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Frequently Asked Questions
We have put together this list because we've realized that in the beginning stages of destination wedding planning, most of our brides and grooms have very similar questions.
As always, we love to talk - so contact us at anytime to discuss these or any other questions that you might have. This list is a living document, so check back frequently for updates!
Getting started is simple.
Here are some resources that can help you hop into this journey immediately!
Listen to our podcast! These episodes walk you through each part of the destination wedding planning journey.
Schedule a free consultation at www.justbookittravel.com. Here's the agenda of things we'll discuss!
Read these Q&A's, and let's talk! Feel free to email us at info@justbookittravel.com if that's easier. We look forward to meeting you and being alongside you for the best ride of your life!!
Yes, we frequently plan honeymoons alongside destination weddings to create a seamless transition from wedding celebrations to relaxation. Many couples find that taking 7 to 9 nights away from work allows them to enjoy two experiences in one trip. They can celebrate their destination wedding with family and friends, then transition to a new setting for a private honeymoon experience at a different resort. This approach gives them the joy of a shared celebration followed by intentional time alone to unwind and begin married life together.
Room block minimums vary by resort and destination. In most cases, a minimum of 15 rooms is required to qualify for cash back rebates and wedding related incentives or discounts. During our planning process, we will discuss your guest count and overall goals to ensure you are aligned with a resort that maximizes your concession potential based on your projected group size.
Guests may contact us directly before or during travel for assistance. We serve as the primary point of contact for guest travel support and proactively work to resolve any issues that arise. This allows our couples to stay fully present and avoid managing last minute questions or concerns during such an important celebration. Our team will send monthly communications to guests ensuring that they are prepared for their amazing vacation.
We specialize in all inclusive destination weddings in Mexico, including Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Playa Mujeres, Costa Mujeres, Tulum, Puerto Morelos, the Cancun Hotel Zome, Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, and Los Cabos. We also assist with other popular international destination wedding locations such as Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Aruba, and additional destinations that offer all-inclusive resorts.
We manage all guest travel logistics so couples do not have to. We secure and oversee the discounted room block, create and send guests' virtual invitations and ongoing communications via text and email. We guide guests through deposits, payment schedules, and resort policies.
We also serve as the primary point of contact for guest questions before and during travel, resolving issues as they arise. Our goal is to streamline the entire experience so you can stay focused on celebrating, not managing travel details.
Couples should begin planning destination wedding travel at least 9 to 15 months in advance. This timeline allows time to secure availability at top resorts, lock in the best group rates, establish room blocks, and provide guests with sufficient notice to plan, budget, and make installment payments.
Popular Mexico destination wedding locations include Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos, each offering unique resort styles and experiences.
Mexico (Cancun specifically) is one of the most popular destination wedding locations due to its easy access from the United States, with many nonstop flight options for guests. It offers a wide range of modern, all-inclusive resorts, including family-friendly and adults-only options, experienced on-site wedding teams, flexible budgets, and stunning beachfront wedding venues.
Guests are strongly encouraged to book within the room block to help the couple maximize wedding incentives and to ensure all guests receive consistent communications and updates. If the couple approves, guests may book outside the room block. However, those bookings do not receive group rates, wedding perks, or count toward resort minimums required for wedding packages.
A room block reserves a set number of rooms at a resort at a discounted contracted group rate. A destination wedding travel agent manages the contract, booking deadlines, guest payments, and ongoing communication. Couples are encouraged to set up group contracts because resorts often provide cash back incentives, complimentary travel for the couple, or discounted or complimentary wedding events. In general, the more guests who book within the room block, the more incentives the couple earns.
Guests should book travel as soon as the room block is finalized, typically 9 to 15 months before the wedding date. Booking early helps ensure better pricing, greater availability, and eligibility for group benefits tied to the wedding contract.
A destination wedding travel agent handles all travel and logistics related to your destination wedding. This includes resort selection, securing group room blocks, maximizing cash back rebates and wedding incentives, managing booking timelines, coordinating travel logistics, and setting up monthly installment payment plans for guests. A destination wedding travel agent also manages all guest communication, including invitations, reminders, and important wedding-related travel details. This allows couples to focus on their wedding event while ensuring guests have a seamless and stress-free travel experience.
If you choose a legal ceremony, you are legally marrying in your destination country. I personally opted for a symbolic ceremony to avoid the added paperwork, extra travel days, and costs required for a legal marriage in Mexico. We handled the legal paperwork at home through our local probate court, then celebrated our marriage in Mexico surrounded by family and friends. For most couples, unless one partner is a citizen of the destination country, a symbolic ceremony is often the simpler option.
Once your hotel deposit is secured, the resort will assign you an on-site Wedding Coordinator. This dedicated contact will manage all of the details related to your wedding events throughout the weekend, including photography, videography, floral design, décor, entertainment, DJ or MC, food and desserts, lighting, photo booth, favors, welcome gifts, fireworks, and more.
One of the biggest advantages of a destination wedding is the simplicity. Instead of juggling multiple vendors, you can make your selections through the resort and trust their team to bring your vision to life. In many cases, you are working with a single point of contact, one contract, and one payment structure, making the entire process much more streamlined and less stressful.
This means you can truly arrive and enjoy your wedding weekend, knowing that every detail has been handled just as you envisioned. In contrast, traditional weddings often require managing multiple vendors, contracts, deposits, and timelines.
With a destination wedding, your primary vendor is the resort itself. That said, we do recommend hiring an independent wedding coordinator to support you throughout the planning process, as resort coordinators typically begin more detailed planning about 90 days prior to your wedding date.
We recommend securing your room block as soon as your wedding date is placed on hold to ensure there is ample space for all of your guests to stay on property.
A properly structured room block should include competitive, discounted rates, dedicated room inventory for your group, and flexible booking options such as a low $50 RSVP deposit with convenient monthly payment plans for your guests. In addition, the couple can often earn valuable incentives and/or cash-back rebates that can be applied toward the wedding events.
Schedule a consultation with us to make sure your room block is set up strategically and that you are maximizing all available benefits.
Do. Retain a reputable squad - There are tons of travel agencies around, but not all specialize in destination weddings. Retaining an amazing travel agency is crucial and it will save you time, money, and efforts down the line. Destination Weddings are a specialty niche area of travel coordination that requires expertise, relationships, and most importantly - passion! (Not all travel agencies are created equal in this regard). It's like letting the foot doctor operate on your brain. As you are interviewing agencies, be sure to ask very specific questions about what they will do to minimize your efforts.
Do. Consider also retaining an independent wedding coordinator. This person will have the ability to start wedding planning and helping to arrange your intimate details immediately. Most resorts on-site coordinators do not proactively start wedding planning with couples until 90 days prior to the wedding. Your independent coordinator can serve as the middle man between you and the resort, get answers for you quickly, and they can be there for GAME DAY to ensure that everything that you'd planned and dreamed of for the past year or so comes to life! They will work side by side with the resort's on-site coordinators on your wedding day! :)
Do. Set a realistic budget and ask your travel agent or wedding coordinator the question - "Realistically, how much wedding can I have on $x budget?". We love Pinterest, but be careful! :)
Do. Do your research. There are plenty of resources on our website that can help couples get a good idea of the process of destination wedding planning. We invite you to listen to our podcast, read our Q&A's, read our blogs, read our reviews and listen to previous couples' testimonials.
The cost of a destination wedding can vary widely depending on the resort, destination, guest count, and the overall experience you want to create. While many resorts offer wedding packages, they often do not include key enhancements like upgraded décor, private events, entertainment, or photography.
The good news is that destination weddings are incredibly flexible and can be planned to fit a wide range of budgets. Whether you’re looking for something simple and intimate or a fully customized, luxury experience, there are options available.
The best way for us to give you an accurate idea of what your investment would look like is to schedule a quick consultation. We can walk you through what your specific budget can realistically get you and help you build a plan around your must-haves.
One of the biggest advantages of a destination wedding is how naturally it helps refine the guest list. For example, inviting a larger group, even close to 300 guests, allows flexibility knowing that not everyone will be able to attend. On average, destination weddings typically see about 30 to 40 percent of invited guests make the trip.
Taking a thoughtful “over-invite” approach creates space for guests to opt in based on their ability to travel. When someone is willing to book flights, take time off work, arrange childcare, renew passports, and invest in the experience, it is a strong indication of how much they value being there. The result is a guest list filled with the people who are truly excited and able to celebrate, making the experience feel even more meaningful and intentional.
We recommend researching venues and wedding locations 12 to 18 months before your desired date, or as soon as you have selected one. If you are set on a specific date, especially a Saturday, Sunday, or afternoon ceremony, booking earlier is best.
Once your date is secured, it is wise to reserve your room block right away. The earlier you block the number of rooms you anticipate needing, the better. Just Book It Travel will guide you through each step of the process to ensure everything is aligned from the start.
You will begin by completing a detailed questionnaire that outlines your must-haves, nice-to-haves, guest count, and overall budget. From there, we present three to four highly curated and comprehensive venue options tailored specifically to you. We then review each option together, walking through the pros, logistics, wedding package details, and realistic budgeting, while making thoughtful eliminations along the way.
If needed, we can absolutely revisit options. However, most of our couples feel confident selecting their dream venue after receiving their personalized recommendations, all organized within their planning board.
The best next step is to schedule a consultation so we can talk through your vision and give you a clear picture of what your budget can realistically achieve, or help you build one around your priorities.
The moment you decide to work with our team, you will be onboarded into our project management planning board. We will gather detailed information about your vision, priorities, guest count, and budget so we can guide you strategically through the decision making process.
From there, we present thoughtful, curated resort recommendations and walk you through the pros, logistics, and overall investment for each option. Once your venue and date are selected, we move directly into securing your room block and building your wedding website, virtual invitations, and guest communications.
We handle guest communications on your behalf, ensuring everything is streamlined, organized, and professionally managed from the very beginning.
Email and ask for a copy of our service agreement, as it details all of our commitments to our couples.
What Does Just Book It Travel Handle for Destination Weddings?
Ultimately, destination weddings offer a streamlined planning process, meaningful guest connection, and exceptional value, all wrapped into one unforgettable celebration.
