Determining the budget for a destination wedding differs greatly from a standard wedding. While you can find tons of budget calculators for traditional weddings online, you’re unlikely to find any for destination weddings. This is because, at its core, a destination wedding is a vacation with an event, while a traditional wedding is just an event. Most traditional weddings are pieced together by individual vendors, while a destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort is mostly managed through your destination planner and the resort itself.
Here at Alpaca Your Bags Travel, we specialize in helping our couples understand the ins and outs of destination wedding planning, including how to budget. If you’re planning a destination wedding, these are some budget items you’ll want to keep in mind.
Destination Wedding Cost Breakdown
We often get asked, “Why is there a cost when the resort is all-inclusive?”. While destination weddings can be more affordable than a wedding in a big city in the United States, there are still some expenses that you should expect when hosting it at an all-inclusive resort. After all, you’re throwing an incredible party that includes items outside of a normal vacation package! The value you receive from a destination wedding is far higher than that at home since you’re getting a vacation in addition to an amazing wedding day.
The expenses you’ll incur when you plan a destination wedding are:
- A private space for both your ceremony and reception.
- Private waitstaff and bartenders.
- An on-site wedding coordinator to manage your day.
- Unique menu choices. The food and beverages at your wedding will be different than what the resort provides elsewhere, allowing you to customize it for your guests.
- Vendors, such as floral, decor, hair & makeup, photography, videography, etc.
- Your wedding day attire, such as gown, suit, jewelry, and shoes.
As these items aren’t included in the standard all-inclusive experience, they are charged as part of the wedding package. In addition, you’ll be responsible for paying for your own travel and resort room. Depending on your guest count, we can usually offset these costs through resort perks and credits.
At Alpaca Your Bags Travel, our couples spend around $250 – $400 USD per guest on their destination wedding packages. This does not include the cost of photography, videography, attire, or extra events and excursions. Since the cost of these items can vary greatly, it’s hard to give a one-size-fits-all estimate. While the couple will cover the costs of all wedding-related activities, guests are responsible for their own travel and room costs.
Choosing Your Guest Count
The single biggest thing that will impact the cost of your destination wedding is your headcount. As we mentioned above, our guests usually spend a few hundred dollars per guest. If you’re looking to reduce the cost of your destination wedding, the best way to do that is to shorten the guest list.
When you first look at resorts for your destination weddings, you’ll see that most resorts start with a base package. This will be a set cost for a certain number of guests (usually around 30) that you can then customize with extra guests or add-ons. Each guest beyond this number will have a set cost, allowing you to easily budget based on the number of people you expect to attend.
Choosing Your Resort
The next most important decision that will impact your destination wedding budget is the resort. As with any vacation, resorts range from affordable to luxury and everything in between. These prices are reflected not only in the resort stay itself but also in their wedding packages.
Most resorts will offer a range of wedding packages. The most basic packages include just a ceremony space, such as a gazebo and chairs. On the other end of the spectrum, the robust packages will include your reception, DJ, decor, and more. It is up to you and your partner to decide what type of wedding celebration you’d like to have and how that fits into your budget.
One of the great things about the wedding packages at all-inclusive resorts is that they’re customizable. While you can’t remove things from the packages, you can almost always add to them. Want to have a party the night before your wedding to welcome your guests? No problem! What about adding a group snorkeling excursion? Can do. Just because you’re booking a set package for your wedding doesn’t mean it has to be cookie-cutter.
When To Have A Destination Wedding
It’s important to keep the time of the year in mind when developing your budget for your destination wedding. While the wedding packages themselves do not vary in price throughout the year, your travel costs can change significantly. Airline pricing can vary as much as 30% depending on the season!
In Mexico and the Caribbean, the most affordable time of year to visit is “low season,” which runs from September through early November. This is one discount that your guests will be thankful for as well. The Peak Season (highest cost) is mid-January through Easter, plus all Holiday weekends.
Hiring a Destination Wedding Travel Agent
While hiring a destination wedding travel agent is not mandatory, anyone who has had a destination wedding will tell you it’s a must-have. We charge a fee here at Alpaca Your Bags Travel, but we provide tons of value and help you save money in other areas. As a boutique agency, we accept only a limited number of couples each year, and because of that, we’re able to provide an extremely hands-on service.
One of the most essential services we provide is helping to match clients with the right resort. If you’re someone who wants to fully customize your wedding day and be very hands-on with planning, I’ll match you with a resort that’s conducive to that. On the other hand, if you want to do as little planning as possible and just select a package, there are perfect resorts for you, too! The goal is to match our couples with the resort that fits their needs and personality. One isn’t right or better – they are just different. The benefit of working with a destination wedding travel agent is that we are focused on these resorts all day, every day, and we know their strengths.
If you’re considering a destination wedding in Mexico or the Caribbean, reach out! We’d love to hop on a call to learn all about your wedding day dreams.
