Are you undecided on whether you should plan a destination wedding or a local, stateside wedding? The popularity of marrying away from home has been on the rise since the early 2000’s with couple’s desiring to save money and the appealing option to turn the traditional 2-day soirée of a rehearsal dinner and wedding day to a week-long family reunion at an all-inclusive resort that has everything wedding guests could possibly want in one hot spot. Take it from experts in the destination wedding biz, and read through the top 5 pragmatic and privy reasons to tie the knot away.
Eclipse Lounge | Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta
1. Affordability
According to The Knot and their Real Wedding Study, in a poll conducted of 13,000 brides and grooms who married in 2016 in the US, the average wedding cost was $35,329. The average marrying age for brides is 29, and 31 for grooms, which means the same millennials that are struggling with sky high student loan debt are having to decide between hosting a wedding or paying the bills. Something’s got to give, right?
For a detailed example of the unsurpassed amount of money couples save that decide to host a destination wedding, we’ve broken down a sample wedding proposal at Hard Rock Riviera Maya in Mexico to give you the full perspective.
32 Guests / 65 Room Nights
Group Benefits: Unlimited Private Functions for up to (3) hours each day.
- Complimentary Wedding Collection for 32 people
- Semi-private rehearsal dinner at hotel restaurant for 32 people: Included
- Symbolic ceremony on the beach: Included
- Bridal bouquet of roses: Included
- Groom’s rose boutonniere: Included
- White pergola arbor with golden spun fabric and white floral applique as backdrop: Included
- White ceremony podium with a golden Manzanita branch and a gold mirrored vase filled with white roses: Included
- Sparkling wine for 32 people during or after the ceremony: Included
- CD system for the ceremony: Included
- Standard décor round tables, white table linens and white avante garde chairs: Included
- Themed 1-tier wedding cake for up to 32 people: Included
- Complimentary Honeymoon Package
Complimentary Wedding Collection | Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts
2. Stress-Free
Destination wedding planning is guaranteed to be simple, and finalized much sooner than a traditional wedding and reception at home. All-inclusive resorts throughout Mexico and the Caribbean have mastered the one-stop shop wedding planning experience that make picking out the details like venue locations, the reception dinner menu, a wedding cake, and professional vendors for music, flowers, and décor, an absolute breeze. In addition to having a standard selection of services to choose from, you will have a dedicated onsite wedding team that are among the best (and most experienced) planners in the world bringing your visions to life in the days leading up to the wedding day, and the big day itself. The all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean, for example, take pride in their knowledge of the wedding industry, which in turn makes their wedding collections and organized planning style stand out. Opposed to spending a few extra thousand dollars on a qualified wedding planner stateside, you will receive complimentary white-glove, personalized planning services by a stateside wedding concierge that specializes in your particular destination, simply by setting up group travel for your wedding group through Weddings by Funjet. Your concierge will pre-plan all of the details and communicate with the resort on your behalf up until a few weeks prior to departure. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and let us take care of the details in collaboration with onsite teams.
Private Cabana | Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts
3. Quality Time
If you haven’t heard it already, let it be our honor to tell you that your wedding day will be gone in a blink of an eye. With the commonality of family and friends living in places far and in between, it’s always a challenge to feel that you actually spent the quality time you would have liked to with loved ones that travel to be at your stateside wedding. Instead of running from table to table on your wedding day trying to make sure you’ve shown your respects, a destination wedding allows couples to spend days with their guests soaking up the sun, taking once-in-a-lifetime excursions, and the opportunity to gush (more than once) about every little wedding detail before walking down the aisle to say “I do!”
Hosting your destination wedding at a the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotels will give you options to get the fun started from the moment guests arrive by setting up a private Music Lab Experience. Your guests might surprise you with what they come up with, and they may even end up performing the song at one of your pre-planned events like this bride’s bridal party did at her welcome reception at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya!
Music Lab | Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts
4. Early Honeymoon
You are already in paradise, so why not extend your stay post-wedding and start your marriage out right with a mix of fun and romance? Enjoy the complimentary Honeymoon Package from Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts simply by presenting proof of marriage within the past year and you’ll receive the following benefits:
- Mini Cake
- Sparkling House Wine
- Honeymoon Dinner
- In-Room Breakfast
- Hydro Spa Tub Experience
- Welcome Note from the one and only, Colin Cowie
If you are still looking for more indulgence and pampering as the new Mr. and Mrs., you have two upgraded honeymoon packages to choose from.
Headliner Package
- Mini Cake
- Sparkling House Wine
- Honeymoon Dinner
- In-Room Breakfast
- 2 Honeymoon T-shirts
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries Upon Arrival
- Bathrobes and Slippers
- In-Room Aromatherapy
- Sensual Chocolate Body Painting Kit
- Flower Petal Heart Design with Couple’s Initials in the Center of the Bed Upon Arrival
- Welcome Note from the one and only, Colin Cowie
2017 Price: $750 USD
Showstopper Package
- VIP Access to Hotel
- Honeymoon Concierge Service
- Mini Cake
- Bottle of Champagne
- Honeymoon Dinner
- In-Room Breakfast
- 2 Honeymoon T-shirts
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries Upon Arrival
- Bathrobes and Slippers
- In-Room Aromatherapy
- Rose Petal Bath in Double Hydro Spa Tub
- Kama Sutra Kit
- Flower Petal Heart Design with Couple’s Inititals in the Center of the Bed Upon Arrival
- Tour for Two
- Cancun/Riviera Maya: Swim with the Dolphins
- Punta Cana: Horseback Riding on the Beach
- Vallarta: Sunset Cruise
- Relaxing Couple’s Massage at the Rock Spa ® (50 minutes)
- Welcome Note from the one and only, Colin Cowie
2017 Price: $1,500 USD
Rock Spa | Hard Rock Hotel Cancun
5. Stand Out
Unlike formal weddings that open up the floodgates to sticking with family traditions and how you should do things, couples that choose a destination wedding are able to truly create an experience that is unique to them with a ceremony and a destination that reflect their distinct style and personality. Dreaming of an intimate garden setting saturated with elegant lighting? A sky terrace overlooking turquoise waters? You call the shots, and we make the calls.
