Question about venue selection for all the DW brides

[katamari]

Hi everyone!

So, FI and I are trying to select our venue for our September EPP (eloping plus parents) and we are looking in Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina. We definitely want to have a ceremony, even if it is just symbolic and not legal. Our main issue now is deciding between venues that offer wedding packages and those that do not have pre-arranged wedding packages. We have contacted some DW planners who assure us that we can plan and organize a ceremony and a meal even at venues that don''t offer them, but would you take the chance on a place that has never had a ceremony? Especially if you can only meet with them via webcam?

Also, if any of you have insight or hindsight about how to make decisions for venue selection, I would love to hear it! Our main concerns right now are making sure 1) the location is beautiful, 2) the ceremony can be conducted in English or with an interpreter, and 3) that we can have a size-appropriate space for a nice meal after the ceremony.

 

[katamari]

Maybe there aren''t any DW brides out there during the holiday, but are there any non-DW brides out there using a venue that has never had a wedding before? Would you consider it? It would definitely narrow our options to only consider wedding-experienced venues, and right now our possibilities list is growing rather than shrinking.

 

[pocahontas]

Katamari, FI and I are getting married in La Romana, DR. We'll be getting married in a local church and having our reception at the hotel where we and our guests will be staying. The DR is a pretty popular choice for DW's so we didn't have the experience of dealing with a venue/vendors without this kind of experience. Also, the priest in La Romana has married DW couples wanting a Catholic mass and wedding ceremony so again we aren't trying to do something that no one's done before. Whether you and FI choose Ecuador, Argentina, or Chile, I'm sure your wedding celebration will be beautiful. However, with these less popular DW locations, you're going to run the risk of having to deal with venues/vendors with a lot less (if any) experience planning DW's. Personally, with such a small group I'd risk it. That's part of the adventure of a DW, right? If you were travelling with a larger group then I'd have more concerns about the unknowns and lack of experience of potential vendors 'cause there'd be more people's comfort and happiness to consider, ya know?! But, with it being you and FI and your parents (who'll be happy regardless because they love you so much), I'd definitely take the chance, especially if you've found something that piques your interest. My main concern with any DW is the legality of the wedding ceremony, but since you'd be okay with a symbolic ceremony then I say that's even more reason to go for it. At the end of the day, you've got to go with what feels right, but having said that, I wouldn't necessarily exclude those with little or no experience given your specific situation. By the way, I think hiring a wedding coordinator is wise as they'll be able to help you and FI navigate your way through the process.

I should add that FI and I are also the type of people who didn't visit our hotel or church prior to making our decision. In fact, we've never been to the DR, which was actually one of the reasons we chose it. For some of the DW brides, it was a must that they visit their venues prior to committing to a location, but for us we were comfortable not doing this and actually think this is part of what makes a DW so exciting (and this is coming from a control freak, loves-lists type of girl). What kinda bride are you? Do you need to be in control of everything single detail? Will deviations from your plan ruin your wedding day? Can you roll with the punches to a certain extent? There are no right or wrong answers, but these are questions worth asking yourself prior to making a decision. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[wannaBMrsH]

Hi Katamari-

I would look at wedding coordinators in the area you are interested in for help. Marriage requirements vary by country and they would know what to do to make your weddding unforgettable.

FI and I are meeting with several Travel Agents/Wedding Coordinators to figure out who best suits our needs and personalities. You have so much flexibility due to the size of your traveling party that I am sure you will not only have a great time, but an amazing ceremony as well.

BTW, FI and I have decided September as well, and we''ve narrowed our DW to the Caribbean. I''m sure we will be going through much of the same things in the next few months!

 

[katamari]

Date: 12/24/2008 1:22:26 AM
Author: pocahontas
Katamari, FI and I are getting married in La Romana, DR. We''ll be getting married in a local church and having our reception at the hotel where we and our guests will be staying. The DR is a pretty popular choice for DW''s so we didn''t have the experience of dealing with a venue/vendors without this kind of experience. Also, the priest in La Romana has married DW couples wanting a Catholic mass and wedding ceremony so again we aren''t trying to do something that no one''s done before. Whether you and FI choose Ecuador, Argentina, or Chile, I''m sure your wedding celebration will be beautiful. However, with these less popular DW locations, you''re going to run the risk of having to deal with venues/vendors with a lot less (if any) experience planning DW''s. Personally, with such a small group I''d risk it. That''s part of the adventure of a DW, right? If you were travelling with a larger group then I''d have more concerns about the unknowns and lack of experience of potential vendors ''cause there''d be more people''s comfort and happiness to consider, ya know?! But, with it being you and FI and your parents (who''ll be happy regardless because they love you so much), I''d definitely take the chance, especially if you''ve found something that piques your interest. My main concern with any DW is the legality of the wedding ceremony, but since you''d be okay with a symbolic ceremony then I say that''s even more reason to go for it. At the end of the day, you''ve got to go with what feels right, but having said that, I wouldn''t necessarily exclude those with little or no experience given your specific situation. By the way, I think hiring a wedding coordinator is wise as they''ll be able to help you and FI navigate your way through the process.


I should add that FI and I are also the type of people who didn''t visit our hotel or church prior to making our decision. In fact, we''ve never been to the DR, which was actually one of the reasons we chose it. For some of the DW brides, it was a must that they visit their venues prior to committing to a location, but for us we were comfortable not doing this and actually think this is part of what makes a DW so exciting (and this is coming from a control freak, loves-lists type of girl). What kinda bride are you? Do you need to be in control of everything single detail? Will deviations from your plan ruin your wedding day? Can you roll with the punches to a certain extent? There are no right or wrong answers, but these are questions worth asking yourself prior to making a decision. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Thanks for weighing in Pocahontas. I am a huge control freak in my professional life, but I think that FI and I would honestly be able to laugh off anything that that went wrong. And, I do think we could roll with the punches, given that our parents would both really know the what we wanted and would be able to clearly differentiate between a ceremony that went wrong and one that went right. My real concern, here, is that (since they are paying), I wouldn''t want it to be so terrible that they feel like they just threw money away. Hopefully, though, since the vacation will be breathtaking regardless of the wedding, that won''t be an issue.

I didn''t know that some venues require that you visit. I will certainly have to look into this, because the main draw to FI and I, too, is that we haven''t been to South America before.

We are hoping to make decisions this week, before we have to go back to work/school. So I will definitely keep everyone posted!

 

[katamari]

Date: 12/24/2008 3:05:36 PM
Author: wannaBMrsH
Hi Katamari-


I would look at wedding coordinators in the area you are interested in for help. Marriage requirements vary by country and they would know what to do to make your weddding unforgettable.


FI and I are meeting with several Travel Agents/Wedding Coordinators to figure out who best suits our needs and personalities. You have so much flexibility due to the size of your traveling party that I am sure you will not only have a great time, but an amazing ceremony as well.


BTW, FI and I have decided September as well, and we''ve narrowed our DW to the Caribbean. I''m sure we will be going through much of the same things in the next few months!

Oooh, yay! Another September DW bride. The Caribbean is fantastic and I can''t wait to hear more about your plans. We were also thinking of hiring someone who deals with both travel and wedding aspects, if we go with a coordinator. At least from our research, they seem to pay for themselves, given the amount they can save you in travel costs. This was a very welcome surprise.

 

[pocahontas]

Date: 12/29/2008 12:55:06 PM
Author: katamari

I didn't know that some venues require that you visit. I will certainly have to look into this, because the main draw to FI and I, too, is that we haven't been to South America before.

Argh, my long a$$ post just got eaten up in cyberspace

Okay, here goes a second attempt...sorry about the confusion regarding the above comment you posted. I meant that there are some DW brides (and grooms) for whom viewing their hotel and reception venue was a must prior to committing to getting married there. This was a self-imposed requirement and not one that the hotels and reception sites have so don't worry about having to do this.

FWIW, I think you and FI have the right attitudes for a DW. I can appreciate your concerns about not wanting your parents to feel like they've wasted money. But, as you stated, the trip in itself will be well worth the money not to mention the fact that they will have been a part of your wedding, which will be beautiful regardless of what challenges you face because at the end of the day it's your wedding day and the beginning of a new and special chapter in your life.

I don't know why I didn't think to add this in my original post, but FI and I did a lot of research on islands, hotels, restaurants, transportation and churches via the net. You can lurk or ask really specific questions and have people offer their suggestions and recommendations. Good luck and definitely keep us posted.

Trip Advisor

Frommers

Best Destination Wedding