Thinking About a Destination Wedding? Read This First
What I Learned Managing Travel & Logistics for Destination Weddings Across Mexico, Dominican Republic and Italy This Year.
Destination weddings are one of the most beautiful ways to celebrate a marriage — but they also require a level of planning, coordination, and behind-the-scenes strategy that couples rarely see on Pinterest or TikTok.
This year alone, I oversaw the travel and logistics for destination weddings across Cancun, Costa Mujeres, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Punta Cana, and Italy. Every event was different. Every group had its own dynamic. And every single one taught me something about what couples think will happen versus what actually happens when you involve dozens of guests, passports, flight schedules, resort contracts, and unexpected travel delays.
As your Destination Wedding Travel Coordinator
Our role is specific, technical, and absolutely essential
I focus on everything that gets you and your 20–150+ guests there — flights, room blocks, transfers, payments, passports, travel documents, and every logistical detail in between. Your wedding planner — either from the resort or hired independently — focuses on your ceremony, décor, vendor management, and timeline.
When each expert works in tandem, you get a flawlessly executed wedding and a stress-free travel experience.
Below is what I learned this year, backed by real numbers and real situations I navigated for couples. If you’re planning a destination wedding in 2026, or 2027 and beyond this is the guide you wish you had before you started.
1. What Destination Weddings Actually Cost (Real Data)
One of the most valuable things I track each year is real wedding spend — not the inflated numbers you find on Google, and not the marketing estimates resorts use to get couples excited. From my 2024–2025 destination wedding data, here are the true averages:
Average Wedding Event Costs (All-Inclusive Resorts)
Guest Count & Average Wedding Event Cost
20–30 guests: $7,500–$12,000
40–60 guests: $12,000–$18,000
70–120 guests: $18,000–$26,000
120+ guests: $26,000+
This includes ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, décor upgrades, private events, lighting, DJ, and venue fees and in some cases even includes photography and outside vendor fees.
This includes:
This includes ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, décor upgrades, private events, lighting, DJ, and venue fees and in some cases even includes photography and outside vendor fees.
Average Guest Travel Spend
An important estimate to consider this includes flight, stay, and transfers:
● Cancun/Costa Mujeres: $1,000–$1,800 per person
● Puerto Vallarta: $1,200–$2,200 per person
● Italy (Lake Como or Amalfi): 2,500–$6,500+ per person
Average Total Group Room Night Spend
This is what resorts use to calculate incentives or penalties:
● Small weddings (30 guests): 70–100 room nights
● Medium weddings (50–70 guests): 120–180 room nights
● Large weddings (90+ guests): 200+ room nights
Mismanaging room nights can cost couples thousands in penalties, which leads to my next point.
2. Group Contracts Are Beautiful Unless You Don’t Understand Them
(And Why You Absolutely Need Someone Reading the Fine Print)
One thing this year reinforced is how many contract terms are not clearly explained to couples when they first begin planning. I cannot imagine navigating this without a professional, yet many couples attempt to go at this alone. What I notice frequently in destination wedding Facebook groups and other communities online is how easy it is to spot when a couple doesn’t have a travel coordinator. They’re left posting urgent questions about deadlines, rates, contract terms, and room blocks — topics a professional would manage from day one. Without that guidance, couples often face stricter payment terms, lose out on concessions, or book at higher rates than necessary. Having a dedicated coordinator completely removes the need to crowdsource answers and protects couples from avoidable financial mistakes. Travel coordinators help you to understand:
Travel Coordinators help you to:
Understand everthing that will make the process easy for you and your guests
● What attrition actually means
● How nonrefundable dates really work ● How dropping too many room nights triggers penalties
● That guests paying late can cost the couple money
● That bedding requests are not guaranteed
● That upgrades are based on availability
When you hear “20 percent attrition at 100 days,” it sounds simple.
But what it really means is: If your guests don’t book enough nights, you — the couple — may owe the resort thousands.Which is why it’s important to work with a travel expert who understands contracts, gets you the best payment terms and manages your inventory.
A wedding planner does not handle this level of travel logistics — nor should they. This is travel coordination. It is its own specialty for a reason.
3. Guest Behavior Is 50% of the Battle
(And Your Travel Coordinator Shields You From All of It)
Destination Wedding Group enjoying the moment
Let me say this with love:
Your guests will not read the information you send them. This year alone, I navigated:
● Guests trying to book two months after all rates expired
● Guests asking for prices from 12 months ago
● Guests ignoring payment deadlines
● Guests wanting to change dates after nonrefundable cutoffs
● Guests attempting credit card chargebacks
● Guests showing up at the airport without checking passport validity
● Guests messaging couples at midnight with random questions
● Guests requesting room types that don’t exist. You should not be answering these questions. Your travel coordinator should. A strong travel coordinator becomes:
● The only point of contact for travel-related questions
● The expert who sets expectations
● The boundary-keeper
● The reminder system
● The one who protects your resort contract
● The buffer between you and guest drama. This alone saves couples dozens — sometimes hundreds — of hours.
4. Travel Day Is Where Things Go Wrong
This year brought every airline scenario imaginable
● Government Shutdown affecting flights
● Guests rebooked onto flights arriving dangerously close to the ceremony
● Mechanical delays
● Lost baggage
● Airline schedule changes
● Airport strikes in Europe
● Weather delays in the Midwest
● Travelers missing their flights entirely A travel coordinator can:
● Rebook guests
● Manage transfers
● Notify the couple in the most helpful way
● Calm panicked travelers
● Advise when travel insurance can help
● Troubleshoot in real time
● Monitor flights behind the scenes
Destination weddings require a logistics professional — not a friend helping with travel. This is real, technical work and not something couples should have to do in the days leading up to their wedding.
5. What I Wish Every Couple Knew Before Choosing a Resort
After navigating hundreds of guests this year, here are the truths couples should know: ● Not all resorts deliver the same level of wedding support
● Not all wedding departments communicate consistently
● Room categories can sell out months before your date
● A resort that’s great for a vacation is not always great for a wedding
● Your coordinator is your best friend during wedding week.
My job is to match your vision with a resort that delivers — not just one that looks pretty on social media.
6. The Money Most Couples Leave on the Table: Wedding Group Concessions
One of the biggest surprises for couples this year was how much money they didn’t realize they could earn back simply by booking their wedding through a contracted group. These perks are called comps/concessions, and they can include:
● Refunded room nights for the couple
● Complimentary events (cocktail hour, welcome party, etc.)
● Upgraded room categories ● Resort credits ● Free return stays ● Discounted private events
● VIP check-in ● Wedding event credits
If you don’t book a contracted group block, you do not receive any of these benefits.
And when guests book on Expedia, book with points, book last-minute online, or book at another hotel, none of those nights count toward your perks.
Most of my couples receive between $3,000 and $6,000 back based on the number of rooms booked.
That is real money — and couples use it for:
● Upgrading wedding events
● Décor
● Honeymoon costs
● Additional nights
● Or simply keeping the savings
A contracted group block is strategic, negotiated, and monitored. And the only way to maximize concessions (and avoid penalties) is to have a travel coordinator tracking:
● Room nights
● Booking pace
● Guest behavior
● Eligibility requirements
● Group totals before deadlines
These concessions are a huge added value and one of the strongest reasons couples choose to work with a professional instead of letting guests book however they want.
7. What You Get When You Work With a Travel Coordinator:
Here is what couples repeatedly tell me they valued the most this year:
Someone who communicates professionally with guests
No chaos. No constant group chats.
Someone who monitors bookings and contract requirements
And gives you early warnings to avoid penalties + manages your inventory.
Someone who handles guest questions
So you don’t have to repeat yourself over and over.
Someone available during travel
Flight delays, issues — handled without stressing you out.
Someone who advocates for your guests
Room issues? Check-in problems? I advocate for you and set realistic expectations.
Someone who protects the couple financially
From attrition penalties to missed concessions to avoidable fees.
Someone who has done this dozens of times
Experience matters — especially with travel logistics.
Thinking About a Destination Wedding? Let’s Talk.
Every one of the weddings I supported this year taught me something new — and every lesson helps me make the next couple’s experience smoother, easier, and more enjoyable. If you’re planning a destination wedding for 2026, or 2027 and beyond, I’d love to walk you through:
● Realistic cost expectations
● Resort comparisons
● Guest travel concerns/budgets
● Contract strategy
● Room block structure
● Wedding week logistics
● What to expect at every stage
Schedule a Consult
Let’s design a destination wedding experience that’s beautiful, seamless, and stress-free for both you and your guests.
