- What To Do - When
To Do It - What To Expect -
Article By Beau Nanni, CEO The Roads Less
Taken, Inc.
DestinationWeddingSpecialists.com is a specialty
site of The Roads Less Taken, Inc.
www.TheRoadsLessTaken.com
WHAT TO DO?
When you request a quote from us we will also check
for "first available wedding day and time" for you (there is no point in making
a reservation only to find out you can't get married when you want to!)
If you are not sure of the "rules" for arriving prior to the wedding day - you
can simply say in the Special Request Box on the quote request form "we want to
be married on this particular date" and we will tell you how far in advance you
must arrive in-country to be married on that date.
Once your reservation is booked and confirmed we will send you the wedding
documentation you are required to fill out and send in. We will also forward all
the "optional" wedding items available to you at the resort of your choice. Fill
out the paperwork (pretty straight-forward and simple, actually) and get the
required "legal" documents together (i.e. a certified copy of your birth
certificate, etc.) and you are just about all set.
NOT
SURE which resort suits you best ... CALL US ... we'll ask some very basic
questions as to your particular likes (or dislikes) and approximate ages and
particular interests and make suggestions.
IF YOU
ARE PLANNING ON HAVING WEDDING GUESTS let us know up front ... because sometimes
you will plan for ONE resort only to find out that ANOTHER ONE is better because
of your wedding party mix (like singles, children, couples only).
NOW ...
unlike your counterpart bride-to-be at home ... your next major responsibility
is to CHILL !!! You
have just about done EVERYTHING you need to do. We will coordinate any wedding
day options you might want ... any special considerations and such for guests
you might have coming ... AND ... we will send you our Wedding Discount Rate
Sheets for all possible wedding guests, in all the room categories for a 3 to 7
or more night stay -- and those rates are at the SAME great discount that we
give to you, the wedding couple.
WE even
handle the guests for you ... have them call or email us and WE will do the rest
in coordinating their arrival to making sure they have all the information about
the pre-, post- and wedding day events you might be planning.
IF YOU
ARE THE HANDS-ON type we will also give you the email address of the wedding
coordinator on property to you can work directly with her (or him as the case
may be) ... but remember, we do this ALL THE TIME and know what we CAN and CAN'T
get done for you (especially what we CAN get done without any additional cost to
you or your guests!!!) ... so, even if you want to get involved directly, most
brides still like to coordinate it with us first ... so we can give some input
on what to expect.
WHEN TO DO IT?
We ALWAYS have destination weddings on our books
that are AT LEAST 12 to 16 MONTHS out ... so the FIRST "when to do it" is "as
soon as you are ready to do it" -- if you can, don't wait until the last
minute to plan a destination wedding PLAN WAY AHEAD (if you can).
Once
you have your dates set make the reservation (the only thing you need to pay for
up-front is the basic wedding fee and the deposit for the resort). While there
are SOME exceptions, for most wedding couples staying at most resorts, nothing
more is due until 60 days before you depart!
When
you receive the wedding documentation information from us -- don't put it off -- get it out
of the way as soon as you can. The forms are simple and short -- it's getting
the certified copy of the birth certificate, any divorce degrees or adoption
papers that might apply, a passport (for the few countries that require both
birth certificate and passports) and that is just about it. Even if you had to
do ALL the above, you can have it "in the works" in just a few days and
completed in just a few weeks (at the VERY MOST). Most often wedding couples
have it ALL DONE in 2 to 3 DAYS (not weeks).
Then 45
to 60 days prior to departure you will send A COPY (not the original documents)
to either the wedding department or resort (we will tell you where to send what)
and YOU ARE DONE ... well, you DO still have to get on the plane and get there
on time ... but YOU ARE DONE.
WEDDING
DAY OPTIONS, more often than not, should be booked and paid for around the same
time you make your final payment (usually 60 days prior to your arrival date).
Any sooner and it could get lost in the shuffle ... any later and you may not
get just what you want.
IF YOU
ARE PLANNING A GALA EVENT with special considerations for private receptions,
special pre-wedding and post-wedding events then THESE things should be taken
care of IMMEDIATELY once you have completed your reservations. That way you KNOW
the special events are in place, the special reception room is BOOKED and know
one else can get it, etc. MANY OF THESE SPECIAL ITEMS are at an ADDITIONAL COST
to you and we do NOT recommend you spend the money on ANY of this "stuff" ...
but ... some couples DO want to have a more traditional wedding and reception
EVEN THOUGH they are in the tropics ... so ... it is available (just not
suggested by us).
WHAT TO EXPECT?
From the beginning ... when you think you are ready
to make your destination wedding reservations we will double check the
availability of the date and time you have chosen and reserve it immediately.
Once you make your reservations we handle almost the entire planning and
coordinating of the wedding prior to your arrival.
Then let's take it with your arrival ...
1. You will be met as you exit
customs by one of the resort representatives and shown to your transfer van or
mini-bus. (some couples request a private car or limo for the transfer to the
resort ... it usually costs anywhere from $100 to $250 for this transfers -
depending on the resort). Once you arrive at the resort, the front desk manager will sign you in
and get you to your room. THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT YOUR WEDDING and will likely
have a note or phone message waiting for you from the property's wedding
coordinator.
2. The morning AFTER you
arrive is the traditional time to meet with the wedding coordinator. At this
time the coordinator will show you the various areas on the property where you
can be married (usually it's anywhere from the beach, to the gardens, to one of
(perhaps) many wedding gazebos to a special out-of-the-way spot on property.
Your wedding DAY and wedding TIME are already set so you DON'T HAVE TO WORRY
about someone else "getting the best spot" for the wedding time you selected --
no one else is getting married at that hour ... it is YOURS alone.
3. If you have requested
optional photos or a video or the like, you will probably be meeting with the
photographer and other specialist following the meeting with the wedding
coordinator -- leave time for these meetings -- they are usually schedule in the
late morning or early afternoon. BUT THERE IS NO NEGOTIATING NOTHING MORE TO PAY
FOR ... it's all already been taken care of.
4. If
you are having wedding guests, they have probably already arrived (or will
arrive late this day) so plan on an early evening "social" with family and
friends.
About
Your Wedding Day
1.
Something I have to repeat time and again to all our wedding couples ... "you
are in the TROPICS, and what makes it The Tropics is RAIN" ... we ALWAYS suggest
the wedding couple get married between 11 AM and NOON ... because,
traditionally, if you are going to have that seasonal "liquid sunshine" it
occurs in the mid- to late afternoon!! PLUS there are any number of additional
benefits by being married at these hours:
a. You
can get up at your leisure, still have plenty of time for a spa treatment, hair,
make-up, etc. and NOT have to rush.
b. You
are much more likely to avoid the possibility of rain.
c. IF
you are having wedding guests, right after the ceremony, the champagne and cake
... is LUNCH ... it's a built-in "reception meal" for you ... and we ask the
General Manager to set aside a part of the patio to accommodate all your guests
so you may sit together.
d. You
aren't having to "clock watch" all day WAITING for the time to start getting
ready and WAITING for the wedding to happen ... after all, you ARE in paradise
... so ... do the "no stress" thing and get it DONE!
2.
While in American we have the traditional "rehearsal dinner" ... in the tropics
you won't have a rehearsal (nor will you need one). Many of the resorts have
special theme nights, and, with any luck and a little planning, what would have
been a traditional rehearsal dinner at home can turn into a marvelous beach
party or Caribbean Night event for ALL the friends and family.
3.
WEDDING VOWS is something between Apple and Pecan Pie ... everyone has their own
taste ... and while most couples just want the simple "basic wedding" offered by
the resort (the vows are always well done, never rushed and in good taste)
others want to add some special vows to their wedding. NO PROBLEM ... but you
will have to write them out ahead of time (check with us and we will give you
some insights into what a minister or justice of the peace in a certain country
will or won't accept) and then you have to forward them to the wedding
coordinator to get the minister's OK (again, seldom a problem).
Just
remember ... in most cases, this is a simple (but beautiful) basic wedding --
timing is everything AND your entire ceremony should only be 15 to 20 minutes
long (plus time for photos, cake, champagne ... and your hour is done! So, if
you want to add something PLEASE DO - just don't go overboard with the timing!
4.
MUSIC and MORE can be accomplished very easily. Anything from an optional
Calypso or Steel Drum Band to bringing your own tape or burning your own CD for
your wedding music. Nearly all the resorts have tape and/or CD players that can
be used at the wedding (if not we will let you know).
5. THE
TRAPPINGS OF WEDDINGS ... while some people well TRY and TRY AGAIN to get you to
spend more and more money on your wedding, you will find that we are just the
opposite ... we will try and keep try to STOP you from spending money on the
wedding ... REMEMBER ... this is the tropics ... this is one of those little
paradises ... this is NOT the multi-billion dollar wedding industry in the USA
trying to push "tradition" (what ever THAT means) on you to do it their way ...
THIS, is "laid back paradise" where couples-in-love marry on the beach, dress up
or dress down, and just have a WONDERFUL, RELAXED, wedding day that is not only
unique but absolutely fantastic!!!
6. THAT
DIRTY FOUR LETTER WORD ... R A I N ... can your wedding be RAINED-OUT? Sure it
can ... but not many are ... all our resorts have weddings day after day and
they work like a Swiss Watch ... they know what they are doing ... they have
contingency plans ... THEY LOOK OUT FOR YOU ... AND ... just to help you to
"DON'T WORRY ... BE HAPPY", in the past 24 months only ONE of our wedding
couples was rained out (they elected to have the wedding a day later) and,
otherwise, only TWO of our wedding couples got rained on (one opting to be
married in a warm afternoon rain shower - the other to move the ceremony
inside!).
ALL-IN-ALL
Your
Destination Wedding really IS simple, easy and as stress-free as you can get!
It's Just That Simple - and we go out of our way to keep it that way for you!
MORE COMFORTABLE
"PAYING AS YOU GO"?
Sure, we have many couples who like to make payments each month so the balance
is paid in full about two months before the departure date (this is when the
final payment is due anyway). You don't have to have a "payment plan" (unless
you want to) -- usually, the couples who are most comfortable making monthly
payments just pay whatever amount they wish to, each month.
We try to make it as
simple and comfortable for you as we can!
