There is a moment in every engagement when the romance of the proposal gives way to the reality of the calendar. The ring is on the finger. The champagne has been poured. And then someone asks the question that quietly reshapes the next twelve months of your life. Where are we going to do this?
For the modern couple, the answer increasingly lies somewhere other than home. Destination weddings now account for nearly one in four weddings in the United States, and the trend continues to grow each year. The reasons are easy to understand. A destination wedding turns a single day into a multi day celebration, gathers your most important people in a place that already feels like a beginning, and creates memories that no traditional ballroom can match.
The challenge is the planning. Twelve months feels generous until you begin counting backwards from the date. This editorial guide is your companion through that countdown, with Marriott International’s portfolio of more than 700 wedding resorts worldwide serving as the stage. We will move month by month, milestone by milestone, until the morning of the wedding itself.
Twelve Months Out: Choosing the Destination
The first decision is also the largest. Where in the world will you say yes to each other again, this time in front of the people you love most?
Marriott offers couples extraordinary range here. The Caribbean delivers turquoise water and the all inclusive ease that makes guests feel they are already on vacation. The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas hosts oceanfront ceremonies for up to 150 guests with packages starting around $28,000. The Frenchman’s Reef Marriott Beach Resort offers similar capacity at a more accessible $18,000 starting point.
For couples drawn to Mexico, The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort sits on a private peninsula on the Pacific coast with ceremony packages from $45,000. JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa offers all inclusive wedding packages beginning at $22,000 with overwater chapel options.
In Europe, Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Collection Hotel on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia hosts intimate Italian ceremonies from €35,000. The Westin Excelsior, Florence offers historic palazzo weddings in the heart of Tuscany starting at €25,000.
For couples drawn to the South Pacific, The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort delivers overwater bungalow weddings that begin around $60,000. The price is significant. So is the photograph that hangs in your home for the rest of your life.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Make a shortlist of three properties. Book a video call with each property’s wedding planner before committing.
Eleven Months Out: Setting the Date and the Guest List
The date and the list go together. One shapes the other.
Peak wedding seasons at most Marriott resorts run from November through April in the Caribbean and Mexico, from May through September in Europe, and from April through October in the South Pacific. Pricing during peak season runs 20 to 35 percent higher than off peak. A couple willing to marry in early November rather than late December can save $10,000 to $15,000 on the same package.
The guest list at this stage is not the final count. It is the realistic count. Industry data suggests that destination weddings see an average decline rate of 30 to 40 percent compared to local weddings. If your dream guest list is 120 people, expect closer to 75 to actually travel. Plan accordingly.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Send a Save the Date with the destination, the dates, and a link to the resort’s group booking portal. Marriott offers group rates of 10 to 25 percent below standard for wedding parties of ten rooms or more.
Ten Months Out: Booking the Property and the Wedding Planner
This is the month you commit. Most Marriott resorts require a deposit of 20 to 30 percent of the total wedding package to hold the date, with the deposit typically non refundable but transferable in case of force majeure.
Every Marriott wedding resort assigns a dedicated on site wedding planner included in the package price. These planners have produced hundreds of weddings at the property and know every photogenic angle, every weather pattern, every vendor in the region. Their value cannot be overstated. They will become the most important professional relationship of your engagement.
For couples who want additional support, Marriott Bonvoy Certified Wedding Planners are independent specialists trained on the Marriott portfolio. Fees range from $5,000 to $25,000 depending on the scope of services.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Schedule a site visit. Most properties offer complimentary planning visits for engaged couples, including two nights of accommodation, a tasting menu, and a tour of every ceremony and reception space.
Nine Months Out: The Dress, the Suit, and the Ring Box Photo
Some decisions are personal, not logistical. This is the month for those.
The wedding dress search begins now because most designer gowns require six to eight months for production and alterations. Custom designs can take longer.
For destination weddings specifically, consider the fabric. Heavy silk satin works for European cathedrals and looks magnificent in cooler climates. Lighter chiffons, organzas, and Italian crepes are far better for beach ceremonies in tropical settings.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Order both the dress and the suit. Schedule the ring box photo, the styled detail shots of the engagement ring with personal mementos, that will anchor your invitation suite design later in the year.
Eight Months Out: The Invitation Suite
Destination wedding invitations carry more weight than traditional ones. They are not simply announcements. They are sales documents. They must convey the romance of the destination, the practicality of the travel, and the warmth of the welcome, all on a single piece of paper.
Custom designed invitation suites for destination weddings typically run $15 to $45 per suite. A wedding of 80 guests therefore costs roughly $1,200 to $3,600 for stationery alone.
Many couples now choose digital RSVP platforms alongside printed invitations, allowing guests to respond, book rooms, and view travel information from a single link. Services like Joy and Zola integrate directly with Marriott group booking portals, making the process seamless for everyone.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Include a printed welcome card with each invitation containing the resort’s address, the on site wedding planner’s contact information, and a list of recommended pre wedding activities at the destination.
Seven Months Out: The Vendor Lineup
Some elements of the wedding will travel with you. Most will be hired locally through the Marriott property’s preferred vendor network.
Photography and videography are typically the largest single vendor expense, with destination photographers charging $8,000 to $25,000 for full day coverage. Many couples fly in their preferred photographer from home, budgeting an additional $3,000 to $6,000 for flights and accommodation.
Floral design for destination weddings ranges from $8,000 for intimate ceremonies to $60,000 or more for elaborate productions. Tropical destinations offer extraordinary local botanicals that look stunning in photographs and cost a fraction of imported flowers.
Live music transforms the evening. A four piece ensemble for the ceremony runs $2,500 to $5,000. A full reception band costs $8,000 to $20,000.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Lock the photographer first. The best ones book a year or more in advance, especially for international travel dates.
Six Months Out: The Welcome Weekend
A destination wedding is not a wedding. It is a weekend. Guests arrive on Thursday or Friday and leave on Sunday or Monday. The events you host between the ceremony and those bookends are what guests will remember most.
Welcome receptions at the resort typically run $85 to $150 per person for cocktails and passed appetizers. Group dinners at the property’s signature restaurants range from $120 to $300 per person for plated multi course meals.
Many couples also plan group excursions that take advantage of the destination. Examples from recent Marriott weddings include private catamaran sails in St. Thomas at roughly $2,500 for 30 guests, vineyard tours in Tuscany at around €85 per person, and traditional Polynesian feast nights in Bora Bora at $185 per person.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Build a printed weekend itinerary. Place one in each guest’s welcome bag along with a personal note and a small gift from the destination.
Five Months Out: The Menu
The food is one of the few things every guest will remember in detail.
Plated multi course dinners at Marriott wedding resorts typically run $185 to $450 per person, depending on property tier and menu complexity. Buffet style receptions range from $120 to $250 per person. Family style service, increasingly popular for destination weddings, lands between $165 and $325 per person.
Beverage packages are usually priced separately. Premium open bar packages at Marriott properties run $95 to $185 per person for a four hour reception.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Schedule a private tasting with the property’s executive chef. Most Marriott resorts include this in the wedding package at no extra cost.
Four Months Out: The Wedding Cake and the Sweet Details
The cake is no longer the only sweet on the menu. Modern destination weddings often feature dessert tables, late night sweet stations, and morning after brunch pastry spreads alongside the traditional cake.
Custom wedding cakes at Marriott properties typically run $8 to $18 per serving. A four tier cake serving 100 guests therefore costs $800 to $1,800. Elaborate sculpted designs from celebrity bakers can reach $25 per serving or more.
For destination weddings, consider local sweet traditions. A cannoli tower in Sicily, a macaron pyramid in France, a traditional Croquembouche in Polynesia. These details root the celebration in the place.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Sign off on the cake design and lock the bakery. Most properties require the final cake decision four months in advance to coordinate with kitchen production schedules.
Three Months Out: The Final Logistics
This is when the engineering begins. Every detail enters a master timeline managed by the on site wedding planner.
Transportation logistics for guests typically include welcome airport transfers at $45 to $85 per person, group shuttle service between the resort and ceremony locations at $1,500 to $3,500 for the weekend, and farewell airport transfers on departure day.
Spa and beauty services are booked now. Marriott resort spa packages for the bride and bridal party run $185 to $450 per service, with full bridal preparation packages including hair, makeup, and a wedding morning brunch ranging from $2,500 to $6,500.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Confirm the final guest count. Most Marriott properties require a 72 hour minimum guarantee on the final number, with billing locked at that count regardless of last minute changes.
Two Months Out: The Welcome Bags and the Itinerary
The welcome bag is the first physical impression your guests will have upon arrival. Make it count.
Curated welcome bags for destination weddings typically include a personalized itinerary printed on quality cardstock, local snacks and beverages from the destination, a small wellness item such as sunscreen or a sleep mask, a thank you note from the couple, and often a monogrammed item to remember the weekend.
Total cost per welcome bag ranges from $45 to $125 depending on contents. For a wedding of 75 guests, budget $3,400 to $9,400.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Ship welcome bags directly to the Marriott property six weeks in advance. The on site team will store and distribute them at check in for no additional fee.
One Month Out: Rehearsal Dinner and the Final Touches
The rehearsal dinner is now its own event. Average rehearsal dinner costs at Marriott resort properties run $150 to $275 per person for plated dinners with full beverage service.
This is also the month for the final fittings, the final vendor calls, the final menu confirmations, and the final guest seating chart. Every choice you have made over twelve months now converges into a single executable plan.
The Editorial Choice This Month: Write your vows. Write your thank you toasts. Pack the items that cannot be replaced, the rings, the marriage license, the something old, the something blue.
The Morning Of
You will wake up early. You will not need an alarm.
Breakfast arrives in the suite. The hair and makeup team begins their work. Friends drift in and out of the room with coffee and quiet laughter. The dress is steamed and waiting. Somewhere across the resort, a small army of professionals you have been working with for a year is now setting the chairs, arranging the flowers, tuning the instruments, and pouring the first welcome cocktails for guests who will begin arriving in three hours.
Outside, the destination is doing what destinations do. The ocean is repeating itself onto the shore. The sun is climbing higher. A property you chose twelve months ago is delivering on a promise made in a single afternoon over video call.
Soon, you will walk toward someone who is waiting for you, and a year of decisions will become a moment.
That is the gift of a destination wedding planned well. The day arrives, and you arrive in it, ready.
When you are ready to begin your own twelve months, the planning team at Marriott is ready to meet you. Book a complimentary consultation today, and the year before I do begins.
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