Destination weddings create an unforgettable experience. After all, how often do your closest loved ones gather in paradise to celebrate such a momentous occasion? However, for many couples, the anxiety over asking friends and family to plan their own travel has them hoping their special day isn’t unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Have no fear! There are plenty of things you can do to alleviate the stress of travel planning for your guests and even make it an exciting experience. Here are four foolproof ways to make a destination wedding guest happy.
1. Give Guests the Tools to Be Prepared
We all have that one Great Aunt who has never journeyed past the borderlines of the state she grew up in. Now she’s about to fly thousands of miles for your destination wedding and she has no idea what she's doing. Inviting wedding guests who have never been out of the country or are not familiar with your destination is completely normal. Luckily there are easy ways to make sure they are prepared and feel at ease with the travel ahead.
The number one way you can help your guests feel prepared for your destination wedding is to give them your ceremony date as early as possible. Arranging the time and resources necessary to travel out of the country requires a bit of planning. A lot of your guests will need to give their jobs notice of vacation plans or set up a babysitter well in advance of your wedding. The sooner they can make these arrangements, the sooner they can dream about sipping margaritas on the beach instead!
Setting your wedding date early also gives your guests time to organize the most important part of their out-of-country travel – their passport. I know, this seems obvious, but even guests who already have a passport should still be thinking about it. No one wants to arrive to the airport to find that their passport expired six weeks ago. Even if it will expire within the months following the wedding, it still may not be accepted by your destination’s Customs Department, so make sure all of your guests check that their passport is up-to-date and valid by going to travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.
Even when knowing your wedding date early, some guests may still be uneasy with the idea of booking travel so far out in advance. What if one of their kids comes down with the flu? What if they get a new job and no longer have vacation time? The worries can be endless, and with cancellation penalties looming over their head, making a commitment a year in advance can be downright scary. Calm your guests’ fears by reminding them that travel protection is a perfect solution. Not only does it protect them from penalties in the event that they have to cancel, but there are often other attractive benefits as well. Funjet’s own All-in-One Travel Protection guards against penalties, has a low deposit guarantee, matches the price if it goes down after initial booking, and even provides medical insurance while in destination. For more information on All-in-One Travel Protection and how it can provide your guests peace of mind, click here.
2. Enhance The Experience
As a destination bride or groom, keep in mind that this is no ordinary vacation for your guests. They have come to celebrate your love in one of the most beautiful places on earth, a place they may have never been to before. While some guests are inherently minimalist, most figure that if they are traveling all that way, they might as well go all out! Follow these simple tips to truly enhance your guests’ experience traveling to your wedding.
To get your guests off to a solid start, set up an event page. They’re incredibly common nowadays across all types of weddings, and for good reason. People want the ability to hop on their phone and have all of your details available right at their fingertips. This is especially helpful for destination weddings. Guests have a one-stop shop where they can get a glimpse of the resort, figure out the dress code, and even review all of their options for travel.With Weddings by Funjet, our creative team designs a custom event page just for you that includes a booking portal. This booking portal is probably the most important part of your event page, empowering your guests to confidently compare their options and find the travel that best suits them. Check out an example of one of our custom event pages by clicking here.
There is no better way to get your guests excited about your wedding than mentioning that magical “U” word – upgrades! While you may think your guests are going to want to spend as little as possible, you’ll likely be surprised to find how many are dying to stay in the upgraded room category, despite it being a little higher cost. Even with a traditional group contract, you have the ability to provide guests with diverse room category options. All the rage right now? Swim-up suites – and guests love them. They can skip walking across the resort to find the pool and instead walk right out of their room into the blues of the Caribbean and tropical sunshine. Plus since the swim-up suites are all connected by the same pool, guests can leisurely wade across to each other’s rooms. The best part? They’re in tons of resorts across many destinations, so they’re easy to find. Also who could forget the ocean view upgrade? It’s a mainstay and is great to give as an option whenever possible. Take it from your land-locked guests, a view of the ocean is definitely worth paying extra for.
The room is not the only part of the trip that can be upgraded to give your guests the most memorable experience possible. Remind your guests that through all of Weddings by Funjet’s destination partners, there are options for upgraded airport transportation. Private van transfers to and from the airport are highly desired. While shared transfers are still incredibly convenient when compared to taxi cab travel. Private transfers allow guests to not have to wait for everyone to get through the terminal and are guaranteed to go straight from the airport to the hotel. Moreover, depending on the number of passengers, private transfers can even be less per person than shared transfers! The same destination partners that offer this transportation also have fantastic tours and excursions. Setting up a group excursion for all of your guests is another amazing way to enhance their time at your wedding.
3. Connect Guests with An Expert
Though all of these tips might sound like excellent ways to make your destination wedding guests happy, you may be thinking, “This sounds like a lot of work!” Ultimately, you may not be well-versed in all the nuances of your destination either, and explaining all of this to travel greenhorns might sound daunting. That is why we suggest connecting your guests with a bona fide travel expert – someone who can answer your guests’ questions with certainty and give them tips and tricks to having a fabulous time at your destination wedding.
With Weddings by Funjet, this person is your Accommodations Specialist. She is your travel guru who is available to your guests from the beginning when they book all the way to after they have traveled. If your guests want a quote to compare room categories, need to split up the dates each person is staying in the room, have special requests for the hotel, are hoping for a room category not listed, etc., the Accommodations Specialist is just a call or email away from assisting. Our Weddings by Funjet team keeps current with destination trends to give your guests a more personal, catered experience. Even while traveling, guests can rest assured knowing that a certified Funjet representative is available 24 hours a day to assist with any in-destination issues. Having a travel expert on hand takes an incredible burden off of you and your guests so you can all focus on having fun in the sun instead!
4. Have Fun
We get it. Worrying about your guests having a good time is just a part of planning a wedding. When you’re a destination bride or groom, this apprehension can be intense, but don’t forget to have fun! Though travel planning can feel stressful, remember the pay-off. In no time, your friends and family will join to celebrate your big day surrounded by sunshine, sandy beaches, and astonishing views. Keep smiling, follow these few easy tips, remember that we are here for you, and keep your wedding group excited! Guaranteed your guests will be smiling along with you every step of the way.
Photography Credits: Punta Cana Photographer
