09/10/2026
I recently shared some of this in one of the destination wedding groups where we’re a Group Expert, and I thought it was worth sharing here too because it touches on something couples don’t always realize when they begin planning a destination wedding — there can be a lot more to choosing the right destination wedding agency than simply finding someone who can book the resort. 💍🌴
Hi! I’m Cari Miles, owner of Resort Wed. We’re a boutique destination wedding agency, and one of the things we put a huge emphasis on is customer service — not only for our couples, but for their guests too.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁
Once the wedding is booked, your guests suddenly have a lot of questions. Which room category should we choose? How many nights should we stay? Do we need transfers? What happens if our travel dates are different? Which room works best for our family? Can we upgrade?
We spend a ton of time talking guests through their individual options and helping them figure out what works best for them. We never want your guests to feel like they were handed a booking link and left to figure everything out on their own.
We also create a detailed wedding website for each group with information about the resort, room categories, booking instructions, travel details, wedding events, deadlines, frequently asked questions, and pretty much everything your guests could possibly want to know about traveling to your destination wedding.
𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼
Our job does not stop once the room block is signed and the guests start booking.
We stay involved with the resort wedding team throughout the planning process to help make sure communication is happening and that our couples are not left wondering where things stand.
I am also constantly traveling to the destinations and resorts we sell — meeting the wedding teams in person, touring venues, seeing setups, learning how each property handles weddings, and building those relationships face-to-face.
That matters.
When a wedding coordinator sees my name come across their email, in many cases we have already met, worked together, or have an established relationship. Having those connections can make communication much smoother when questions come up or something needs attention.
As couples begin receiving wedding proposals, décor quotes, menus, venue options, timelines, and other details from the resort, we are still right there with them. We can help explain what they are looking at, answer questions, help them compare options, and step in when something does not make sense or communication slows down.
We are not replacing the resort wedding coordinator — they are the ones actually coordinating the wedding at the property, and they are AMAZING — but we are another set of eyes and another advocate for our couple throughout the process.
And because we work with destination weddings every day, sometimes we know what questions to ask before the couple even realizes they need to ask them.
That is one of the biggest reasons I travel as much as I do. I want to know the resorts, but I also want to know the people behind the weddings. Those relationships become incredibly valuable when it is one of our couples getting married there.
𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀
One option we often recommend is a contracted group room block.
It is not necessarily the right fit for every wedding, every resort, or every group, but when it makes sense, it can make a very big difference in what your guests ultimately pay.
The examples in the graphic are from two real weddings we are currently managing.
For one of our June 2027 Punta Cana weddings, we secured the room contract about four months ago. The current prevailing rates for the same five-night stay and the same room categories are already about 41% to 49% higher than the rates we contracted.
For another wedding at a new adults-only resort in Aruba, we secured the contract in mid-April. We are still about 10 months away from the wedding, and current rates are already approximately 49% to 53% higher than the contracted rates for those same room categories.
That is a pretty significant increase in only four or five months. 😳
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿
With a contracted block, we are securing rooms and negotiated pricing in advance. There is more involved behind the scenes — deadlines, inventory, room categories, payments, contractual terms, and ongoing management.
But that is our job.
We do not expect our couples to become experts in group contracts. We manage that side of things so they do not have to.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀
Signing the contract is not the end of the process for us.
From the beginning of the contract, we continue monitoring the resort’s prevailing rates and promotions. If the resort runs a promotion and the public rate drops below what we originally contracted, we will go back to the resort and go to bat for our clients to try to renegotiate those rates downward.
The goal is to have the protection of securing pricing early if rates climb, while still keeping an eye on the market in case something better comes along.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿
I also want to be transparent about that.
Sometimes a flexible group makes more sense. Sometimes a resort promotion changes the equation. Sometimes the destination, season, inventory, or group size points us in a different direction.
The important part is having someone who understands the different options, explains them to you clearly, and continues managing the group after the contract is signed.
𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲
Your destination wedding is not one booking. It can be dozens of different travelers with different room needs, different budgets, different travel schedules, and different questions.
We want our couples to feel taken care of, but we also want their guests to feel taken care of from the first question all the way through travel.
That level of service is a huge part of how we operate at Resort Wed.
𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁
Do you offer contracted group rates?
Do you continue monitoring prevailing rates after the contract is signed?
How involved will you be with my guests once they start booking?
Do you assist us on the wedding planning side as well?
Those answers can tell you a lot about what the planning experience is actually going to look like.
If you are still in the early stages of planning your destination wedding and want to talk through resorts, room block options, guest logistics, the wedding-planning process, or where to even begin, I would love to chat with you.
And if you have stuck with me this far… thank you. 😂 Apparently I can talk about destination weddings and room blocks for a while.
Maybe that means we should talk. 😉
🌴 Start planning here:
https://resortwed.com/start-planning
Cari | Resort Wed
We Coordinate. You Celebrate.
📞 832-913-1115
✉️ [email protected]
🌴 https://resortwed.com/
