Going to a wedding. Please help a poor guy out!

[Mattloaf]

Hello Beyonders!

My fiancee and I are going to a wedding for two of our friends in May of next year. The wedding is being held in Mexico and it should be a good time. They have a package available for their guests, but a quick search on the internet leads me to believe this isn't actually the best deal.

Their deal:

Flight from Calgary to Cancun and double occupancy in a "Presige Class Deluxe Room" (not sure if that's supposed to be "Prestige". I'm getting the info off the wedding website) at the Barcelo Maya Colonial Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Flight, taxes, shuttle from Cancun to Riviera Maya and all inclusive hotel stay is included.

Price - $3232.60 for two people.

What my lovely fiancee has found:

Flight from Calgary to Cancun and double occupancy at the same hotel (less fancy room). Shuttle to Cancun isn't included but it's still all inclusive. This price also includes tax.

Price - $2730

I would love to spend the extra 5 hours with the soon to be newly weds on their charter plane, but I feel like travel companies take advantage of the fact that people are getting married, hence the added expense.

My question (after all that) is... CAN BEYONDERS DO BETTER AND SAVE ME SOME EXTRA COIN?


Coles Notes:

Find the best price for -
Leave Calgary May 3rd
Return May 10th
Hotel - Barcelo Maya Colonial Resort
My fiancee drinks (she's getting married to me so she feels she has to) but I don't. All inclusive is therefore not necessarily the be all end all.

Happy hunting!

[roopi]

Not going to help you look but I will say that I've been to quite a few destination weddings and the 'couples' travel agent is always the worst deal. I've always wondered if the married couple gets a discount for bringing all these guests and overcharging them.

Good luck on your search!

[jdmakkord]

Just search for the same thing on either Westjetvacations.com or another travel site, and book it yourself. If you are not part of the wedding party, and are just attending the wedding you do not necessarily need to be part of their group reservation.

[Mattloaf]

My fiancée and I are both part of the wedding party but the bride and groom told us all we could book separately if we chose.

[gatorade]

Book your own package, the wedding package is always a rip off for some dumb reason, you would assume that with a large group there is a discount, but there isn't. I'm in the same situation and found the exact same package 400 dollars cheaper than what I was told it would cost from the travel agent booking my friends wedding package.

[adidas]

Look for a "last minute" deal, approx 6 weeks away from departure and you might come up on something much cheaper.

[toyboy88]

Originally posted by gatorade
Book your own package, the wedding package is always a rip off for some dumb reason, you would assume that with a large group there is a discount, but there isn't. I'm in the same situation and found the exact same package 400 dollars cheaper than what I was told it would cost from the travel agent booking my friends wedding package.

Wedding 'packages' tend to be actually more mainly because they go on the fact (for a large group) that you'll likely be all wanting to flying together as a 'wedding party'.

So to ensure say (for example) 15X2 couples fly down together (30 total), it's harder to find availability for 30 on one flight (hence the "premium" and no expected discount).

[toyboy88]

And at this point in time, the $2730 pricing your wife found is pretty close to the 'cheapest' out there I think. I saw that deal too online.

The only other option I found was ~$2550 all-in, but it was on Delta Airlines (with 1 stop, 8-9 hours total time)...so probably not worth the extra savings if the $2730 was direct.

[bart]

of course the couple getting married gets everything for free the more people they get to go along with the travel agency

i have been invited to weddings in mexico for this reason alone, i wasnt really good friends with the people getting married, but out of the blue they wanted me to come and definitely said to book with this travel agency, no thanks

[Mattloaf]

Was that a package you found with Delta or book the hotel and flight separately?

[SilverGS]

I did exactly this for my friends wedding. So did the brides sister lol.

I was even able to find the same premium rooms that group got at a better price and a couple of extra excursions thrown in like a free Dolphin swim that the group didn't get.

I did not fly with the group though but they were coming from a different source city anyways so it was no big deal.

Booking with the group helps ensure being together room wise at the resort as well. I lucked out and was right in the same area as the group anyway but it's nice when you are all together at the resort.

If you keep an eye out you definitely can get pretty much the same thing for cheaper. Waiting until 6 weeks before though could be risky. Maybe see what prices are like 6 weeks from now and see if it is even better. Also take into account low versus high season. It would suck if you wanted to get a cheaper price then couldn't get the same resort.

[toyboy88]

Originally posted by Mattloaf
Was that a package you found with Delta or book the hotel and flight separately?

Sorry my mistake, prices given were correct, but it was American Airlines (not Delta) and just noticed it was USD first time I checked. But as follows:

- Flight searched through Kayak.com (05/03-05/10):
American Airlines $657 USD/pp. (one stop, through Dallas)

- Hotel directly through Barcelo.com:
$1,269 for 2 persons (all-inclusive, deluxe room) = $634.50 USD/pp.
*Fully refundable/cancel possible rate.

Total per person = $1,291.50 USD (approx $1,310/pp OR $2,620 CAD/couple).

[revelations]

We also looked at destination weddings in Mexico and found that there are hidden fees attached......the bride and groom will have to get chest xrays done for eg. before the wedding license is issued (or something dumb like that).

IN the end, we decided to do a private beach wedding for VERY few guests in Hawaii. I'd have to check on the total cost with her - but it was significantly less than mexico.

[gatorade]

The price I was paying is separate from the wedding party, I would be arriving a few days after, the extra cost comes from being charged 210 more for the hotel per person, I am not taking the same flight.

[interlude]

Originally posted by roopi
Not going to help you look but I will say that I've been to quite a few destination weddings and the 'couples' travel agent is always the worst deal. I've always wondered if the married couple gets a discount for bringing all these guests and overcharging them.

Good luck on your search!

Actually, when everybody books with the couples travel agent. The couple will usually get upgraded things.. like first class seats, upgraded rooms, or some perk.