r/DestinationWeddings

▲ 11 r/DestinationWeddings+1 crossposts

Wedding Venue Horror Story: Hudor Resort La Union

We held our wedding at Hudor Resort La Union, and sadly, it was a very disappointing experience. This is not a place I would recommend, especially for important events like weddings.

  1. Hidden charges & unclear corkage policy
    Grabe ang hidden charges. They refused to clearly disclose their corkage policy during planning, which caused unnecessary stress. In the end, halos lahat ng ipapasok mo may bayad. per item pa!

It felt like we were being taken advantage of instead of being supported as clients.

  1. Poor food quality (in-house caterer)
    Hindi masarap yung food from their in-house caterer. They strongly push you to get their caterer, and if you don’t, they won’t provide basic needs like tables and chairs. We paid around ₱600 per head, but nothing special on the menu honestly disappointing. Even their buffet breakfast felt cheap (like tuyo), and ramdam mo talaga na tinitipid nila yung guests.

  2. Unprofessional catering service
    The service was very disorganized. Kulang ang staff, and some were not even in proper uniform naka-tshirt at shorts lang. It didn’t feel like a formal event at all.
    They also failed to serve our wedding cake to the guests, which is a basic expectation. It honestly felt like they didn’t know what they were doing.

  3. Poor handling of drinks (beer incident)
    We provided 3 boxes of beer and even paid P300 extra for ice. They agreed that they would provide a cooler. Pero pag-serve, hindi malamig yung beer. Worse, hindi pa naka-display, so guests didn’t even know it was available unless they asked. Result: 2 boxes were not consumed, kahit nagbayad pa kami ng corkage.

  4. Accommodation issues for guests
    We booked multiple rooms for family and clearly communicated ahead of time kung ilan per room. But upon arrival, kulang ang extra beds and had to be requested pa. Some of our senior family members didn’t know how to follow up, so nagsiksikan sila sa rooms. We paid 1800 per head for additional pax for the services they failed to deliver and wala man lang complimentary for inconvenience. Hindi man lang nagsorry yung nasa front desk basta ang mahala sa kanila is makasingil sila
    Even for the newlyweds’ room, we expected at least a queen bed but they still gave us two single beds.

  5. Unprofessional and inexperienced sales agent
    From the start of wedding planning, mahirap na kausap yung assigned sales agent. Despite consistent follow-ups, it took 3 days just to get a quotation, even though she kept saying she would send it immediately. The full quotation details took almost a week bago maibigay.

Worse, during the wedding itself, she was actively messaging in our group chat right before I was about to walk down the aisle. My coordinator had to step in and ask her to delete the messages because it could cause unnecessary stress for the bride. This was very unprofessional and poorly timed.

Overall:
What should have been a smooth and memorable wedding turned stressful because of poor coordination, lack of transparency, and subpar service. For the price we paid, we expected professionalism but unfortunately, this resort did not deliver.

I will never recommend this place.

reddit.com
u/Bellayos9 — 12 hours ago
▲ 4 r/DestinationWeddings+2 crossposts

Portugal destination wedding advice for 40-60 guests - Budget/venue recommendations?

Hi everyone! My partner and I are looking into a destination wedding, and we’re considering Portugal. I’m just starting the process and would love any recommendations/advice from other brides who have gone through it 😊

We’re thinking around 40–60 guests with a rough budget of ~$20–30k USD total (not including engagement ring, wedding bands, dress, or wedding attire). I'm not sure if this is realistic for Portugal, so would love honest feedback there too. We’d also be open to doing a weekday wedding.

A few things we’re looking for:

  • coastal venues or places within driving distance to the beach
  • Lisbon/Cascais/Ericeira/Algarve areas, but open to anywhere in Portugal
  • relaxed, intimate vibe (not super luxury palace, but also not overly rustic)
  • possibly a villa/quinta-style celebration with accommodations where everyone can hang out for the weekend

So far, I’ve started reaching out to a few venues but am still waiting to hear back regarding more detailed pricing/packages. We also currently have tours set up for Solar de Pancas, Quinta da Conceição, and Quinta da Bichinha when we visit in August.

Would love:

  • venue recommendations
  • planner/vendor recs
  • photographer/florist/catering experiences
  • insight into actual budgets and what things ended up costing
  • any surprise fees or hidden costs you didn’t initially think about (transportation, rentals, staffing, sound restrictions, taxes/VAT, etc.)

We’re still very open to the celebration format, so would also love to hear if anyone has experience with either of the options below and any pros/cons to consider:

  1. a full quinta/venue buyout with accommodations where everyone stays together for the weekend, or
  2. a one-day wedding where guests stay at nearby hotels/Airbnbs instead.
  3. renting a large vacation house/villa (Airbnb or VRBO that allows wedding events) and having a more intimate ceremony/celebration there

Very excited to start the planning process and would truly appreciate any advice, recommendations, or experiences you’re willing to share 🤍

reddit.com
u/YoghurtKey1710 — 19 hours ago

Sorrento vendor help

Hi there! Hoping for some help finding som good vendors. I am getting married in October in Sorrento and don’t like who my planner has sent through, so now I’m off on my own search.

Does have one have recommendations for makeup and hair, photography, videography, live music but also DJs? Would love ideas for a welcome party too.

I am looking for people fairly local and not based in France with a ridiculous cost on top of travel and lodging.

Even vendors not included in my ask, if you are expertise please send my way!!!

Thanks in advance for your help 🙏

reddit.com
u/Suspicious_Candle473 — 16 hours ago

2027 PR Destination Wedding

Hi All, getting into wedding planning for a 2027 wedding in either Puerto Rico or Mexico. We are aiming for somewhere around 70 guests. Looking for recommendations in and around San Juan & various locations in Mexico. Budget between $40–50k.

Any recommendations?

reddit.com
u/Busy_Demand6986 — 21 hours ago
▲ 2 r/DestinationWeddings+1 crossposts

Advice on grandparents missing overseas wedding

Disclaimer: I do realize that it’s very likely that come wedding time and/or the planned trip in 2027 one or both of my grandparents won’t be with us anymore. As sad as that would be, I’m realistic about it, this post is assuming one or both of them are still here.

I grew up in Canada where I met my fiancé, we moved to the UK in 2021 and will be having our wedding here. We always thought we would be getting married in Canada, but the more we thought about the logistics the more it made sense to have a wedding here in the UK.

When we got engaged we gave everyone advance notice of the wedding season and year we were planning for. Flash forward to now and we have a date of May 2028 and everyone Canada-side has been sent an early save the date. They’re all very excited about a “destination” wedding and we can’t wait to have them all here!

The issue is that I have 2 surviving grandparents left, my Tata (grandpa on mom’s side), and my Papa (step-grandpa). Both won’t be well enough to travel to here, and the people pleaser in me feels awful about planning a wedding that I know they can’t attend. While I’m not terribly close to either grandparent, I’d obviously choose to have them if I could.

I’m struggling to think of a way to make them feel included/like they’re not missing out. Everything my mom suggests is some variation of them giving us something (a video message to play at the reception, a prayer they selected to be read before the meal, etc). While that’s nice and all, those suggestions are all about us feeling their presence, and not addressing my concern about them being “excluded.”

We are sharing a wedding party, and our joint Bach/Bachelorette party will be in Canada in 2027. Given that our UK family will be coming on that trip it seems like a good time to find something that will include my grandparents, I’m thinking of doing a nice meal out together one day. However… my Papa couldn’t even make it to our engagement party, and it was hosted at my parents house, so I don’t know if he would be up for a restaurant meal with some toasts and socializing. That might have been because my parents simply didn’t want to bring him, or they genuinely thought he wouldn’t be able to come, knowing my parents it’s hard to say.

Beyond that, is there anything more we can do to acknowledge my grandparents while we’re all together? Should the meal out shift focus to shine a spotlight on them AND us? We don’t want to get married in Canada with them present ahead of our planned wedding in 2028, so that’s out of the question.

Have you been in a similar situation, or know of someone that has? I’m sure the big meal out will be a nice occasion for them as it is, but I’d still love to hear other suggestions 🥲

reddit.com
u/inmyfianceeera — 1 day ago
▲ 2 r/DestinationWeddings+1 crossposts

Planning a wedding in Marbella / Malaga Spain

Has anyone planned a wedding in Marbella from the states?

I've been in contact with Anantara Villa Padierna and they seem to quoting all kinds of different fees to different brides, and now I'm getting cold feet because previous brides mentioned they just add on hidden extra fees/costs at the end of the wedding weekend. I'm shocked because the fees from beginning are already so high.

Does anyone have any feedback or previous experience with them, or any suggestions. Feel free to message me!

reddit.com
u/FunPen3318 — 1 day ago

Pls help

My fiancé and I have finally decided on doing a destination wedding somewhere in the Caribbean, but if I’m being honest I’m totally overwhelmed. For anyone who is planning or has planned a destination wedding I would appreciate any and all tips.
How did you decide on the destination and resort/venue? Did you use a destination wedding specialist/ travel agent and where did you find them? And honestly where do I even start lol
I’ve spent a good amount of time looking at resorts but feel like I have gotten nowhere. We are definitely looking for somewhere that’s all inclusive for our guests with onsite lodging all together. We have a few younger guests in our families so it’d have to be a family friendly resort, just preferably not heavily tailored towards children.

Any and all advice/ direction is so appreciated

reddit.com
u/loohoo1 — 1 day ago
▲ 9 r/DestinationWeddings+1 crossposts

Schedule decisions — boat day before or after wedding?

We’re planning a four-day wedding weekend in Mallorca and trying to decide whether or not to have the boat (catamaran) day on the day before or the day after the wedding. The current schedule is:

Thurs - rehearsal dinner (family only)
Friday - welcome party (night)
Sat - boat day (11am-4pm ish)
Sunday - wedding

I was originally thinking of doing the boat day first because at every wedding I’ve been to, I always end up skipping the day-after wedding event. It feels like the wedding is over and/or I’m too tired/hungover for an early start. And my fiance is king of wanting to book a flight out as early as possible after the wedding. So my fear for having it after would be that my fiance and I will want to sleep in and relax (spanish weddings can go til like 6am, we’re old now so i’m guesstimating at least 2/3am) and also that my guests will not want to come or people will end up flying out that day instead of staying for the boat party.

On the other hand, I’m worried about zapping all of our energy before the big day, which is actually the point. But that’s also why we wanted the boat party to end relatively early so that everyone has plenty of time to rest before the big day. What are your thoughts?

reddit.com
u/No-Fault-7582 — 2 days ago

Help!! Mismatch bridesmaid dresses

Hi, I’m getting married next year in June and I’m totally second guessing my bridesmaid color dress choices. I want to assign each girl a color and let them choose their dress. I need help for picking the men’s suit color. My fiance wants there to wear a tie even tho it’s gonna be super hot lol. I need suit color and tie color suggestions that you think will pair well with this. Or should I scrap the idea entirely? HELPPPP

u/Alternative-Loss4447 — 2 days ago

Looking for Destination Wedding

Looking for a destination wedding for 20k or under to include alcohol, food, tables and chairs, dj, flowers, ect… 50-75 guest. Guest will pay their own room so that’s not included in budget. Would like something tropical but would also be open to lake/river resort. North America, Central America, Bahamas area.

Thanks for all the replies and help. Still doing research and we are definitely getting a planner travel agent once we find one that fits our needs. Additional answers to some of the questions are.. we are looking for a water front vibe whether that’s beach or something else. We will have 4 kids there. Open to resort babysitting/nanny depending on safety and being comfortable of course. Most people are traveling from the east coast of the states. We definitely like to party but also want something classy for the ceremony.

reddit.com
u/Spiritual_Bake_4568 — 3 days ago

Looking for beautiful European wedding venues where everything is kind of built in

My fiancé and I attended a wedding at Solar de Levada in Portugal and absolutely loved it. What stood out to me was that it felt like one of those venues where the entire property is already designed to create a beautiful, luxury, fairytale vibe without needing to reinvent the wheel or spend a fortune bringing in tons of decor.

They basically offered different wedding packages where you could choose the level of bells and whistles you wanted, and it felt like the outcome was pretty reliably gorgeous no matter what. As a guest, it honestly seemed much less stressful than some destination weddings I’ve seen where couples have to coordinate everything from scratch.

Now I’m starting to think about my own wedding and would love recommendations for venues with a similar feel. I don’t want to use the exact same venue since we have a lot of mutual friends with the couple who got married there, but I’m looking for something in that same spirit.

Right now I’m probably thinking Europe, especially Greece or France, but I’m open. Guest count would likely be around 50 to 100 people. Budget is flexible, but ideally I’d like to stay under $50k for the wedding itself. I’m not including guests’ flights/hotels in that budget, mostly just thinking about venue, food, overall experience, etc.

I think what I’m really looking for is a place that already has a strong aesthetic and infrastructure built in, where you can pick from curated options/packages and know the wedding is going to feel elevated and cohesive without having to micromanage every detail.

Would love any recommendations from people who either got married somewhere like this or attended weddings that had this vibe.

reddit.com
u/Dizzy_Anxiety_6128 — 3 days ago

Camera Shy Brides?

I am wondering if there are any camera shy brides?
I recently worked with a camera shy bride and thought to make a video on the entire process.
I was wondering if thats just one off bride or are there more people who are camera shy?

reddit.com
u/UDTheGreat19 — 2 days ago

Looking for Puerto Rico Wedding Tips

Hello everyone,

I am getting married in Feb 2028 (so we are in early planning stages) at Castillo Seralles an Ponce, Puerto Rico. I am wondering if anyone else has gotten married in PR and if so, if you have any recommendations?

In particular:
Catering -- I am vegetarian so ideally a caterer who actually has good options, not just an afterthought (PR food in general is super meat-heavy so this has been a sticky point for us)

DJ or Band -- open to both, would love a mix of PR music + more American music. I LOVE to dance so this is a big priority for us
Decor/rentals
Photographers -- we already have a few in mind, but still nailing this down & open to recs if you've had a good experience

Also, any tips & tricks you have from your PR or destination wedding to save on costs??? We do not have a giant budget, but are hoping to have a really lovely event. My fiance is from PR so our wedding had to be "destination" for half our guests and local for half no matter where we had it. Trying to figure out how to make this happen without breaking the bank!

reddit.com
u/Hairy-Chocolate8188 — 3 days ago

Tuscany/ Umbria wedding budget 100 guests

We’re looking to get married in either Tuscany or Umbria in 2028 with 100 and would like some guidance on if our ambitions will work within our budget.

What we’re hoping for is pretty standard -

Friday -

Pizza/ pasta party

Saturday -

Breakfast (those on site)

Light lunch (for the wedding party)

Wedding food

3 hrs open bar

Sunday -

Breakfast (those on site)

BBQ & gelato

Potential for Monday if 3 night minimum is required.

Venue exclusivity

Accommodation

Lighting and sound

Entertainment

Photography and videography

Planner

In terms of decor we are looking to rely on the beauty of Italy and some small arrangements (this isn’t a priority for us)

We haven’t found our venue yet, so any affordable suggestions would be appreciated. We would like to have as many people stay on site as possible.

Budget - €80K

We will have another smaller budget for dresses, suits, hair and makeup, travel, invites/signage, and other odd bits.

reddit.com
u/Few-Bowler-6511 — 3 days ago
▲ 4 r/DestinationWeddings+1 crossposts

Italy - micro wedding

Hi,

I’m looking for some ball park figures and suggestions of feasibility, really.

Hoping to get married at end of May 2028 in Tuscany or somewhere similar (happy for it to be a cheaper but equally pretty region). I don’t want anything big and showy; small, rustic Italian would be perfect.

About 25 people on the wedding day itself. We were hoping to book a lovely villa for a week or so, have the wedding at the villa, and then finish the week there as our honeymoon; however, majority of guests would stay elsewhere locally.

Feeling completely overwhelmed by the whole thing, I don’t speak Italian, pretty certain we would need a wedding planner. Budget say £20k max. Is this possible? How much do wedding planners cost?!

Thanks for any help!!

reddit.com
u/CombinationOk880 — 3 days ago

2027 Destination wedding 12k

Looking to have a destination wedding in December of 2027. We will have about 45-50 people total. I don’t even know where to start, we are trying to keep the cost under 12k total. We are considering the Dominican Republic, Cabo, and Jamaica. If you had a destination wedding with around the same amount of people and under 12k please post link/pics. Did you use a third party wedding planner?

reddit.com
u/Entire_Musician_5521 — 4 days ago

2 Maid of Honor’s

Help!!! I have decided to do two MOH’s but I need help with logistics. How do you decide who walks down the aisle first/who stand where in the bridal party etc. Any tips/tricks will help! I don’t want to have to choose between my two best friends!

reddit.com
u/Bmb237- — 3 days ago

All inclusive destination wedding

First time inquiring and just looking into an all inclusive destination wedding. First off, where do I even start?

I’d be expecting about 30-40 people to attend. What is the expected budget typically? This is including the flights there and back, hotel stays, the wedding itself (is just having a reception possible? Or is a ceremony included in the packages?), and photography. I’m open to any decor the venue provides, not picky.

All that matters if having a space for our party, ability to sit down to eat and listen to speeches, dance floor and open bar.

Let me know your advice or suggestions, very open to learning more about what might work best.

reddit.com
u/raijmtaq — 4 days ago

Flight prices

Flight prices to my destination wedding in December have risen so much in the last few months that I don’t know how anyone is going to be able to attend. It’s risen to about $800-900 round trip for just one person, and we’ve given everyone plus ones so they’d be paying almost $2k just to get there.

I understand there’s a risk in having destination wedding, but my fiancé and I are from two different countries so any location we chose was going to be a destination wedding for 50% of our guests.

I guess there’s really no fixing it because it’s out of our control but I’d love to know how this is affecting others and how you guys are feeling

reddit.com
u/Ill_Calligrapher9328 — 4 days ago