Let’s talk Destination Wedding Facebook Groups!
I can’t go any longer without talking about this. You need to STOP. Just STOP. You need to stop spending so much time in destination wedding facebook groups and you need to stop taking advice from bride-to-be’s that haven’t actually got married yet. Facebook groups are fine for connecting with other couples, swapping stories and sharing reviews of your wedding day (of course!). I am also a huge fan when people share their wedding dress photos or hot finds that nobody else can appreciate. Share the love lady! We are all so excited for you!
This post was originally published in 2019 but has been updated in 2023.
[PSSSST: So glad you found us here! It can be so frustrating to spend hours searching for wedding planning information when a majority of what you find online is either *so old* or completely geared toward all inclusive resort weddings. WE MADE THIS FOR YOU. In this 100+ page guide, there is information about all inclusive weddings (of course) but there is also PAGES & PAGES of budgeting, hiring vendors (when they aren’t all put in a nice little package for you), choosing a destination, arranging travel for your guests when you are planning destination weddings that are not all inclusive and so much more]
Stop Relying On Facebook Groups to Get Your Information
Especially IMPORTANT information. Or information that causes you to part with some of your hard earned cash. Things like recommendations for artificial flower petals for the aisle (and NOBODY mentions that they are banned from most resorts because nobody in the group has actually experienced that yet). Not all the time, but 90% of the time that’s where the advice is coming. Because that is the problem with facebook groups, after you get married, you really don’t tend to stick around with them. You might come back and leave a review (while you are still on cloud nine OR had the worst experience of your life – reviews never seem to be in between) but that is pretty much it.
Don’t compare travel contracts in Destination Weddings Facebook groups.
The WORST advice you can get is when it comes to travel contracts. Is this price normal? Do all resorts require a deposit? My travel agent takes FOREVER to respond (sometimes TWO WHOLE DAYS) – should I switch? Wait, what? First, if your travel agent takes 10 mins to respond to every email, it is possible you are there only client. Just saying. I think we are crazy quick to respond to emails here at Love at First Travel but within an hour every single time is just unsustainable. Seriously.
Everyone’s situation is SO different. Perfect example – someone posted in a group the other day that Air Canada had finalized their schedules or the 2019/2020 winter season in January 2019. At the time they posted this, the schedules hadn’t been finalized yet. I KNOW this because I had a client patiently waiting and this “innocent post” made me look like a liar. Safe to say, this post might have caused a lot of stress to my couple and they may have even felt like I was lying to them. Just because you have received your flight schedule months ago does not mean the schedules are finalized for everyone. Your experience is not the “standard” for how things are done just because it is all you know.
There are Differences Between Canada and the USA
There are big differences between airlines, tour operators, group packages, contracts – sometimes there is even different perks and promotions based on where you are located. Someone asked the other day if it was normal for a resort to charge a few thousand dollars for a deposit and a bunch of Canadian brides responded saying “No! Our guests have 90 days to place their deposit”. I love you all for trying to help but it works a bit differently in the states. And this is just ONE example.
Again, it is different if you are sharing your experiences. Just don’t share them as fact. Because the reality is, in this crazy industry, things change ALL THE TIME. Just because something was true for you does not mean it is true for everyone.
Who Can You Get Advice From?
We are not saying that you can’t listen to anybody in destination wedding facebook groups – obviously. We are just asking that you are CAUTIOUS of who you are getting your information from.You also have travel agents offering advice because they want your business. But honestly? They are not even right all the time either. The same way that there are brides offering advice who haven’t gotten married yet, there are destination wedding agents who have never booked a wedding before. Of course this isn’t true of everyone but it is a “buyer beware” kind of situation.
Of course, we always recommend hiring a destination wedding planner but we do recognize it is not possible with everyone’s budget. At the very least, you should work with a travel agent who is a destination wedding specialist (not “books destination weddings” , specializes in destination weddings). Find someone you can trust, and then trust them.
Our Favourite Group Right Now
We know you love facebook groups so we wanted to recommend our favourite one for right now! It is ran by “Travel Agent Suz” who is one of my favourite people to recommend USA wedding couples too because she really knows her stuff. She is incredibly helpful when questions are asked (I don’t even know how she has time to be so helpful, honestly!), her couples are just obsessed with her, and she even goes live to provide so much valuable information. I wish this group was around when I planned my own destination wedding.
We Don’t Want to Brag, But….
We created something really good for you. If you are ready to stop relying on Facebook groups for “all the things” only to find out certain information is wrong or there was some fine print that wasn’t passed on, we have got you covered with “all the things” destination wedding for less than the cost of having your Starbucks delivered (fact).
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me anytime ❤️ Would you like to work with me? Head to my about page to learn more about me. Or, take a peak at my services menu.
