Pricing Out Wedding

[sassldiva]

Hi all!  I am a newbie here and need some help. 

 

I am looking to book a wedding in Cancun in January of 2017.  What I want is really simple:

1. a beach ceremony with a white canopy

2. 1 hr cocktail for about 50 people

3. a private reception with a dj and dance floor for about 50 people

 

I have contacted a few resorts and they've bombarded me with information.  I was basically asking what I should expect to pay for the above.  Most told me to book a package and then add on the extra per person.  The extra per person fee is high - around $120 at a few resorts. 

 

It seems that its more cost effective to choose the complimentary package and then pay for the reception and cocktail hour.  I've seen numbers at $55 per person for reception and $30 pp for cocktail.  This includes open bar.  I'm also assuming this includes basic setup of tables and chairs. 

Wouldn't it be cheaper to go this route than to choose a package and pay that crazy per person fee?  Or am I reading this wrong?

 

For any brides who have had similar weddings to what I am looking for - what did you end up paying?  Thanks!

[Moments That Matter]

Welcome to the boards, sassidiva and Congrats on your Jan wedding next year in Cancun!

You're sure to find loads of great info here to help with your planning questions, so well done on joining up

 

Here are some beautiful wedding moments that matter we captured in Cancun, taken from our Dreams Riviera Cancun Wedding Story Album - enjoy!

 

 

 

Hope you find all the answers you're looking for - cheers! MTM Photography team

[acw271011]

@@sassldiva  Congrats and welcome to the site! First question - do you have a travel agent yet that you're working with? If not, I would definitely recommend hunting one up. A good TA will help you out with what your'e looking for and help you with a budget as well, and also a budget for your guests to pay. There are so many resorts out there, and picking one is probably the hardest thing to get done. Once it's done, you're well on your way. You could definitely look through the resort review section and see what past brides have to say about their experiences, but yes - it does tend to bombard you with information. Everyone's ideas are different so it would be difficult for anyone to say specifically what resort will work for you other than a travel agent. Plus, once your guests need to start booking, a TA will be there to answer all of their travel questions leaving you free to deal with wedding plans!

 

You don't say if you're in the US or canada, but the owners of this site are destination wedding specialists, can work with both countries and I'm sure could help you out with the information you're looking for. You can contact them here:

 

http://www.wrighttravelagency.com/go/destination-wedding/?title=Planning%20a%20Destination%20Wedding%3F&source=BDW&creative=BTN%20WTA

 

Good luck and happy planning!

[vancouverpetunia]

@@sassldiva I can't speak from experience in terms of booking the complimentary or basic ceremony and adding to it. However, I would caution you on your assumption that the reception & cocktail hour per person prices would include basic set up of tables/chairs. The resorts do tend to charge for every little thing - some even charge you to move the chairs from the ceremony to the reception. So I would make sure you reviewed those details carefully before deciding that it would be cheaper to do it a la carte, rather than going with a package. 

 

Also, are you sure you don't want/need other things? While they do vary from resort to resort and package to package, packages can include: arch/canopy & drapes, wedding party flowers, some ceremony and/or reception flowers, white table clothes/napkins/chair covers, make-up and/or hair for the bride, sound system for ceremony, basic lighting for reception, prep (pressing) of wedding attire, basic photography and/or videography, live musician, officiant, wedding cake, sparkling wine toast, etc. If you start to price out all these things separately, it can add up. 

 

Finally, note that with some resorts you need a minimum number of rooms and/or a higher level of room to qualify for the complimentary or basic package. By bumping up a room category, you might be paying $1000 more for the week - in which case, maybe it's not a great deal.

 

I'm not saying it can't be done or that it won't be cheaper, but I would do your research. Good luck! 

[sassldiva]

@@acw271011  Thanks so much for the reply.  I am based in New york.  I don't know what a travel agent does.  I usually book my trips through expedia.  Does the resort give you this TA?  Or do I have to seek one out and pay for it separately?  

@@vancouverpetunia  Thanks so much for the reply.  I guess my assumption of it being included is far off.  In response to your - don't I need anything else, like decor, etc?  Yes!! lol.  Again, I assumed that was included.  All I wanted was for a beach ceremony with a white canopy, chair, a runner, and flowers (also 2 pillars of flowers at the beginning of the aisle).  Of course centerpieces and white linens, dj, and music. 

 

I guess a package does make more sense, but here is another question:

 

When I look at some packages, they have extra per person fee at (let's say $100) but their a la carte is around $55 per person extra.  Is this because the a la carte does not include tables, chairs, linens, silverware, etc, and the package option does?

 

My simple white canopy with flowers idea and a basic reception with centerpieces and music seems so trivial in my mind but they make it out to be so complicated.  I've spoken with 3 resorts so far and I think at this point I want to pick the resort that is the easiest to work with, good pricing for my guests and good pricing on packages and add ons, and kid friendly. Any feedback on resorts? Thanks!

[dreamweddings]

Hi all!  I am a newbie here and need some help. 

 

I am looking to book a wedding in Cancun in January of 2017.  What I want is really simple:

1. a beach ceremony with a white canopy

2. 1 hr cocktail for about 50 people

3. a private reception with a dj and dance floor for about 50 people

 

I have contacted a few resorts and they've bombarded me with information.  I was basically asking what I should expect to pay for the above.  Most told me to book a package and then add on the extra per person.  The extra per person fee is high - around $120 at a few resorts. 

 

It seems that its more cost effective to choose the complimentary package and then pay for the reception and cocktail hour.  I've seen numbers at $55 per person for reception and $30 pp for cocktail.  This includes open bar.  I'm also assuming this includes basic setup of tables and chairs. 

Wouldn't it be cheaper to go this route than to choose a package and pay that crazy per person fee?  Or am I reading this wrong?

 

For any brides who have had similar weddings to what I am looking for - what did you end up paying?  Thanks!

@@sassldiva I have to agree with the other ladies. TA, for starters the owners of this page are travel agent.  So first thing is to narrow down your vision to the T..

 

Then go to a TA, they are sure going to help you narrow your options. As for the wedding packages so much goes into it all, just because its an inclusive it doesn't mean that everything is included. Things like decor will differ from bride to bride.  and also the price like $55 usd did you check if it includes the taxes and services?  

 

I know the packages may look as too much information without breakdown, but when you ask question to the resort coordinators they should be able to help you get a better idea.

 

Happy Planning!

Joyce

[acw271011]

@@acw271011  Thanks so much for the reply.  I am based in New york.  I don't know what a travel agent does.  I usually book my trips through expedia.  Does the resort give you this TA?  Or do I have to seek one out and pay for it separately?  

@@vancouverpetunia  Thanks so much for the reply.  I guess my assumption of it being included is far off.  In response to your - don't I need anything else, like decor, etc?  Yes!! lol.  Again, I assumed that was included.  All I wanted was for a beach ceremony with a white canopy, chair, a runner, and flowers (also 2 pillars of flowers at the beginning of the aisle).  Of course centerpieces and white linens, dj, and music. 

 

I guess a package does make more sense, but here is another question:

 

When I look at some packages, they have extra per person fee at (let's say $100) but their a la carte is around $55 per person extra.  Is this because the a la carte does not include tables, chairs, linens, silverware, etc, and the package option does?

 

My simple white canopy with flowers idea and a basic reception with centerpieces and music seems so trivial in my mind but they make it out to be so complicated.  I've spoken with 3 resorts so far and I think at this point I want to pick the resort that is the easiest to work with, good pricing for my guests and good pricing on packages and add ons, and kid friendly. Any feedback on resorts? Thanks!

 

 

Hi. Looking at your questions, I would absolutely recommend that you talk to the owners of this site. You haven't mentioned which country you're looking at - I'm assuming Mexico? They don't charge for their services to answer the question you asked. The other great thing is - depending on the resort you choose, you might be entitled to some perks that you wouldn't even be aware of but a travel agent would be. I know some resorts offer credits to guests that can be used for excursions. Some resorts will allow the bride and groom to have a free event, like a cocktail hour if they have a certain number of guests/rooms booked. A good travel agent will be able to help you out with that. As well, a lot of the resort packages are good only for about 25 guests. You have to pay per person after that. Most of the time, if you pick a package, your linens are included, and a lot of the time, you'll get your canopy with draperies. It's so hard to pin down what one resort gives you because they're all different.

 

Karisma properties are very popular with the brides here, as are the Palace resorts. Then there are the Gran Bahia properties that are beautiful. But you need to get a vision in your mind of what you want, what you don't want and what your budget is. Plus what kind of budget you want for you guests. Do you know what time of the year you want? Winter is a more expensive time to travel, especially February and of course during school breaks. Do you want adults only? Or will you have children attending? Are all your guests going to be at the same resort? You'll have the cost of guest passes if not. What about your photographer? Do you want a videographer? Most resorts charge an outside vendor fee if you don't use their recommended vendors. Some resorts won't allow any outside vendors at all.

 

I know it sounds like a lot to think about, and in some ways it is. But once you make a resort choice, that's the biggest hurdle out of the way. And again, that's where a good travel agent comes in. Try reaching out to Wright Travel. Just see what they have to say. You've got nothing to lose by asking, and you just might gain some peace of mind. You could also read through some of the resort reviews and see what past brides have had to say. You'll get a ton of opinions here about resorts, but everyone's vision is different. I could very easily recommend our resort in Jamaica and where we renewed our vows in Mexico but they may not fit with what you want.

 

Good luck! Please keep us posted on what you decide!

[vancouverpetunia]

@@sassldiva I'm not sure of the definition of a la carte vs package pricing when it comes to extra people. My package cost me about $100 per person (over the included 25) which included chair set up at the ceremony, champagne toast, cocktail hour (appetizers and open bar), 4 course plated meal including open bar (with seating), and cake. The meal alone was about $55 (including seating) - which could apply to say, a minor, who is not drinking. But then it was still an extra $7 for cake, another $5 for the ceremony chair, and I think $15 for cocktail hour appetizers.

 

As already mentioned, I would definitely talk to a TA to help narrow down your resort options for you. It was a fine line for us juggling between the wedding packages/costs and the needs/wants of our guests. Remember, you can't please everyone!

 

I addition to the resorts/chains already noted, I was married at Now Sapphire in April and highly recommend it. There is also its sister resort Now Jade.

 

Honestly, picking the resort is the hardest part! Once you have that figured out its easier to focus and work on the details

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ljgray1989]

@@sassldiva

 

Hi,

 

I am getting married at the Royalton Riviera next May, I can give you an idea of how that would be priced.

 

 

The basic package is free if you've booked more than 10 rooms, this would give you the beach location included. For a canopy it is an extra $350.

 

The hours cocktail party is included within one of their packages but to add a cocktail party with canapés its $22 a person.

 

The private reception for food is around $35 a head for a three course meal which includes 3 hours of bar service. To add an extra hour bar service it is $9 per head. This price includes the location fee and the set-up of the tables etc. The DJ is $250 per hour and a wooden dance floor is $1000 with the LED going up to $1250.

 

Hope this helps

Edited May 18, 2016 by ljgray1989

[sassldiva]

@@ljgray1989  Thanks for the info!  I feel like those are decent prices.  I am looking at Cancun where the hotel strip is at Kulkukan boulevard.  It seems that Cancun is more expensive than the Rivieran Maya. 

 

Some hotels in Cancun don't offer the free package if you book 10 rooms.  Their packages for 20 people are around $3000 but then I'm finding it's about $117 extra per person.  The $117 includes the reception and open bar but I am not sure if it includes chairs and setup.  This is specifically the Dreams Sands hotel.  Of course dj, dance floor is all extra. Other hotels I've looked at were Paradisus with package for 20 people at $4780 and package of 40 people is at $7780.  If I want to change anything then I have to pay upgrade fees.   Moon Palace and Beach Palace offer the free option but their nightly prices may be too high for my guests.  I was hoping for a package for 40 people to be around $5000 that includes reception, bar, cocktail our and ceremony.  Then I would pay for flowers and dj, although I am considering mixing songs myself. 

 

 

 

@@vancouverpetunia  you are a wealth of information!  I am looking at downtown Cancun.  It seems that a lot of brides here are looking at the Rivieran  Maya or Playa del Carmen.  Yes, picking the resort seems to be very difficult.  I am also looking at kid friendly resorts.  I'm narrowing it down to the Riu's, Dreams Sands, and Krystal Grand Punta Cancun.  By looking at the forums, it seems that no one has gotten married at these! lol.  And most packages include 20 people.   The original extra person fee I found at $55 was at Moon Palace but you're right, I don't know if that includes the chairs, table, linens, ceremony chair, etc, so I guess that $55 will turn out to be over $100.   I'm also looking to have our guests pay $1000 or less for their stay.  Flying from New York is not that expensive to go to Cancun (just bu looking at expedia, Moon palace comes to $1200 and Dreams comes to $800).