A Destination Wedding Story: Married in Mexico

When my husband asked if I had a childhood wedding plan in mind, my immediate answer was "No."

But I did know that there were non-negotiable vibes that I wanted: outdoors, fun, laid-back, and surrounded by close friends and family.

When I started diving into venues, catering, and decorations, the overwhelm hit fast, and eloping started sounding better and better. That’s when I found destination weddings: a beautiful vacation where you show up, get married with an intimate guest list, and skip the chaotic local planning.

Choosing a destination wedding was the best decision we ever made. If you’re sitting in the middle of planning right now, here is the honest breakdown of what worked, what didn’t, and how we set up a seamless week for our 60 guests.

Step 1: Hire a Dedicated Destination Wedding Travel Specialist

If I could give anyone planning a resort wedding one piece of advice, it’s this: don't try to manage group travel by yourself. Before falling in love with a resort on Pinterest, find a travel agency that specializes in all-inclusive resort weddings.

We worked with James Berglie and the team at Be All Inclusive. They handled our room block, negotiated rates, managed all guest travel questions, coordinated airport-to-resort transfers, and built our official wedding website—all at no extra cost to us. Having an expert advocate in our corner made the entire experience stress-free.

You should talk to the team that helped with my destination wedding planning — here’s my VIP link!

Pro Tip: Find your travel specialist before locking in a venue. They know which resorts treat wedding groups like royalty, they know which results are good for parties, good for families, and which have the best setting to fit your vision.

Step 2: Embrace the Planning "Lull"

Once you select your resort, package, and date, things move fast—and then suddenly stop.

There is a natural "lull" between securing your date (around a year out) and finalizing your event details with the resort team (around 3 months prior). When you feel like the clock is ticking and you have nothing to do, don't panic. Use this time to focus on guest communication, DIY touches, and gathering inspiration while trusting the resort professionals and their timeline.

Step 3: Manage Your Guest List Without Guilt

When deciding on invites, keep in mind you aren't just inviting people to a 5-hour party, you’re inviting them on a 3- to 4-day vacation. It's okay if people say no. Here’s how we kept our list manageable and inclusive:

• Divide your list into tiers: We created a "Must-Have" list (immediate family and inner circle) and a "Would Love to Have" list.

• Give ample notice: Send Save the Dates early so guests can budget, take time off work, and organize sitters.

• Release the guilt: Make peace with the fact that some loved ones won't be able to travel due to finances or work. State clearly on your invites that you completely understand if they can only celebrate in spirit.

• Redirect travel questions: Whenever guests had questions about booking, rooms, or transfers, we sent them straight to our travel agent so we didn't get bogged down in travel logistics.