AI or non AI and Why?

[pineapple princess]

Thanks everyone!!! This is awesome advice and exactly what i was looking for. i LOVE this forum.

 

My initial thought was to do AI so everyone would know in advance what to budget, but you all know how much "advice" you start getting from friends and family and i was starting to get overwhelmed.

 

i will keep checking back - thanks for all the responses so far!

[JenniferSS]

Don't forget to add in transportation cost to restaurants if you are not doing an AI! Many people over look that aspect and those can add up quickly depending on destination!

[big3n09]

We chose not to do AI. We like to venture out and would not get the total benefit of having AI since we may not be there. Some AI have stipulations, like ours, and EVERYTHING is not included. You also rin the risk of not likeing the options that the AI has. We typically don't do it when we travel and the price difference was $300+per day, don't think we eat or drink that much in a day even after adding transportation. You have to determine what's best for you and your group, everyone had to be on the same meal plan, if your resort let's everyone do what they want then that's a good option.

[*Meagan*]

AI was totally the perfect choice for us as well! No money, no tipping, no credit cards, no traveler checks, just go and enjoy!!!! What could be better than that! OUr friends did AI for their wedding and it was perfect! Food, drinks, entertainment, activities, your room, all included! And with that you get a free weddingmoon package..yippeee!!! I think a lot of our guests like this feature as well... even though at first a few people were skeptical, they are totally into it!! Good luck on your choice!!Do what works best for you! and your guests!

[SDSteph]

We are all bartenders and ex-bartenders so we love to drink! I orginally wanted a quaint enviornment that is usually offered by the NON-AI's, but realized from what we would spend on drinks we are just better off compromising the small local feel. I am going to put info on the website about other accomedation options if anyone is intrested in a non-allinclusive but will recomend aganist it just because of the additional cost.

[Ayita]

We decided for non-AI for a huge number of reasons :

- AI are much more expensive compared to just rooms, and a lot of our guests could not afford to pay 200-400$ a night per person. Food and drinks could not explain the difference - you have to use the activities, or have children, or be a really heavy drinker if you want it to be worth your money

- Even if all your guests are AI, you still have to pay for your own food and drinks if you have over a certain number of guests (usually around 20-25 - they call it "private event"). Which means you pay twice for the drinks and food of your wedding (once, your guests pay ; the second time, you pay). I thought it was a rip-off.

- if you don't pay for a private event (under the number of guests), it seemed to me weird to have our guests pay for their food at our wedding through their AI fee !

- even if you pay for a private event, external guests still have to pay a day pass to enter the resort (usually over 100$) !!!

- the several AI I was considering would only issue a day pass for up to 20% (or other stupid limit) of the wedding guests. Which means that, if I had 30 guests, only 6 day pass would be issued !!! Meaning that if I had 8 guests staying outside, 2 could not enter !!!! Simply crazy. I could not take the risk, knowing most of my guests could not afford the price of the AI and would probably look for an outside place to stay.

- most of the AI I was considering were requesting that you use their wedding package, so you're stuck with their wedding coordinator and you end up having to go through the resort for everything and it's usually twice the cost of ouside (for instance : there were only 12 chairs in the package and each additional chair is 8$)

- most of the AI I was considering were asking for huge fee for external vendors and I wanted to bring an external photographer

- Most AI I was considering would not allow external bottles, or would charge an astronomical corkage fee, and I wanted real champagne for the wedding, not sparkling wine (I'm French...). And one bottle of champagne inside is usually 125$-140$.

- Some AI have crazy rules like "you cannot take a piece of the wedding cake to your room". WTF ?

 

So I ended up picking a very small, family-like resort. No constraints !

[jenninjamaica]

We chose AI with no question! That way all the food and drinks were covered and then anything extra was up to each person. It also seemed easiest and the best way to organize our group in one place, and still get the variety of different restaurants at the resort, ect.

[JenniferSS]

One of the posters brought out another point - that each AI is different.

 

Another consideration is for AI & non AI -is location both in the world and at the particular destination. Is the resort you chose close enough to a variety of dining venues for your guests ? There are many Caribbean islands that have resorts that offer an AI option-these tend to be a bit limited and much more expensive as compared to say a 4 or 5 star Mexico or Jamaica AI!

 

You may want to read this article about AI's- it may be helpful with your decision!

 

http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t14194

[Kristy!]

We didn't consider a resort at all! We went the private villa route, so obviously not AI.

 

Our reasons:

 

*We wanted a place where only our guest would be, no outside people.

 

*The rental came with 4 cooks and a wedding coordinator who was fabulous!

 

*We saved a ton on food and drinks because we purchased stuff from the grocery store and the cooks made it. (Obviously we didn't do this for the wedding!) If people wanted to go out to eat, they were free to do that.

 

*AI didn't make sense for our group because there were several non-drinkers.

 

*No vendor fees!

 

*I had a say in everything. There was a small wedding package, but I wasn't tied to that by any means. I did not want a cookie cutter wedding.

 

*Just like Ayita, we had a big issue with guests paying for their own wedding meal.

 

Had we gone with AI it obviously wouldn't been more convenient and easier to plan, but I'm so happy we went the route we did. And TA Jennifer is right, transportation can be a killer. Luckily I had been to St. Lucia before and knew what to budget for it. Also, St. Lucia is such a beautiful, wonderful, friendly island. By staying at an AI the whole time (like I pretty much did the first time I visited there), I would miss out on some of the best meals I've ever had and totally falling in love with the island's charm and true beauty.