Destination Wedding Budget
When you start planning your destination wedding, one of the first questions you might have is “how much will my destination wedding cost?” There are a few key factors at play that will help determine the approximate cost of your wedding, including the venue that you pick, the number of people who will be in attendance and the level of decor that you select.
Resort: Secrets Cap Cana
Guest Count
You cannot price out your wedding until you have an accurate guest count, but you can get a quote based on the estimated number of attendees and then leave room for a margin of error based on how many people actually end up joining. If you are on a strict budget, it is important to figure out how many guests you can accommodate with that budget and then send out your invitations accordingly. You do not need to send all your invitations at the same time. You can send out the first round of your immediate family and important friends and then based on how many guests have indicated that they will attend, you can send out the second round of invitations and so on. This is a good way to control your guest list if you have a specific budget in mind which relies on a maximum number of guests. If you have a room block with your resort, your guests should start settling up their final payments within 3-4 months of the wedding and therefore, it is around this time that you will have an accurate guest count. This timing coincides with when the wedding team will typically start planning the details of your wedding day.
Our CORAL Destination Wedding couple Nancy and Michael had almost 150 guests at their wedding!
The Hyatt Ziva Cancun wedding gazebo is a wonderful venue selection, but it comes with a price-tag of $2,000 USD.
Venue
While there may seem to be a multitude of resorts and wedding venues abroad, there are limited brands that specialize in destination weddings. You may find that certain resort brands will offer different perks or promotions, including complimentary functions or comped room nights awarded as a cash credit for the wedding couple. You may also find certain resorts package their weddings in a way that is easy to digest, whereas many will have unforeseen add-ons that can cause the price tag of your wedding to rise unexpectedly. Many resorts will have off-site vendor fees or additional fees to use specific ceremony and reception venues on the property. Speak with your Destination Wedding Specialist to make sure that the venue you select is in accordance with your budget goals and expectations.
Decor items like signage can be optional add-ons depending where you are at in your budget. Photo: Dreams Vallarta Bay
Wedding Day Details
There are a multitude of additional decor details which can significantly sway the cost of your wedding one way or another. Ultimately you are in charge of your wedding day details and your budget and you can opt for a more elaborate event or you can let the scenery speak for itself. Some of the main items with a variable budget include floral arrangements, lighting/fireworks and illumination, signage, table decor and party favours. You can always let your wedding planner know your budget and they will help you to scale these variable details based on what will fit. You may have to select what is most important to you and forego what you can live without… just remember, a destination wedding is gorgeous whether you splash out on decor or not!