2015 Newbie!

[TropicalBride10]

Narrowing down a location was by far the largest decision thus far but it's actually kind of fun to scout out potential places, if anything, Marden and I now have new vacation spots that we'd like to visit one day! We've decided to get married in Roatan Island, Honduras for the fact that is affordable, absolutely beautiful, and not your run of the mill wedding location. Some people may say that it's too rustic for a wedding but it was important for us to find a happy medium of a unique and out of the waytropical beach destination preferably with a rain forest, which was why we were directed to Central America, and a location that is still easy to get too and convenient for our guests. Roatan really does have it all from all-inclusive mega resorts to smaller more boutique kind of hotels but I just can't get over how turquoise blue the water is against the white sand. I way I see it, Roatan is an up and coming destination but it still keeps its distinctive Honduran identity, which is important for as the majority of my family has never been out of the US and I wanted them to have an opportunity to experience a culture completely different from their own. As far as weddings, I do have the contact info for my wedding planner from Roatan Events who works her tail off to deliver the best to her brides. One sticking point for us is decor and we're not having to carry a single thing down with us because she has connections to get us anything we want. She has connections to all the venues on the island and be assured from my own experiencethat if you book with her, prices for everything will be cheaper than if you book directly with the hotel. The two main resorts that I can recommend are Infinity Bay, Las Verandas (very new and upscale), and the all-inclusive Mayan Princess which is where we're leaning toward simply for the fact that they do have an adjacent beach club where we could hold our private reception with no worries. I'd love to see more couples give Roatan a chance because I know they'd fall in love, just as we have, but enjoy this phase of the wedding planning as much as you can and trust me, it's never to early to start planning. Marden and I have been engaged since 2011 and we're pushing for 2015 as well so have fun and if you have any questions then please don't hesitate to PM me, I'd be happy to help in any way I can!

[PollyNasci2015]

Hello Everyone!! 2015 Bride here and we are also having our wedding in the Dom. Republic and very excited to do so  We chose Majestic Elegance for our big day. What resort have u chosen and why? Happy Planning Ladies!!!

[PollyNasci2015]

Hello Everyone!! 2015 Bride here and we are also having our wedding in the Dom. Republic and very excited to do so  We chose Majestic Elegance for our big day. What resort have u chosen and why? Happy Planning Ladies!!!

[islandluv]

Hi,

 

I'm a 2015 bride also, with the same questions .You're not alone. It can be so overwhelming to choose a destination. Just keep in mind that the most import thing is your happiness. The earlier you start planning the better.

[Tonia Bruyns]

Hey ladies, so glad I found this thread! I am also a 2015 bride and am having the hardest time trying to pick where we want our wedding. Resorts all over offer great packages and amenities for guests... We are going between the Dominican (Majestic Colonial), Jamaica and Cuba... We want it to be affordable and not a burden for our guests but a lot of them have never been on an all inclusive vacation so I still want it to be amazing and something they will remember forever. It's crazy hard to find somewhere that doesn't cost a fortune to add colours and what not to the decor without us bringing 5 extra suitcases full of decorations for the day... I look forward to talking with you guys so we can bounce ideas and pros and cons of different places and hopefully help each other find the resort of our dreams!  

[Tonia Bruyns]

I actually have a question.. when are you guys planning to send out your save-the-dates? I want my guests to have enough time to save so I don't want to wait too long. Just wondering if anyone kind of knows a guideline when it comes to that kind of stuff?

[TropicalBride10]

Congrats Tonia on your engagement!

 

Most brides will tell you that 12 months out is the norm for destination weddings but I've also known others who send them 1.5 years in advance so it just really just depends on your situation. We haven't put a deposit down yet but my family will definitely need longer than a year to save up so I plan on sending STDs out probably at the first of the year after we have our contract sorted out. 

[Tonia Bruyns]

thanks so much! I'm in the same boat with my family needing more time to save. 1.5 years seems like so far in advance, but I think it's better to give people more time to save than not enough. It is hard when contacting resorts because they don't put out their pricing until about a year in advance, so we kind of have to go off of this year's prices when looking at places and hope they don't change too much. A lot of places have told me to contact them closer to the date... so I have just been telling my family that it will cost no more than $1500 and that is stretching what we actually want to make people pay... I'm concerned about not knowing pricing and contact not happening for a while.. it feels like I need to just pick a week and tell everyone now, while hoping that they will have a time slot available when it comes time for me to book. Anyone else feeling this way or found a way around this stressor??? lol

[TropicalBride10]

I don't plan on putting resort info on our STDs, all of that info will come with the invites but if you are set on a country then you shouldn't have a problem sending them out early, it's just a simple heads up so that people are aware that you're planning a destination wedding. Don't stress too much, you still have plenty of time to fully research resorts and really find one that you love instead of having to settle.

[Tonia Bruyns]

thanks so much I think I am just going to let them know it will be destination wedding and give them a max amount to save along with the month we are thinking. I will probably have so many more questions so I'm glad I have this board and I hope I don't get annoying lol. Thanks again!