sandals destination weddings Archives - Royalty Planning and Travel, LLC

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Planning a Destination Wedding – San Antonio Wedding Coordinator

February 13, 2015

One type of wedding more and more couples are deciding to have is destination weddings. You might love to travel together, want to get married at the place they met, desire a smaller more intimate wedding, or just want a very different type of wedding experience than the norm. There are over 400,000 destination weddings taking place annually and 55% of those are in North America. In 2013, 1 in 4 couples had a destination wedding (Source: The Knot 2013 Report).

Popular locations for destination weddings are the Caribbean (41% of international destination weddings, The Knot 2013 Report), Hawaii (16%), Mexico (21%) and various locations in the US. The larger hotels/resorts have wedding packages already in place to make the planning process so much easier for the couple. They even offer in-house wedding coordinators to assist you with the entire planning process so that when the couple arrives to the resort for the wedding most of everything has already been done.

Tips To Remember

Pay attention to the peak and off peak seasons when deciding on a date. The peak season will be pricier because you will be competing with crowded resorts and lots of visitors. Also keep in mind of national holidays and large events taking place at that location.
Besides thinking about the ceremony and reception space at the resort’s location you also have to think about room availability as well. You’ll want to block off rooms as early as possible so they don’t fill up for your guests and you can get the best price possible.

Ask the resort what is included in the wedding packages to see what is the best deal for you. Sandals offers a complimentary WeddingMoons package with a minimum 3 night stay! From the bouquet and ceremony décor to the cake and reception table, every exquisite element has been take care of to make your wedding day as easy as it is elegant.
If you aren’t getting married at an all inclusive resort, you might want to look into reserving space at another hotel to offer your guests a choice for hotel pricing, a lower and higher choice option.
Be sure you find out the document and residency requirements of marriage for the location of where you want to get married. Each have their own rules. Many will require anywhere from 48-72 hours stay prior to the ceremony. There are fees associated with this as well so make sure you understand it all before traveling.

You want the best turnout as possible so check with your guests before booking anything to see when the best time to travel is for them.
Consider choosing a neutral location for both families traveling to the destination wedding. You want to have guests come from both sides and if all of your family is in the location of the wedding you might end up having a lot of family from yours and little for his, would he like that?
Don’t forget to check out the seasonal weather forecast for the location you are thinking of and chances of hurricanes, snow storms, rain, etc. The Caribbean gets extremely hot in the summer so you might not want to have the entire wedding outside during the summer months or maybe wait until the fall or spring.

Be sure to send out save the dates 10 months to 1 year before the wedding so guests have plenty of time to prepare and book their travel. Also, be sure to make it as simple as possible for guests to book hotel and flights by providing this information to them.
As I mentioned earlier, many of the larger resorts will have in-house wedding coordinators but they will not be available for all the events and coordinating needed during the entire stay. I highly recommend that you hire a wedding coordinator that will help coordinate all the events and ensure that the entire day of the wedding runs smoothly.

Don’t forget to plan activities and other get togethers with your guests during the stay. Having a good bye brunch before leaving is an excellent way of thanking everyone for coming and saying goodbye.

Destination weddings are a lot of fun but do take some planning and coordination just as regular weddings do. If you are thinking about having a destination wedding please contact me! I am a Certified Sandals Specialist and WeddingMoons Specialist. I’m here to help! Trudy Scott, http://www.RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com, 210-595-9263. Here is a link to my past destination wedding blog posts: http://royaltyeventparties.com/category/destination-weddings/

Sandals Destination Weddings – Weddingmoons

November 5, 2014

101_5621 Last week I had the privilege of traveling to Nassau, Bahamas to become certified in Sandals Weddingmoons. Basically, it means their wedding and honeymoon options. I have traveled all over and I must say that this was THE BEST resort I have ever stayed at. Not only was the resort beautiful and offered so many amenities but the staff was extraordinary! I was even welcomed with champagne at check in!!

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101_5733 What I learned the most from my stay was the value guests receive at Sandals and Beaches. Everything is included during your stay…delicious food, premium liquor, large beautiful rooms, gratuity, lots of land and water sport options, daily entertainment & so much more! The value is point on for the price! You could even choose to have your own personal butler for a luxury stay in a Butler Category!

Destination weddings at Sandals starts with the pre-designed wedding themes. This option is for those brides that want a less stressful way of planning their wedding. There are 6 styles available based on your budget and look you are trying to achieve. The Beautiful Beginnings theme is FREE if you book 3 nights or more in any room category. This is a $500 value! It includes a sweet Fuchsia dendrobium orchid bouquet and boutonniere, as well as a table for eight with crisp linens, a lovely centerpiece, and a charming white cake. Click here for what every Weddingmoons provides their couples: http://www.sandals.com/weddingmoons/weddings/inclusions/

Sandals_MS-3577-2 101_5594 If you are a bride that wants more involvement with the planning to create a look and style specifically for you, Sandals offers that option as well. The easiest way is to use the Planning Tool of 6 simple steps on the Sandals website. http://www.sandals.com/weddingmoons/weddings/planning-destination-wedding/

If you are having a group of guests come along there are even more inclusions offered!

Celebrations for 5 – 9 rooms also receive:

Complimentary room category upgrade for bride & groom*
1 Hour Delightful Reception with sparkling wine, cold hors d’ouevres, and signature cocktail for the wedding group

Celebrations for 10 – 19 rooms also receive:

Complimentary room category upgrade for bride & groom*
Private group pre-registration and check-in (based on majority of group arriving at same time)
Private pre-wedding celebration dinner for the wedding group*
1 Hour Classic reception with sparkling wine, hot & cold hors d’ouevres, and signature cocktail for the wedding group
Pedicure for the bride

(The above came directly off the Sandals website, please go to the above link to see the disclaimers of the group inclusions).

weddingmoons_certified_trudy_scott_2 Sandals also offers other specials. Please take a look at http://www.sandals.com/weddingmoons/weddings/specials/. If you would like more information about planning your destination wedding or honeymoon please contact Trudy Scott at 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com or go to my website. You can also keep up with specials, tips and pictures on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/royaltyeventparties

Best Resorts for a Destination Wedding

March 13, 2014

If money were not an issue, there would be plenty of people who would go all out on their wedding day. Instead of staying in their city, they would opt for a destination wedding because they want to feel the excitement of visiting a romantic location and getting married there. If this is something that you can relate to, it is important that you choose the right location for your wedding.

Here are some of the best destination wedding resorts that you can visit:

Sandals Royal – Located less than an hour away from mainland United States, you can have a wedding ceremony in Nassau, Bahamas and get to enjoy the beauty of the place. Best of all is that you can gather all your guests in one private island where you can celebrate your newly formed union.

Cayo Espanto – If you are planning a small and intimate wedding, you may opt for visiting Cayo Espanto in Belize. After the ceremony, you can stay in the private island with your invited guests.

Couples Swept Away – just as its name suggests, a destination wedding in this resort located at Negril, Jamaica will leave you and your husband mesmerized. The property exudes the character of a classic Caribbean destination wedding that you will enjoy really well.

Palace Resorts – There’s nothing more romantic than having a wedding by the beach. If you and your fiancé are a fan of the blue water and sand, there are a number of options that you can go with. Palace Resorts has a number of resorts located throughout the Mexican Caribbean: Cancun, Isla Mujeras, and Riviera Maya.

Call us for more information on how we can plan your destination wedding in one of these resorts. 210-595-9263. http://www.royaltyeventparties.com

The Pros and Cons of a Destination Wedding

December 24, 2013

When it comes to planning your destination wedding, you always have to think about the pros and cons. This is especially true if you still haven’t planned anything to begin with. By taking a look at the pros and cons of a destination wedding, you’ll be able to choose which option is best for you.

Pros of a Destination Wedding:

Simple– One of the best things about having a destination wedding is that it is a simpler option compared to one close to home. The reason behind this is because there are already a number of venues that offer packaged weddings. For this reason, you simply need to purchase the option you prefer and everything will be all set.
Relaxed– A good thing about destination weddings is the fact that everyone feels like they are in a relaxed atmosphere. Since they are in a place that’s anew to them, they will feel relaxed and at ease throughout the whole time. Also, destination weddings are attended by a small number of people. Most of the time, they are just the immediate family members of the couple. Since they already know each other, they will feel comfortable during the event.
Affordable- Lastly, the option of having a packaged wedding is more affordable compared to planning a wedding from scratch. And since the guests are the ones who shoulder their own accommodation and transportation, you won’t have to worry about this anymore.

Cons of a Destination Wedding:

Limited Number of Guests- One downfall to having a destination wedding is that you can only invite a few people. Even if you want to invite more, there is always a chance that they will decline; especially if the venue is somewhere very far. For this reason, you will only be inviting the ones who are closest to you and your fiancé.
Legalities- Another problem you will have to face when having a destination wedding has something to do with the legalities imposed in that country. If you are interested in having your wedding in another country, you will have to check with its requirements and ensure that you comply with the necessary paperwork.

If you really want to have a destination wedding, an option is to hire a wedding planner to help you with all the planning. Call us today so we can talk about your options. 210-595-9263.