Journeys Destination Wedding

Pre-Booking Information

The Journeys Difference

Your Destination Wedding, Made Easy

Planning a destination wedding should feel exciting, not overwhelming. At Journeys, our Certified Destination Wedding Specialists guide you through the process with clarity, confidence, and care. We do more than help you choose a beautiful location. We help you find the right destination and resort that fit your vision, your guest list, and your budget.

Our team has firsthand experience with the resorts and destinations we recommend. We have toured the venues, met the wedding teams, and built trusted relationships with resort partners around the world. That experience allows us to anticipate challenges, negotiate strong group contracts, and help you make informed decisions from the very beginning.

From your initial consultation through travel planning and on-site coordination, Journeys manages the details so you can focus on what matters most. This page outlines what to expect before booking, how the destination wedding process works, and how our team supports you and your guests every step of the way.

Why Choose a Destination Wedding?

Top Reasons Couples Choose to Celebrate Away

Effortless Planning

Many resorts offer a true one stop shop, with trusted on site vendors who simplify the planning process and reduce stress.

Exceptional Value

Destination weddings are often more affordable than traditional weddings at home, even when comparing similar packages and experiences.

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More Time Together

Instead of a single day, you get multiple days to connect, celebrate, and make memories with your closest family and friends.

Unforgettable Photo Moments

From ocean views to tropical gardens, destination weddings offer stunning backdrops you simply cannot recreate at home.

A One of a Kind Experience

Your wedding becomes more than an event. It becomes a shared experience your guests will remember forever.

A True Family Reunion

Destination weddings bring both families together in one place for meaningful time that rarely happens otherwise.

Naturally Beautiful Venues

Breathtaking settings mean less need for elaborate decor. The destination itself sets the scene.

Simple, Elegant Styling

With gorgeous surroundings already in place, minimal flowers and decor are needed to create a stunning celebration.

Perfect for Second Marriages

Many couples choose destination weddings for a more relaxed, intimate, and experience focused celebration.

Let Journeys Handle the Details

We Make Destination Weddings Easy and Fun

Thoughtful Planning From Start to Finish

Your destination wedding begins with listening. During your consultation, we take the time to understand your vision, priorities, guest count, and budget. From there, we recommend resort options that align with your style while helping you maximize value and complimentary amenities. Every recommendation is intentional and based on real experience.

Expert Contract Negotiation

Group contracts are one of the most important parts of planning a wedding away, and also one of the easiest places to make costly mistakes. We work with these contracts every day and know how to negotiate terms that protect you and your guests. Our expertise helps ensure clear deadlines, fair policies, and strong group benefits without surprises.

Travel Details, Fully Coordinated

A destination wedding involves more than just the ceremony. We coordinate the travel pieces that complete the experience, including ground transportation, travel insurance, and optional excursions. Whether it’s airport transfers or a group catamaran outing, we help bring everything together seamlessly.

Flexible Booking for You and Your Guests

Your guests have different schedules and preferences, and we build flexibility into the booking process whenever possible. Guests can select travel dates and room categories based on availability, and we can adjust your room block as needs change. As planning continues, we provide ongoing guidance, helpful tips, and support to keep everything running smoothly.

Booking Your Journey

Let’s Make it Official

This stage turns your wedding plans into confirmed details. From securing your date to locking in your room block, this is where your destination wedding officially comes together. Your Destination Wedding Specialist guides you through each step, handles the contracts, and ensures everything is structured to protect you and your guests.

Confirm Room Needs

It is always recommended to reserve a few more rooms than you initially expect to need. Your guests will have approximately 60 days from the contract date to place their room deposit. After that deadline, any unbooked rooms will be released back to the resort to avoid a penalty.

Your initial room block deposit is applied to your personal room as a payment toward your reservation. Once this deposit is applied at the time of contract signing, it is not dependent on how many rooms ultimately book within the group and is non-refundable. If the deposit amount exceeds the total cost of your room, the overage will be refunded approximately two months after travel.

Secure Your Wedding Date

You will pay the required wedding deposit to the wedding department at the resort, which is separate from the room block deposit. I will then introduce you to your wedding planner and turn you over to them for planning the event details. If you need me to step in at any point (due to a lack of response, etc) please let me know.

Select Room Categories

Once the number of rooms is determined, the resort requires that we select the exact number of each room category that us to reserve. For example: 5 Oceanview Suites, 8 Junior Suites Beachfront. Resorts will generally only allow us to hold 4-5 nights for each guest room, but additional nights can be requested. Anything outside of the room block will be requested from the resort – this process can take 7-10 business days.

Minimum night requirements vary by resort. Most properties require a 3-night minimum stay for guests, while Royalton resorts require a 4-night minimum.

Review the Group Contract

The room contract will be requested by your Destination Wedding Specialist after the wedding date is confirmed and it typically takes about 7-10 business days before you will get a copy to review. Often the contract is sent back as we negotiate certain terms to benefit you, so that can delay the process if there is a lot we would like to change.

Sign Hotel Contract and Submit Deposits

Sign the hotel contract and provide the initial deposits. The wedding couple is responsible for the following deposits paid via credit card to hold your block of rooms and secure your wedding date/time:

  • Room block deposit: $100 per room secured or 10% of the total cost of the rooms depending on the resort selected. This deposit is paid by the wedding couple at the time the contract is signed.
  • Wedding deposit: $200-750 on average depending on the resort.
  • Important Note: Cancellation fees for the wedding couple will be outlined in the contract, which is separate from the supplier and hotel-imposed fees for individual room reservations.

Deadlines are set to protect YOU as the contract signer and are not flexible.

Planning Your Journey

Keeping Everyone Informed and on Track

Once your wedding date and room block are secured, the focus shifts to guest planning and travel coordination. During this phase, Journeys manages communication, bookings, payments, and logistics to keep everything organized and stress free for you and your guests.

Share Your Guest List

The wedding couple will email a spreadsheet with the guest names and email addresses. Your Destination Wedding Specialist will send Save The Date emails approximately one week after your email list and photos have been sent to Journeys.

NOTE: Guests will have approximately 60 days from the date of the contract to place their initial deposit.

Wedding Website and Guest Resources

For groups contracting over ten rooms, Journeys creates a personalized wedding webpage. This page includes resort details, room rates, booking instructions, payment deadlines, and cancellation policies so guests always know where to find accurate information.

Guest Payments and Policies

  • Room deposit: $200 per person on average.
  • Final Payment for the rooms: The date will be listed in the contract, but typically is 4 months prior to travel.
  • Change Fees for Individual Room Reservations: $50 per change.
  • Cancel Fees for Individual Room Reservations: Deposits and final payments are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Ongoing Communication and Visibility

Journeys can create a private Facebook group for your guests, if desired, to help build excitement and encourage communication. You will also receive a link with 24/7 access to view guest reservations and track your group’s booking progress.

Travel Coordination and Support

Journeys manages all guest travel arrangements, including payments and the delivery of travel documents. We provide travel insurance information, which is highly recommended at the time of deposit for international travel. Guests are responsible for booking their own flights, and we collect flight details approximately two months prior to travel to coordinate ground transportation.

Final Payments and Onsite Preparation

Payment plans can be created for you and your guests based on individual needs. Journeys ensures all final payments are processed by the required deadlines, which are typically four months prior to travel depending on the resort. Prior to arrival, we communicate with our onsite partners to help ensure your wedding experience runs smoothly from start to finish.

Room Block Terms & Conditions

Journeys Inc provides each couple with a wedding webpage for groups contracting over 10 rooms. In order to help facilitate the booking process and ensure clear communication with all guests, you agree to utilize our wedding site and email newsletters relevant to your wedding for your guests.  We can also create a group Facebook page if desired to assist with communication.

Each couple will be provided with a timeline including the booking deadline, deposit deadline, and final payment deadline. Relevant information needed by your guests to understand the booking process will also be included on your wedding webpage.

Group rates are based on double occupancy. Child rates are based on two paying adults sharing the room unless otherwise noted.

Each guest will be provided with invoices after deposit and final payment and an itinerary prior to travel.  Journeys Inc. will assist to secure their reservations, manage their room requests, arrange ground transportation, offer travel insurance, and process their payments.

All rooms must be paid in full prior to check-in. Any room comps will be credited back to the bride and groom after travel unless otherwise directed. The date of the credit is determined by the hotel, which is typically within 60 days after the resort check-in date.

Room comps or free rooms do not include taxes, transfers, or insurance. Room comps are based on the lowest room category and the average number of nights at a single occupancy rate.

Any rooms booked outside the room block will not count towards the group amenities or comps. 

Should a guest find a lower rate than the group rate, we will request a price match from the Groups Department. Price matches are granted at the discretion of the wholesaler or hotel.  Price-matched bookings will not count towards the comps.

Guests should book their own flights and are responsible for ensuring that their flights match their resort check-in and check-out dates.  They should enter their flight itinerary in the form provided by Journeys approximately two months prior to travel so that the ground transportation can be arranged.  Failure to do so can result in the guest not having ground transportation booked to and from the resort.

All group contracts have a deadline by which all unsold rooms must be turned over to the hotel.  Journeys Inc will ensure that you are aware of this deadline and that your unsold rooms are turned over in time to avoid any penalty.

All group contracts require a minimum number of 10 rooms to be booked in order to receive the group rate and amenities.  If your group should fall below this minimum, you and your guests could be subject to the current published rate. 

Room Block FAQs

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How does the room block deposit work?

The wedding couple typically submits a deposit of approximately $100 per room when the room block is created. Sandals and Beaches Resorts require a 10 percent deposit. This deposit is applied directly to the couple’s own room once it is booked. It does not apply to guest rooms.

Guests will pay their own separate deposit when they are ready to book in order to secure their reservation. If additional rooms are added to the room block, an additional deposit is not usually required, although this can vary by hotel.

If fewer rooms are booked than were originally held in the room block, the deposit is not partially refunded. If the total deposit amount exceeds the final cost of the couple’s room, the overage will be refunded after travel. Some resort chains require an additional deposit if the room block exceeds approximately 40 rooms.

How much of a discount can I expect?

Some hotels offer a discounted group rate, while others guarantee room availability without a discounted rate. Any savings or benefits are typically extended to the wedding couple in the form of complimentary amenities rather than direct rate reductions.

Will the wedding couple or guests receive an upgrade?

Most wedding contracts include the possibility of room upgrades for the wedding group. Upgrades are based on availability at the time of check in and are usually granted to guests booked in the lead in room category who are staying the minimum required number of nights.

If there is a specific room category that you or your guests prefer, it is strongly recommended that it be booked in advance. Upgrades are never guaranteed.

Will we earn any free rooms based on the number of rooms booked?

We always advocate for room comps in group contracts, but the term “free rooms” can be misleading. All rooms must be paid in full before check in. After all guests have checked in, room comps are calculated and the wedding couple receives a credit back to their credit card approximately two months after travel.

Room comps do not include taxes or transfers. The comp value is typically calculated based on the least expensive room in the group at a single occupancy rate, not the wedding couple’s room.

When can my guests start booking?

Once a location is secured and the contract is signed, we will request photos of you as a couple for your wedding website along with your guest list. After these are received, a Save the Date email is sent to your guests within approximately one week. Guest booking can begin at that time.

Will all of our guests be located together?

The resort makes every effort to keep wedding groups located close together. Room placement is typically based on the room categories selected. While we always request that groups be placed as close as possible, this is not guaranteed by the resort.

Will our guests be able to make payments?

Each wedding group has a deposit deadline and a final payment deadline. Guests may make additional payments at any time using the payment link or may set up an ongoing monthly payment plan if desired.

What if a guest wants to stay at a different hotel?

Guests staying at alternate hotels are required to purchase a day pass to attend the wedding. Day passes are typically sold on a first come, first served basis on the day of the event and usually cost around $125 per person.

Many resorts stop selling day passes once occupancy reaches a certain level. Because of this, there is no guarantee that a guest staying off property will be able to access the resort on the wedding day. Additional event fees may also apply. The resort wedding planner can provide specific details.

Ceremony and Reception FAQs

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When should we start planning our wedding?

It’s never too early to start dreaming! Most hotels will allow us to hold a wedding date as much as 18 months in advance.

When will I work with the resort’s wedding coordinator?

Before committing to a resort, we will schedule a call or email introduction with the wedding coordinator so you can confirm the package options, pricing, and overall fit. We recommend creating a list of must haves for your ceremony and reception along with your target budget. Pinterest boards are also helpful for sharing inspiration.

Most resorts do not finalize ceremony and reception details until approximately 60 days before the wedding. Email responses typically take three to four business days, so it is best to group questions together and keep them concise.

How much can I personalize the decor?

Most resorts offer set wedding packages and themes. Many now provide à la carte options that allow for additional customization of decor and design.

Can I bring my own photographer, hairstylist, or other vendors?

Yes, but most resorts charge an outside vendor fee, which typically ranges from $300 to $1000. If the vendor is staying on property for the minimum required nights, this fee is often waived. The resort wedding planner can confirm vendor policies and fees.

Can we make restaurant reservations for events like a rehearsal dinner or brunch?

This depends on both the resort and the size of your group. Some resorts allow restaurant reservations for smaller parties, while others require a private event with an associated fee.

Can I bring my wedding dress on the plane?

Yes, your wedding dress can be carried on the plane. Most airlines will hang it in the first-class closet if space allows.

How do we handle gift bags for guests?

You may bring gift bags to be placed in guest rooms. Most resorts charge a distribution fee for this service. Due to customs regulations, shipping gift bags to the resort in advance is not recommended. It is best to pack them in a checked bag and bring them with you.

Airfare and Airport Shuttle FAQs

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Can we book group airfare?

Group airfare requires all guests to travel on the same dates from the same airport. Group air often costs more than standard published fares, so Journeys typically does not recommend this option. Guests should book their own flights and provide their schedules to Journeys by the airfare deadline listed on the wedding website.

How will guests get from the airport to the resort?

Ground transportation is included with each guest’s booking. Guests receive detailed transportation instructions prior to departure as long as flight details are submitted by the listed deadline. Transportation runs between the airport and the resort. Guests booking outside the wedding block are not eligible for group transportation.

Will all guests be on the same shuttle?

Transportation providers make every effort to keep wedding guests together, but shuttles may be shared with other travelers going to the same resort. Guests who want guaranteed private transportation may upgrade to a private transfer.