Last Updated on September 12, 2024 by greatvacationsawait
Does this sound familiar? You’re excited about the idea of having a luxury destination wedding or vow renewal and you have been putting in hours trying to figure out what everything is going to cost. Your eyes are hurting from the amount of scrolling you’ve had to do searching out prices for resort wedding locations & venues. And you’ve read enough mixed reviews for every resort venue you are interested in to make your head spin.
You need to have a well-rounded breakdown of how much your destination wedding or destination vow renewal will actually cost you! Knowing this can save you a ton of wasted time looking at the wrong locations & venues that may or may not fit your budget. Here’s a breakdown to help you know what you can expect to pay for a typical destination wedding or vow renewal.
YOUR DESTINATION WEDDING OR VOW RENEWAL LOCALE:
An Instagram-worthy destination wedding or vow renewal starts with a great location! Maybe you choose locations that are closer to the continental U.S, such as Mexico & the Caribbean, or you may be looking for a more exotic destination wedding locale, such as Hawaii, Fiji, Bora Bora, or even Europe. Usually, the farther away & more exotic a destination is, the more expensive it can be.
Airfare Prices:
Obviously, airfare can take up a chunk of your guest’s budget but only a small portion of your overall destination wedding or vow renewal budget. And if you’re flying during “high season” (Dec-April), Flights are going to be more expensive than low Season, (May- Nov). With that being said, here are some current averages based on May 2023 travel:
- Depart From Midwest or East coast to Caribbean or Mexico: $450-$1000 per person, round trip, depending on flight itinerary & destination.
- Depart From Midwest or East coast to Hawaii: $600-$1600 per person, round trip, depending on flight itinerary & destination.
- Depart From Midwest or East coast to the South Pacific: $2000-$2500 per person, round trip, depending on flight itinerary & destination.
- Departing From West Coast to the Caribbean or Mexico: $500-$1000 per person, round trip, depending on flight itinerary & destination.
- Depart From West Coast to Hawaii: $600-$1600 per person, round trip, depending on flight itinerary & destination.
- Depart From West Coast to the South Pacific: $2000-$2500 per person, round trip, depending on flight itinerary & destination.
PRO TIP: There will always be fluctuations in price based on the time of year and even the day of the week. If you find an unbelievable air deal, double check the type of seat it is and the air schedule. Many really cheap tickets have incredibly harsh restrictions as well as horrible air itineraries that could get you to your resort so late that you miss all of your first day at your resort, therefore ultimately wasting money and delaying the start of your resort, therefore ultimately wasting money and delaying the start of your “wedcation” bliss!
DESTINATION WEDDING OR VOW RENEWAL RESORT VENUE:
Every resort offers different wedding locations, amenities, room options, restaurants, activities, as well as food and beverage plans. AI (All-inclusive) resorts include all of your food and beverages with your package price. EP (European Plan) resorts offer an a la carte menu where you pay for each meal or beverage just as you would going out to dinner or bar stateside. In general, an All-Inclusive resort will usually offer you a better value for your wedding or vow renewal group. You definitely need to take your time looking through all the available options so that you can make sure to book the best resort wedding venue for you and your unique wedding or vow renewal vision.
YOUR ROOM OR SUITE:
The room or suite you choose will impact the overall cost for you & your guest’s destination wedding or vow renewal stay. For example, you could love resort (A) with a base price of $1500 for 4 nights that includes a “standard room.” But if you choose a swim-up suite for your room option. The price for your resort stay at resort (A) will now be $2,000 for 4 nights because of the upgraded room option.
NOTE: Most destination wedding or vow renewal guests will stay 3 to 7 nights for a destination wedding or vow renewal with the average being 4 days. It will really depend on how much each guest wants to spend on their stay.
Because I won’t send anyone to a resort that is average or below quality, you can assume that all of these prices are going to be 4 stars and higher in quality.
Luxury Resort: Adult Only AVERAGE RATES based on 4-night stay: Deluxe Room: $1,500-$3,500Suite: $4.000-$8,000 Butler: $8,000-$11,000Highest Room Category: Think over the water bungalows or 4 Seasons Type quality & experience: $16,000-$25,00
GOOD NEWS FOR YOU:
The good news is, that many resort wedding venues will offer you free nights and room upgrades depending on the size of your wedding or vow renewal group! In many cases, you can get either part or ALL of your stay and even possibly parts of your wedding comped because you’ve earned so many free nights and extras from your group.
THE WEDDING PACKAGE & VOW RENEWAL DECOR YOU CHOOSE:
Most high-quality destination wedding resorts will have stunning wedding or vow renewal packages that will include your ceremony location, music, lighting, cocktail party, decor, wedding cake, reception location, entertainment, food & cocktail menu, and an open bar, not all inclusions mentioned above will be included in a vow renewal ceremony set-up.
NOTE: You have to make sure that your wedding or vow renewal group is going to be set up correctly in order to earn the amenities and free nights. Booking directly with the resorts will not always get you this information, as most resorts don’t seem concerned with letting you know what you can earn. Booking with a destination wedding/vow renewal specialist will guarantee that your wedding or vow renewal group
ACTIVITIES & EXCURSIONS FOR YOUR GROUP:
A great way to connect with all of your wedding or vow renewal guests and to give them a memorable experience during your special week is to do a group activity. Depending on your location, you can do an ATV tour, visit a waterfall, bathe in hot mud baths, shopping in a local village, zip lining, golf, rum tasting, scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming with the dolphins, etc. You get the idea! Due to the size of a wedding or vow renewal group, I recommend you book your group activity in advance.
NOTE: There are MANY tour companies out there. Usually the lower the price the more sketch the company. Only go with companies that are licensed and insured, and have great testimonies. One of the best names in the industry is Island Routes. They have licensed and insured tours that you can trust. They aren’t the cheapest, but they are one of the best!
For a good quality tour, you can expect to pay around $120+ per person, depending on the type of tour, and activities that are included
Your destination wedding or vow renewal can be whatever you and your spouse want it to be . If you plan ahead and are smart about 4 Things You Should Splurge On At Your Destination Wedding here and there, You can have a WOW-type destination wedding or vow renewal without killing your budget. If you’ve been struggling or frustrated trying to get your destination wedding all figured out, and you’re ready for a little help, set up a free consultation with me so that you can get unstuck and moving forward on with your destination wedding or vow renewal planning!
PS If you need more inspiration then download my complimentary report 8 Insider Tips For An Amazing Celebration Of Love Without Stress
