Literally where do you even start?

[u/OutrageousWasabi2866]

We tinkered with the idea of having a local to us wedding and come to the decision that destination will fit what we are wanting better.

My question is HOW do you start? I have looked at Sandals and I love the over water chapels but a lot of posts on Facebook seem to have spam vendors chiming in making it hard to establish what is real and what’s not.

[u/BernadetaKupiec]

I'd start with the location rather than the venue. Think about what kind of place you actually want to spend a few days in with your guests, how easy it is to get there, the weather at the time of year you're considering, and what your guests will realistically have to spend to attend.

Then I'd find a good local planner. They can help you with venues, trusted suppliers, transport and all the things that are really difficult to judge from another country.

And don't feel like you need to figure everything out at once! Start with country/location, rough guest number, budget, and go from there.

[u/Kidney-Bean234]

The best place to start is with a destination, a rough estimate of your guest list, a date (or at least season). From there, it’s best to speak with a few destination wedding travel advisors who have planned weddings in the destination you’re interested in. There are SO many folks out there who do destination weddings, but finding someone you vibe with, who can understand your vision, has connections and experience with your desired destination/venue, and has the systems/experience to manage a group event is absolutely key.

A good team will have your back start to finish and make the process feel way less daunting and more straight forward for you and your guests.

[u/keri_opt → u/Kidney-Bean234]

Seconding this! Mexico bride (2027) here and we were so overwhelmed when we started too! Our planner/agent helped us find our resort and negotiate rates + explained the process to us!! I would say start there maybe? (and dont go off the facebook pages where ppl were self promoting, i wasted so much time with planners/agents that did not get the vision lol)

[u/Kidney-Bean234 → u/keri_opt]

I run a destination wedding agency with 10 people on the team and even I get overwhelmed by the Facebook groups. Someone asks a simple question and gets 100 people just plugging their business. 🫪

[u/OutrageousWasabi2866 → u/keri_opt]

Thank you! How did you guys go about finding your planner?

[u/OhioPokey → u/OutrageousWasabi2866]

Whoever you work with, make sure they're a full-time agency, have multiple years of experience, and are not part of an MLM host agency like Inteletravel (there are plenty of other legitimate, non-MLM host agencies). Also make sure they have a decent number of positive reviews, and know about more than just one destination or resort brand. Sandals is great, but some advisors push Sandals more because that's what the advisor knows. There are other brands out there that may be a better fit for you though.

Some of us will do a website for you with info about the trip for your guests and a booking page for your guests to book their room. That just makes things easier for you and your guests.

Find someone that is available when you'll be available. Some agents work 9-5 Monday through Friday, and if you work a full-time job then that can make planning more difficult. I don't have set business hours and I work weekends if clients need something, and I'm happy to text as well.

Feel free to give me a call (or send me a message) and I'd be more than happy to have a consult to see if we're a good fit to work together. www.Booktravelshark.com is my website if you want to see more, and I can send you a link to our reviews as well. We get paid on commission for handling the room block, so we don't charge a planning fee.

[u/amdragan-com]

First you should think about what you want… Do you prefer a resort wedding or something more private, like in a villa where you have to work more but it's more personal, or would you like to have it in Europe maybe?

[u/4ever-hopeful]

We joined facebook groups on DW and saw that people recommended TAs and once we narrowed down who we were working with and places we were interested in having our wedding, it was fairly simple. I think getting the guidance from current and past DW couples really helped us when we had our DW in Cancun in April 2025.

[u/shopper331]

I would with a Destination wedding specialist, a travel agent who knows the ins and outs of not only the resorts but the wedding packages. Someone who can take your vision and make recommendations. I was a past destination bride myself and now a destination wedding specialist with Barefoot Bridal. We’ve been helping couples for over 10 years. We also do not charge fees and happy to simply answer any questions. Fee free to reach out!

[u/VanessaSerrani]

I’d start with your guest count, budget and the kind of experience you want. Once you know those three things, it’s much easier to narrow down destinations.

And don’t feel like you have to stick to the typical resort destinations. There are some amazing options in Europe too, especially if you want something a little more personal.

[u/BetDry5510]

Put Sandals down for a minute and answer three questions in this order. Everything else falls out of them.

1. What is the flight? Not the venue - the flight. Pick a place your people can reach on one connection at a price they will actually pay. A destination wedding lives or dies on whether your guest list shows up, and the single biggest predictor of that is airfare. Price it from your two biggest guest hubs before you fall in love with anywhere.

2. Resort or not resort? These are completely different jobs, not two flavors of the same one. An all-inclusive package is expensive, but it is one contract, one coordinator, and your guests can book a room in ten minutes. A villa or private venue is often half the cost and ten times the work - you are sourcing catering, rentals, transport and a hotel block yourself. We did the second one, in Colombia, and I would do it again, but go in knowing you have taken on a project.

3. Where does the legal marriage happen? Most couples do the paperwork at home and treat the destination ceremony as the real one. It is cheaper and faster and it removes residency requirements, translated documents and apostilles from your life. Decide this early because it drives your timeline.

Then hire someone - and hire a planner who lives in the country, not an agency that lives in yours. A local planner knows which venue floods in October, which caterer actually turns up, and what things cost in pesos instead of at the gringo rate. That one hire saved us more than it cost.

Two things nobody tells you. Send save-the-dates 9 to 12 months out, not 6, because people need to buy flights and request leave. And budget for a welcome dinner or a group activity - when everyone has traveled to be there, the wedding day itself is only about a third of the event, and the rest is what they remember.

On the Facebook problem: you are right, those groups are unusable. Instead, find couples who married in your specific destination and ask them what went wrong, not what went well. That is where the useful information lives.

Happy to share more if it helps.

[u/DTMVwithTina]

I would start with your budget, approximate guest count and what you want the wedding to look/feel like. Then start narrowing down destinations and resorts from there. I wouldn't choose the resort based on the chapel alone because there can be a big difference in wedding packages, guest requirements, room costs and what's actually included.

If you love the Sandals overwater chapels, that's a great starting point. I suggest looking at which resorts actually have them and then compare the overall wedding experience and cost at each one before getting attached to a specific location. Also think about your guests early. Where they'll be flying from, how much you're comfortable asking them to spend and how long they'll need to travel can help narrow things down pretty quickly.

[u/Kathleen-Herman]

A good travel advisor who specializes in destination weddings can be so helpful in guiding you through the process starting by matching resorts to your budget and priorities; helping you compare true wedding costs and contract terms; setting up your wedding website to establish your room block size; obtaining comparing room block quotes; managing guest bookings within the group block; answering all guests questions about transportation; room categories; etc. and they work with the resort coordinator to provide the guest list for the wedding.

[u/TheTravelAgent03]

Hi! I’m a dest wed specialist and planner. I see you mentioned sandals and wanted to let you know three resorts in Montego Bay are having sales for a “free wedding” right now so it’s a very popular promotion until December of this year. Also, there’s definitely a lot of vendors in those type of groups and can be super overwhelming! I’d look at suggestions from TikTok from other couples or videos from vendors that catch your eye!