Top Five Considerations in Choosing a Resort

ok... so some of you may have read that one of my dear girlfriends from university is planning a DW.. YIPPEE... another trip!!!

Anyhoo... we were talking about what to consider when choosing a resort, what were your top five wedding related considerations when choosing... I mean aside from the obvious, beach, pools, etc.. that stuff is about your guests... but what wedding specific considerations made you choose your resort?

Mine...

1. full service hair salon
2. private room for the wedding reception
3. cost of wedding day activities, reception, set up etc
4. ability to have the dance with a DJ in the private reception room
5. a great site visit and meeting with our then future Wedding Coordinator

This is really interesting!

I think we kept in mind:

-All inclusive

-Caters to weddings

-Had other hotels in the chain in different countries/cities in case something goes wrong like the Dreams Tulum fiasco

-Allowed outside vendors/photographer (very important to us)

-Would allow weddings on Sundays (the date we wanted fell on a Sunday)

Ooh good thread:

- All inclusive

- One wedding a day only

- family friendly

- outdoor/beach ceremony and reception

- many restaurant choices

1.All Inclusive

2.Wedding Gazebo

3.Water Color

4.Swim Up Bars

5. 4 Star or Higher

(I am with Megan on the last two )

1. Only wedding that day

2. A wedding package that we would use everything in

3. Affordable for our guests

4. outdoor reception

5. Allow outside vendors

1.) Location, location, location:)

2.) Size

3.) Affordability for all concerned

4.) Wedding facilties

5.) Traveler reviews; and by this, I mean the reviews from travelers who seemed to have the same attitude/expectations as we do.

1. ONE wedding per day!

2. Flexibility to do whatever we want as far as the wedding goes; I felt like they would make anything we wanted happen

3. Allowed outside vendors

4. Proximity to the airport

5. Outside deck option for the private reception

Here is the big list I made with the template attached

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t34495

I would say that my top 5 priorities were:

1) All Inclusive

2) Adult Only

3) Good quality food and lots of dining options

4) Ease in getting there (good flight times, etc)

5) Good Wedding Packages

I really had 6 must-have, without which I would not have selected the resort I married at. My top 5/6 wedding-related were :

1. Allow outside guests without a day-pass ; allow children and the wedding day even if not allowed to stay there otherwise.

2. Allow outside vendors with no conditions (no fee, no restrictions, etc)

3. Privacy of everything : not a crowded beach with people in bikinis eating fries in the background, or not an area reserved in a huge restaurant with people I would not know 2 tables further

4. Beach wedding

5. Awesome food ; and I have to add because it was a must-have, bring-your-own-bottles allowed (indifferent to corkage) - I wanted real (French) champagne and the price is insane on hotel price lists.

... My top-5 non wedding-related were :

1. Not a huge mega-resort ; not something that looks like towers or big buildings

2. Design of the rooms (I cannot stand bed covers with flowers or tassels on curtains...)

3. Short flight from Houston

4. Not an AI (too expensive for most guests)

5. Price !