What to do? Choice vs. Guest Price?

[heidilynn28]

Ok hi everyone,

 

I'm kind of messed up and starting to stress myself out. I've done A LOT of research and ended up with 4-5 resorts to choose from for my wedding (June 2011). The top qualifier is Valentin Imperial in Mexico (Riviera Maya). Package is amazing, resort is beautiful and has everything I want.

 

Problem is.. as of right now, it will cost my guests around 1800$ for a 7-night all inclusive. I've talked it over with my mom, she says they will be there no matter what BUT not to count on many other people attending because the price is high (I want a 5 star - I originally thought it would cost between 1500-1600$ for that time of year).

 

I know it's my day, I should do what I want bla bla.. but can I really impose this price on my guests? Not sure they will be able to afford that! ?

 

So - do I pick another resort with a lower price (1500-1600$ pp) and pay more for the wedding package + extras?

 

What experience have you guys had with travel agents blocking rooms? What kind of a discount do guests usually get? I'd most likely deal with a travel agent who will get a 7-night all inclusive rate for guests, because it's more convenient instead of dealing with the hotel and have to search for flights.

 

Need help and advice from some of you who have been there.. desperately!

Thx for reading and/or replying!

[Crystal1880]

Congrats and Welcome.. I was having the same issue when I started looking at places. I eventually caved and changed destinations to a less expensive resrot, but your are correct that it is your day. The people that you want to be there will respect your decision.. Happy planning!

[A2Bride]

Congrats and welcome!! It is your day and I think you should go where you want! The reason I say this is from our experience. I was between 2 resorts, and one of them was a bit more expensive and did not include as much as the other one did. Well my friends all said they would go if it was the cheaper one and it offered everything they wanted to do. So we did....well 2 out of about 20 are coming! I know it will be gorgeous, but in a sense I regret chosing my resort based on friends and family...it is your day!! Happy planning...

[~Nicole~]

I completely know how you feel. I struggled with the same difficulties, but in the end I went with what I wanted. If a few hundred dollars was going to make or break someone, then oh well! And to be honest, if I would have went with a cheaper hotel I bet my life that I would still have exact same people attend the wedding - no additional peeps. So I guess its really up to you in terms of priorities. If you know that the extra money will deter the most important people that you HAVE to have there, then maybe consider the less expensive place, otherwise go with what you want! Good luck!

[heidilynn28]

Some of my friends will come no matter what.. because they will see it as a vacation at the same time, and they can afford it.. but others will probably not come because of price - which is sad. But is 1800$ considered expensive for a 5* in Riviera Maya? I kind of think it's in the average.. but some people won't be able to understand paying that amount. :/

[carolina24]

I say go for it and let your gets know asap that way if they really want to go they will have plenty of time to save up. yes it's expensive but you're at a 5 star resort during high season, so actually $1800 isn't too bad. in the end the people who are most important to you will find a way to be there. when we went for site visits, i fell in love with Dreams and i dealt with the "guilty" feelings for a bit as well (it was on the higher end) but its YOUR day.

 

also think about the fact that you and FI will already be spending a good deal of money on the trip/maybe HM so if you start to add extras to the actual wedding, you'll end up spending more than you really want/need to.

[mekanabr]

I had this struggle at first too when I was planning. I found some really fabulous places that I thought everyone would be willing to spend the money for. But as my FI and I started to think about what we really wanted on our wedding day, we realized that to us it was more important to spend the day with our family and friends than to be at a 5 star resort (even if it cost us a little more for the wedding). So now we are looking into less expensive, but still great resorts.

 

Also I agree that whatever the price is, you should give your guests as much time as possible to save for the trip. Its easier for ppl to digest the price of a vacation when you can break it up over time! That's one of the reasons we are doing a July 2011 weddig so that it gives our guests (and ourselves) a while to save up for the trip.

 

Good luck with your decision, whatever you choose I'm sure you'll be happy- it is your wedding after all!

[AlexsBride]

Yeah I don't think 1800 for a 5 star in Mexico is that expensive! But the problem is so many people compare the prices to last minute trips and they really can't compare the two, it's apples and oranges. I say, go with the resort you want and let people know as far in advance approx. what it is going to cost them. They will decide if the cost is worth it! Good luck and congrats!

[mnh1983]

I agree with the others that the same people will probably come regardless of where you have it. Do what makes YOU happy. I have had several people try to get me to change stuff about my wedding, and I've decided that they just don't have to come if they don't like it!

[TLC4Rock]

First Welcome and happy planning. Selecting the resort was the hardest part for me also.

 

I decided to go with the cheaper resort because it was more important to me to have as many family/friends as possible be able to attend. There is nothing wrong with the more expensive resort if that's what you want! Just keep in mind that people you think may attend will not and vice versa so just focus on the big picture. You are lucky to have your Mom help you make the decision, please use her as much as possible.