-800-294-6643.