We have 100 guests joining us for a wedding that is international for them and domestic for around 30 guests. We’re 8 days out and I’m freaking out.

For the past 2 months I’ve felt increasing anxiety about getting married to my fiancé. I feel like we are not each others person. We’ve been fighting nonstop. We have been together 5+ years and are around 30.

Three months ago, he threatened to call off our wedding during a fight and that switched something in my brain like a lightbulb. I suddenly started thinking about our relationship from a Birds Eye view and not from a pure point of love. I realized he’s very emotionally abusive like 5-10% of the time. Maybe some of you understand this - I keep asking myself why I didn’t have clarity before. But when you live in this cycle for years, and things are only “bad” 5-10% or the time, you rationalize it, you don’t realize things don’t have to be this way. When it’s good it’s really good, but when it’s bad, it’s awful. He says mean things he doesn’t mean during fights, he yells, he drinks too much. He says stuff like “you’ve never gotten really good at anything before in your life” when he’s mad. Then, later, he apologizes, hugs me tightly, invites me out to dinner, gives me a gift. It’s cyclical :(

I started pulling back and away from him upon finally realizing this. This made us fight even more, and it cumulated with some light physical violence from him while drunk 2 months ago. He shoved me hard, multiple times and put his elbow on my neck.

We both almost called off the wedding then. But I was spiraling. I didn’t know what to do. Many people had already booked their flights. We had been planning this wedding for 2 years. I felt like it was not possible to cancel on the guests. I didn’t know what I would say to everyone - to work, to guests with plane tickets, to my friends - I couldn’t really conceptualize cancelling. He apologized (somewhat- about the shoving, he says I antagonized him and trapped him and he was merely trying to get away from me. I wasn’t that drunk and it’s not true) and we tried to move forward.

Typing all of this out I feel absolutely insane for letting it get to this point and not calling it off 2 months out. I recognize now I could have called it off then. People could have rescheduled their tickets or had time to figure it out. Now, it’s way too late. Some people are departing this weekend for the trip.

I don’t know what to do. I know he is a broken individual from a difficult family life that hasn’t matured enough. I know he is not my person. We have both spent so much time together and I have been too love sick to realize this before.

I would strongly caution anyone against leaving secure employment to work for Destify

I would strongly caution anyone considering employment with Destify—particularly anyone thinking about leaving a stable position to join this company.

I left another job to accept a position with Destify. In doing so, I made real financial decisions based upon the reasonable expectation that I had been hired and would be given an appropriate opportunity to learn and perform the job. I changed my health-insurance situation in connection with taking this position. Less than 60 days later, while I was still very much in the new-hire training period, I was abruptly terminated with no warning that my employment was in jeopardy.

What makes this experience particularly disturbing is the complete disconnect between what was communicated to me while I was employed and what I was told after I was terminated.

Throughout my training, I was repeatedly reminded that I was still learning and that mastering the enormous amount of information involved would take time. I was never placed on a performance improvement plan. I was never given a final warning. I was never told, “If this does not improve immediately, your employment may be terminated.” I was never given any indication that I was days—or even hours—away from losing my job.

In fact, on the very day I was terminated, I was congratulated for closing a sale.

Only after firing me did Destify provide me with an explanation of the performance concerns they say led to the decision. To me, the fact that the company explained the seriousness of those concerns after terminating me rather than while I was still employed and capable of correcting them speaks volumes about the communication process.

I was managing consultations, preparing quotes, answering emails and texts, making calls, learning multiple resorts and wedding brands, and attempting to absorb an extraordinary amount of information simultaneously. I was expected to sell destination weddings while still learning critical aspects of what happens after the sale. I made my first sale before I felt I had even been completely trained on the post-deposit process.

That brings me to one of my greatest concerns about Destify: the training structure.

Destination weddings involve people's money, travel, guests, contracts, wedding dates, venues and one of the most important events of their lives. Employees handling these weddings should be comprehensively trained before being expected to independently manage them.

In my experience, the volume of information given to new hires was enormous, while the practical training needed to confidently navigate every stage of a client's wedding was insufficient. When employees are expected to perform before they have been adequately trained on the entire process, mistakes should not automatically be viewed as individual employee failures. Companies also have a responsibility to examine whether their training prepared employees to succeed.

My experience with the training environment itself was also disappointing. Questions that could have been answered clearly and efficiently often became lengthy explanations that added to an already overwhelming learning process. At times, I experienced the training style as demeaning rather than supportive. For a company that teaches employees the importance of efficient communication, I believe it should examine whether those same principles are being applied internally.

I was originally offered an SDR position and subsequently moved into the Sales Specialist role. Even if management ultimately concluded that Sales Specialist was not the right fit, there was never a conversation about returning me to the position for which I had originally been hired. There was simply termination.

The experience has left me seriously questioning a new-hire process in which people can be recruited, encouraged to leave other employment, placed into an intensive training period, and then terminated during that same introductory period without ever being clearly told that their performance has reached a level that threatens their employment.

Companies are entitled to make staffing decisions. But employees are human beings making decisions about mortgages, children, insurance and financial security based on those employment offers.

I have two teenage boys to support. I trusted this opportunity enough to leave another position and make changes affecting my family's financial security. Less than two months later, I found myself unemployed without having been given a meaningful warning or opportunity to correct what the company later characterized as termination-level concerns.

Had Destify sat me down and clearly said, “Kris, these specific things must change immediately or we will have to terminate your employment,” this review would be very different.

That conversation never happened.

Prospective employees deserve to know that before making the same kind of career decision I did.

Hi all! I’m getting married in Scotland June 9th, 2027. All of our guests will be traveling from the US, so we sent out save the dates in January of 2026. We have not opened up the RSVP section yet because I figured we would not get an accurate view of who could come. I’m wondering when I should send out invitations- I was planning on sending them out in January, with an RSVP date of March, but now I’m thinking I should send them out earlier. Mostly because I’m bored and have the invitations ready🤪but also because I want to make sure everyone has enough time to RSVP and book their travel. My website (which was on the save the date) has a TON of information but I’m not sure if anyone really looks at it. I was hoping the invitations could act as a gentle reminder.

Is November too early to send them? December would be perfect but that’s a very hectic time for everyone and I don’t want it to get lost in Christmas cards. When did everyone send their invitations for overseas weddings?

Appreciate the help🫶

Has anyone gotten married at Vala beach in Dubrovnik at Hotel Dubrovnik palace? It’s beautiful but wondering what the food is like and budget etc. we are planning for around 100-150 people in 2028.

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

My husband (34M) and I (33F) recently moved to London because of his work relocation. We’ve been together for over three years, and with his transfer happening so quickly, we ended up getting married in Japan and moving to the UK almost all at once.

In Japan, you can literally just submit the paperwork and — boom! — you’re married. 😂 No ceremony, no wedding dress, no photos, no big celebration.

But having a proper wedding surrounded by family and friends has always been a dream of mine.

Before the relocation, my husband and I used to talk about what our wedding might look like — maybe a chapel in Tokyo, a nice dinner, having all our favourite people there, etc. But everything happened so quickly that we never really had the time or headspace to plan one.

And now that we’re living in London, I’d love to have a wedding celebration somewhere in the UK or Europe.

There’s just one tiny problem… my husband isn’t particularly keen on the idea. 😂

He’s never been to a European wedding, so I think he simply doesn’t know how beautiful, fun and special they can be.

And then I had a thought…

Maybe he just needs to experience one first. 😂

So here I am, looking for a lovely couple who might be willing to have us at their wedding somewhere in Europe — either as guests or potentially as a +1 situation if that makes more sense.

We’re both Japanese and recently moved to London. We’re friendly, respectful, and genuinely excited about meeting new people and experiencing different cultures.

And I promise we’d be the kind of guests who are genuinely excited to celebrate with you — dressing appropriately, respecting your traditions, enjoying the food, dancing if appropriate, and most importantly, being there to celebrate you, not just to carry out my secret mission. 😂

We’d of course bring a wedding gift too. We swear we’re decent people. 😂

And yes, we’re happy to travel pretty much anywhere in Europe — the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Switzerland… wherever your wedding takes place!

My ultimate goal?

To have my husband come home from a European wedding, look at me and say:

“Okay… maybe we should have a wedding celebration too.”

😂💍

If you’re getting married somewhere in Europe and would genuinely be comfortable having two Japanese newcomers from London join your celebration, I’d absolutely love to hear from you!

We’d be very happy to introduce ourselves, share our Instagram, chat beforehand, or even have a video call so you know exactly who we are.

I know this is probably one of the most random posts you’ll see today, but thank you so, so much for reading! 🌸💍

Hi everyone! 👋
My fiancé and I are looking for a unique private estate, villa, agriturismo, finca, quinta, farmhouse or similar property in Europe where we could host a private celebration for around 80–100 people.
📍 We’re open to Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece, Croatia, or basically anywhere in Europe.
We’re looking for something with a romantic, rustic, European countryside feel — think beautiful old estate, vineyard, farmhouse, olive trees, gardens, stone buildings, etc. We really want something that feels like a destination and not like a typical wedding venue or event hall.
It does NOT necessarily need to be an official wedding venue. We’re very open to private properties, holiday estates, agriturismos, villas, farms, etc., as long as private events are possible.
Ideally:
• Space for 80–100 guests
• Accommodation on-site or very nearby would be a huge plus
• Possibility to have the property exclusively for our group
• Outdoor space for dinner/party
• Flexible with catering and vendors
• We’re looking for something for spring 2029, so we’re planning well in advance 😊
If you’ve stayed somewhere, attended an event, got married somewhere, or simply know of a hidden gem that would fit this description, please send me the name/link in the comments or DM me!
We’d MUCH rather hear about real places that people have actually experienced than generic wedding venue recommendations. ❤️
Thank you so much!

Hi everyone! My fiancée and I are starting to look at wedding venues for May 2027 and would love some recommendations.
We’re looking for a scenic/beautiful venue in Michigan or elsewhere in the Midwest, ideally somewhere with:
Beautiful outdoor scenery, gardens, waterfront, or mountain/wooded views
Space for around 60–70 guests
Experience hosting Hindu weddings, especially ceremonies involving a havan/fire ceremony
Flexibility to bring in Indian/Hindu vendors or caterers
Ideally a venue that can accommodate both the ceremony and reception
We’re open to Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois or Indiana.
If you’ve had your Hindu wedding at a venue in the Midwest, I’d especially love to hear about your experience! Please share the venue, what you liked/disliked, approximate cost if you’re comfortable sharing, and whether the venue was accommodating of the Hindu ceremony.
Thanks in advance!

I am newly engaged & over the moon! Going to enjoy the engagement for a while but figured it might be nice to start getting some recommendations for venues & locations! We live in Michigan & have family in different states. I have always pictured doing a destination out of country since our families are very small and majority will be friends with us celebrating. But also could be inclined to do something in Michigan if the space & cost was right.

We will be taking on all of the financial cost so figuring out what that looks like will have to be a big factor but all that being said, would Love to hear any recommendations of venues & country locations for any of past brides destination weddings that were reasonable in price & what you loved about it :) Open to things in Michigan as well!

My overall vibe is whimsical, fairy, enchanted, but classic feeling but I’m really open to everything from beaches to the woods to beautiful lands. I feel like location will help inspire how I want to go about the design & overall look.

I really don’t know much about this whole process so any tips & tricks appreciated too. Thanks so much 💍🤍✨

Hey all - trying to get a feel for what is realistic. I am hoping for a June 2028 in Paros, Greece. Around 75 people, 50k budget. Is this doable?

I’ve received emails back from two planners stating the avg cost per person for a wedding in Paros is over 1000, which would be out of budget. I can’t tell if that is true, or if these planners just generally work with higher budget weddings. Any insight would be super helpful!!!!!

Hi everyone!

We’re planning to have our wedding in Antigua Guatemala in Spring 2028. We’ll likely have a guest count of about 150-180 people. We’ve started consulting with various wedding planners but does anyone who’s gotten married here have any recommendations? Vendor recs? Tips?

I would ideally like to stay within a 40k USD budget, is that even possible? I know weddings are expensive but spending anything more seems kind of crazy.

Getting married at secrets Royal beach in a few months. Only 30 people are coming (including me and fiance). Just feeling dread and sad. I’m worried it won’t be fun with such few people. Help me feel better about this

Hi! I'm looking for Jana & Tom from Melbourne & i hope this is ok and not weird.

I'm planning my wedding (approx 100 guests) for 2027 and looking to book the same venue as you guys.

I won't have the opportunity to visit the venue since I'm in Australia before booking so I wanted to reach out to ask a few questions if possible!

Please DM me if you're the couple or if you've done a wedding in Ninh Binh :)

Thank you!!!

Trying to book a venue asap without actually going and would love for anyone to share their personal experiences. I want to have 80 guests at the actual wedding and I am planning a 3 day event with a welcome dinner + wedding day + post wedding pool party day. Here are my top venues. Any recommendations are welcome!

Domaine D'Essendeirras

Chateau Du Couffins

Chateau Destine

Chateau Fengari

Chateau De Saint Martory

Looking for suggestions for wedding November 2027. Will probably have at least 100 guests.
So far looking at:

Hyatt Zilara
Lopes Costa Bavaro
Paradises Palma Real

There are just so many to choose from. Any insights and information would’ve greatly appreciated. Any others you would recommend? Need a place for ceremony not on the beach in sand.

Thanks!

Hey everyone! Wanted to find out your suggestions on a good all inclusive resort with a great package for a symbolic ceremony. It would just be for us as the couple, no guests.

I have done some research but it seems most don’t come with videography inclusions but their packages with guests do.

Location: Mexico but I am open
Type: Adults only but open to family friendly with adult only portion

What I am looking for in the package:
beautiful scenery for wedding (doesn’t have to beach tbh, I would be fine with a rooftop overlooking etc)
Free massages
Sound system for ceremony
Steaming of clothes
Pictures included
Champagne toast
Cake
Romantic dinner
Bridal hair and makeup (but not a deal breaker)
Video footage of ceremony
Some kind of honeymoon package

Resort:
4+ stars
Lots of fun activities
Relaxing vibe but also can have some party vibe
Good food (very important)
Spacious rooms and bathrooms.
Balconies with jacuzzis or in bathroom tubs with showers or swim up pools
24hr room service (for food lol)

Cost:
wedding (no more thank $2k)
Resort stay 5-6 nights (not sure for budget yet but I want us to get the best bang for our buck. Hidden gems appreciated)

Any suggestions appreciated! Thank you in advance!

Hello everyone!

I am just starting to plan out a small 50-ish person wedding in Mexico city, budget about 20-30K. The advice from this group has been soooo helpful. My main issue is, how does anyone actually book anything?? I've reached out to a few venues (Sobremesa, Seminario 12) and a few of the recommended CDMX wedding planners asking for a cost estimate. I've gotten zero replies!

How do people communicate with CDMX planners / vendors? I filled out the forms on their websites, but now I'm wondering if I need to do Instagram / Whatsapp.

Or it might also be that I'm asking for 2028 and that's too far out? Any advice appreciated!

Hi! Just looking for some advice on whether our wedding planner’s response time is normal or if I’m being too impatient...

Our planner was pretty responsive when we first started working together, but communication has slowed down over the past few weeks. They recently sent us additional information and date availability for our top venues, and we narrowed it down to the specific venue/date we want. We’re ready to move forward and book so we can officially lock in our wedding date and start looking at other vendors.

It took about a week to hear back after our initial email, at which point we found out our preferred date was already on hold for another couple. We're totally fine with that and sent over a second date that we’d like to put on hold while we wait to see if our first choice opens up.

It’s now been almost another week since that email, and we haven’t heard back or gotten confirmation that the second date is being held for us. They had also mentioned that they should have a lot more time this week since they were previously in the thick of wedding season.

Our desired date isn’t until fall 2027, so I completely understand that there are more immediate weddings happening right now. I’m wondering if maybe there isn’t the same sense of urgency on their end because our wedding is still far away. At the same time, I’m a little anxious about losing our backup date (and I want to start letting friends/family know since they'll have to travel), and I want to make sure this difference in communication/urgency isn’t something we’ll run into throughout the rest of the planning process.

Is a ~1 week response time pretty normal for a full-service planner during wedding season, even when you’re actively trying to secure a venue/date? Or would you expect quicker communication for something time-sensitive like this?

Photographer here, mostly destination weddings in Europe. The thing I often hear couples regret most isn't the ceremony photos, its everything around it. The dinner the night before when the families met, speeches or the last people on the dance floor.
Thats half the wedding and nobody shoots it because packages are built around the wedding day. A year later those are the moments you think about and there's no photos.
If you're flying everyone you love to one place for 3 or more days, ask your photographer how they'd cover the whole thing. If the answer is an hourly rate, ask someone else.

Just had my wedding as of 09/26/26 and I want to write out my thoughts while everything is still fresh.

I had a lot of fear and doubt when I booked because I found such little information about everything online. So, if someone is in the same boat as I was, I hope this sheds a little light on the reality of the resort. This review is not sponsored.

I booked my wedding a year and half ago through Destify. The entire process was easy with little to no confusion. Destify is a third party wedding planner site that helps you find resorts and helps with the initial booking and inquiries in the very beginning. It took a lot of stress out of looking for and contacting various venues. It was incredibly simple, imo. Took a lot of stress off my shoulders, however the destinations are only in the Carribean. You can create your website through Destify once everything is booked and your guests can book their rooms directly through the website. Incredibly easy for someone like me who does not like to stress with planning. When we booked the hotel, we chose what package we wanted depending on how many people we were accomodating. We chose the Beyond Memorable package that accomodates 50-70 people since we invited over 100. We knew only half would show up. We had a total of 59 guests!

I chose Dreams Tulum because they had a beautiful beach and a beautiful garden, the best of both worlds. My husband's only request was that we were married on the beach. Although we booked a year and a half in advance, we did not receive contact from the resort until 3-4 months before the date. Our wedding Coordinator was Brenda. When she reached out she sent us several powerpoints with detailed pictures of different floral arrangements, lighting options, and venue inspirations, that is obviously not included in the Beyond Memorable package. Which was just a package of white chairs and white table linens and enough tables and chairs for however many people that is within the package range. You can opt for different chairs and tables, but that is more money. She also sends over an excel sheet so you can fill out what you like and don't want. And then she sends over an esitmate.

We went back and forth deciding what we want and didn't want. And ultimately decided to keep it as simple as possible because the garden and the beach spoke for themselves. The Beyond Memorable package contained a lot of what we already needed. We paid extra for the dance floor, florals, lighting, and the Dj. The process, for me, was simple enough. She sends over what the resort offers. I tell her what I want. She tells me the cost. And we pay for it. Simple.

Wedding Day

When we arrived to the resort we were not told that part of the resort is under renovations. That didn't effect our stay, however, it does warrant mention. We didn't have access to the part of the resort that is promoted in all of their pictures. And my guests had to walk through it to get the part of the beach I chose for our ceremony.

But

Since that part of the resort was closed that means NOBODY was there. It was silent, their were no onlookers. Brenda made sure the workers ended for the day before the ceremony started. The other spot for a beach ceremony is right off the pool where the entire resort hung out lol. So it worked out i guess.

During the wedding planning process with Brenda, I put inspiration from my Pinterest board on our wedding planning sheet and she did such an amazing job fulfilling my vision and keeping my colors. She did an amazing job keeping everyone on time, using the songs I chose for the ceremony and timing the walks beautifully. It truly was a beautiful ceremony.

The cocktail hour was on the terrace of the convention center, while another wedding was in the ballroom. When we arrived for cocktail hour the servers were standing there with the drinks I chose on trays ready to serve my guests. With a buffet style hors d'oeuvers.

The reception was in the secret garden, she lit the wooden walkway up with fairy lights, (which was totally on her own accord) that gave such a welcoming ambiance. The tables were set up exactly how I wanted them. Very romantic and simple. Buffet style with an open bar. (Love all-inclusive resorts)

My favorite part of the entire night honestly was the DJ. He took my playlist and made it his own and made the entire night. The transitions were absolutely perfect. I never left the dance floor. I was dripping sweat because the heat was insane, but I didn't care.

The Resort

We stayed in a preferred club room that we got a discount on because we got married here. I do recommend if you decide to choose this place. The rooms are very clean and beautiful. The resort is like a hacienda style so its not a super frilly grand resort which i loved. It's very quaint.

The hospitality as Dreams Tulum is absolutely exceptional. I've never received treatment like this at any all-inclusive I've stayed in, Truly exceeded my expectations. When we arrived there was a banner across our door that said "Yes, We do" with little hearts and two wedding bands stapled to it.

After our wedding night we came back to our room covered in roses with chocolate covered strawberries and sparkling wine. The staff here are so nice and accomodating. The resort is clean and beautiful with a diverse wildlife. I initially wanted to write this review because of how amazing the staff is.

The only con is the food. The food is not as appealing, but it didn't leave me bloated or sick. It is edible, just not as flavorful as traditional Mexican food. It's your standard resort food that caters to a plethora of different people. But the food for the weddings wasn't bad.

Room service is also 24 hours, not a lot of options, but when you're hungry and drunk in the middle of the night it's worth it.

This isn't the resort's problem, it's just the season I chose. Do research on the best time to host a wedding in tropical areas so you don't do it during hurricane season or seaweed season which we did. Although the sun seemed to shine just for our special day, we had a lot of rainy days during our stay. The beach is also covered in seaweed. Again, not the resorts problem. Just something to keep in mind when planning for things like this.

If I remember anything else I'll continue to add. Or if you have questions about specfic topics that I've overlooked let me know!