First of all: Congratulations!!

And ditto to much of what Scott said.

Our daughter got married at Grace Bay Club, Turks & Caicos this past summer (it was very warm!). She had been involved in several friend's weddings over the last couple of years and spent huge sums of money on parties, clothes, shoes, travel, etc. (Most were over-the-top, including bachelorette weekends.) She simply wanted the immediate families & their closest friends to have a memorable vacation weekend. And to be married in beautiful locale. (Not interested in traditional wedding party, luncheons, etc..)

She did a tremendous amount of research and narrowed it down to places that could be reached in shortest amount of time and money. She would've loved to go to BVI, Anguilla, Antigua, St. Martin, or Nevis. But Bahamas, T&C, DR, Jamaica, Mexico were among the more reasonable choices. Many resorts have cost estimates available online. If not, she emailed for quotes & all responded quickly. When she narrowed it down further, we made a weekend trip down to take a look. She fell in love with Grace Bay and the wedding coordinator there. We were pleasantly surprised that it fell within our budget.

We had 42 guests (no bridesmaids/wedding party). The resort offered block rates and an incredible breakfast buffet each day. A few of the younger guests who could not afford the resort (even with block rates) stayed across the street at another, more affordable inn.

We did set a budget and stuck to it. Don't know if it was moderate or not - it was what we could afford and agreed was reasonable. We told her that SHE would have to pay for any overages. My guess is that we spent same or less than we would have at home. If we had stayed home, it would have quickly gotten out of control. The resort did a fantastic job taking care of every detail within the budget we gave them. Everyone loved it. We had a wonderful week, with people who are closest to us, made memories to last a lifetime, and have no regrets at all.

It's all about the bride's wishes. I'm so glad ours went for the destination!! Whatever you decide, relax and enjoy - it's all over so quickly!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />


One other note: it is NOT too soon to start! We started the research 10-11 months in advance and many weekends at some of the more popular resorts were already taken. Someone gave her a book about Destination weddings from 'The Knot' that was a big help too. GOOD LUCK!