Does this sound familiar? You’re excited about the idea of having a destination wedding, and you have been putting in hours trying to figure out what everything is going to cost. Your eyes are hurting from the amount of scrolling you’ve had to do searching out prices for resort wedding locations & venues. And... you’ve read enough mixed reviews for every resort venue you are interested in to make your head spin.
You need to have a well-rounded breakdown of how much your destination wedding will actually cost you. Knowing this can save you a ton of wasted time looking at the wrong locations & venues that may or may not fit your budget. Here’s a breakdown to help you know what you can expect to pay for a typical destination wedding.
YOUR DESTINATION WEDDING LOCALE
An Instagram-worthy destination wedding starts with a great location! Maybe you choose locations that are closer to home, such as Mexico & the Caribbean, or you may be looking for a more exotic destination wedding locale, such as Hawaii, Fiji, Bora Bora, or Europe. Usually, the farther away & more exotic a destination is, the more expensive it can be.
Airfare Prices
Airfare can take up a chunk of your guest's budget if you choose a non all-inclusive resort or villa, but only a small portion of your overall destination wedding budget. If you’re flying during “high season” (Dec-April), flights are going to be more expensive than low season (May-Nov).
With that being said, here are some current averages for round trip air based on May 2023 travel.
Depart From Midwestern or East coast to:
Departing From West Coast to:
PRO TIP: There will always be fluctuations in price based on the time of year and even the day of the week. If you find an unbelievable air deal, double check the type of seat it is and the air schedule. Many really cheap tickets have incredibly harsh restrictions as well as horrible air itineraries that could get you to your resort so late that you miss all of your first day at your resort, therefore ultimately wasting money and delaying the start of your “wedcation” bliss!
DESTINATION WEDDING RESORT VENUE
Every resort offers different wedding locations, amenities, room options, restaurants, activities, as well as food and beverage plans. AI (All-inclusive) resorts include all of your food and beverages with your package price. EP (European Plan) resorts offer an ala carte menu where you pay for each meal or beverage. In general, an All-Inclusive resort will usually offer you a better value for your wedding group,
You definitely need to take your time looking through all the available options so that you can make sure to book the best resort wedding venue for you and your unique wedding vision.
YOUR ROOM OR SUITE
The room or suite you choose will impact the overall cost for you & your guest's destination wedding stay. For example, you could love resort (A) with a base price of $1800 for 7 nights that includes a “standard room.” But if you choose a swim-up suite for your room option, the price for your resort stay at resort (A) will now be $3,000 for 7 nights because of the upgraded room option.
Below is an average cost you & your guests can expect to pay for different types of room stays for 7 nights based on current rates:
NOTE: Most guests will stay 7 nights for an AI destination wedding, with the average being 5 days in a Villa or EP resort. It will really depend on how much each guest wants to spend on their stay.
Because we won’t send anyone to a resort that is average or below quality, you can assume that all of these prices are going to be 4 stars and higher in quality.
Luxury Resort: Adult Only AVERAGE RATES based on 7-night stay:
Highest Room Category:
Think over the water bungalows at a Sandals Resort or 4 Seasons type quality & experience: $16,000-$25,000
GOOD NEWS FOR YOU!
The good news is that many resort wedding venues will offer you free nights and room upgrades depending on the size of your wedding group! In many cases, you can get either part or ALL of your stay and even possibly parts of your wedding comped because you’ve earned so many free nights and extras from your wedding group.
THE WEDDING PACKAGE & DECOR YOU CHOOSE
Most high-quality destination wedding resorts will have stunning wedding packages that will include your ceremony location, music, lighting, cocktail party, decor, wedding cake, reception location, entertainment, food & cocktail menu, and an open bar.
NOTE: You have to make sure that your wedding group is going to be set up correctly in order to earn the wedding amenities and free nights. Booking directly with the resorts will not always get you this information, as most resorts don’t seem concerned with letting you know what you can earn. Booking with a destination wedding specialist will guarantee that your wedding group is set up properly to earn everything you qualify for.
ACTIVITIES & EXCURSIONS FOR YOUR GROUP
A great way to connect with all of your wedding guests and to give them a memorable experience during your wedding week is to do a group activity. Depending on your location, you can:
You get the idea! Due to the size of a wedding group, I recommend you book your group activity in advance.
NOTE:There are MANY tour companies out there. Usually the lower the price the more sketch the company. Only go with companies that are licensed and insured, and have great testimonies. I have partnered with some of the best names in the industry and will be happy to help you book your tour.
For a good quality tour, you can expect to pay around $120+ per person, depending on the type of tour, and activities that are included.
ULTIMATELY IT IS UP TO YOU!
There are so many ways to make your dream destination “I DO!” a reality! It’s all about deciding what kind of experience is right for you and your guests—and knowing exactly where you should be splurging on the things that will really make a difference in your destination wedding experience, while spending less on the things that won’t make a difference.
If you’ve been struggling or frustrated trying to get your destination wedding all figured out, and you’re ready for a little help, schedule a free destination wedding consultation with me today, so that you can get unstuck and moving forward on with your destination wedding planning!
