So you’ve booked an all-inclusive resort for your destination wedding of your dreams – congratulations! Now it’s time to plan everything this trip of a lifetime will hold for you and your guests: from the big stuff like food and wedding photography, to the little things like welcome bags and afternoon excursions.

The best way to do this? Visit the resort before your big day and meet your onsite wedding team: the resort’s dedicated specialists. These representatives will help you explore options for the ceremony and reception spaces. They’ll also introduce you to their preferred vendors for elements like decor, photography and music. They will explain pricing options that may or may not be included in your wedding package, and help you nail down day-of schedules like spa appointments, bridal hair and makeup and wedding day outlines. 

Their knowledge of the resort’s policies and procedures, and their understanding of how previous brides utilized the venue’s spaces is vital to the wedding planning process. This is why we highly recommend scheduling a site visit, so nothing takes you by surprise on the big day! 

What’s more, our CEO, Courtnie, has probably already been to your resort – so if you can’t make a visit, she will spill all the tea and fill you in on all the details. She and the rest of our team can also help you understand the full range of benefits available at your all-inclusive. It’s a blanket term that might make you think every wedding detail is already covered – but that’s not always the case. Make sure you understand what’s included – before it’s time to exchange vows.

Since we have been around the block a few times, including meeting with various hotel staff and teams around the world, we have put together a handy list of questions you can use to jump-start conversations with your very own resort and/or hotel team.

For more information about the venue, ask:

• What are options for renting spaces for the welcome lunch, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception? (Or even a farewell brunch!) 

• How many people can each space hold?

• For how long/how many hours do our reservations hold the spaces?

• What is the deadline for reserving them? Are there pricing differences?

• How many people can the resort’s restaurants accommodate on nights leading up to the wedding? Can restaurants even be reserved for our group?

• What are our options for the rehearsal dinner? Is there a difference between plated and family-style dinners?

• What are the venue’s late-night/after-party options for food and drinks?

• How many other weddings will the resort be hosting on our wedding weekend? 

• How many guests do these events expect to host?

• How much time is there in between reservations?

For more information about booking rooms and getting ready, ask:

• What are the different room categories? Could we see them?

• When does the resort need to have final room numbers?

• Can the front desk distribute our welcome bags or have them ready in guests’ rooms? How about paper schedules?

• How does booking the bridal suite work? 

• What is the cost? 

• How do reservations for this work? 

• How many people can have their hair and makeup done on the day of the wedding? 

• Where do the grooms tend to get ready? 

• Can housekeeping be called to these rooms in between getting ready and coming back to the room during/after the reception?

• Where and where will the wedding party meet the planners? 

• The photographers?

For more information about the ceremony, ask:

• Who will run the sound system? Are they in charge of running the processional and recessional songs? 

• Who will officiate the wedding? We would like the ceremony to be in [insert language].

• Where will the videographer be stationed?

• In the event of rain, what are the indoor ceremony location options? 

• What does the wedding package include in terms of florals, seats, and decorations for the ceremony? What do these look like? 

For more information about the cocktail hour and reception, ask:

• Could we schedule a cocktail hour? Where and what is the hour and person capacity?

• Could we hire staff to pass around hors d'oeuvres? Or will these be set out on tables?

• What is the cost for setup (Is any of the below included?) 

• Name cards 

• Table numbers 

• Menus 

• Any DIY decorations

• Place cards

• Florals

• What do the centerpieces look like?

• How many people can fit at each table?

• Should we bring our own cake stand?

• In the reception spaces, where does food and drink get set up?

• How many bars do you recommend? How many bartenders will this include?

• Could we create a custom cocktail?

• Could you please break down the pricing for the cocktail hour and reception? Per plate, tips, etc?

• Who will DJ at the wedding? Can we provide a song list?

We know this list looks lengthy – but these questions are just meant to help you make the most of your all-inclusive offerings, and to help you better visualize the day you’ve been waiting for. Meeting with your onsite wedding team is an exciting opportunity, and our experts can help you get the most out of your time with them. If you’re ready to explore your destination wedding offerings and find the all-inclusive that speaks to you, reach out to our team and let’s get started!

P.S. Not sure if you should visit your destination wedding resort before the wedding? Check out our blog “Should I Visit My Destination Wedding Location Before the Big Day” to find out why you definitely should and what to look out for while you are there.

Courtnie is the founder & CEO of TravelBash. After years as an ambitious fundraiser, she took her passion for travel full-time. She has lived all over the U.S. and abroad and after planning her own destination wedding, she decided to help other couples plan their big day abroad too. She has written “Passport to Paradise: The Complete Destination Wedding Guide,” a top seller on Amazon. She has also been featured in Travel + Leisure, Destination I Do and The Washington Post. As a certified travel advisor, expert event planner and natural connector, she uses her powers to create VIP travel experiences.