TIKI TRIPS LLC
                      DESTINATION WEDDINGS --

        COMPLETE PLANNING INFORMATION & POLICIES

                            © Copyright-- Tiki Trips LLC-- All rights reserved 

   

   

 

Tiki Trips specializes in destination weddings & honeymoons... we are the DESTINATION WEDDING EXPERTS!

 

Tiki Trips is the premiere, leading travel agency at all of the major bridal shows in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.  Because of this, we do more destination weddings than just about any other agency in the area & have been participating in these major bridal shows longer than any other. We have also been featured as the travel experts on TV & radio (NBC NEWS, CW Network/Channel 33, FOX NEWS RADIO, KRLD 1080, & many more!  We pride ourselves in having been to each destination where we do weddings; therefore, with Tiki Trips you have an agent with experience & first-hand know-how, an agent CERTIFIED in the specialty of destination weddings, & someone with many years in the travel industry & in the specialty of destination weddings. We also personally know many of the wedding coordinators & staff at the locales we do destination weddings, ensuring our clients the best treatment possible. In addition, Tiki Trips also offers unique & innovative features for our destination weddings (see link at top of page) that no other agency offers, thereby offering you the most for your destination wedding money & experience! 

  

A destination wedding is an exciting, unique, money-saving, excellent alternative to a traditional hometown wedding. Instead of a 4 hour event, your wedding is a 4 day EXPERIENCE! (or longer, depending on how long you want to stay & where you want to go!). Due to its rapid growth in popularity, destination weddings are bigger now than ever before. Because of this, Tiki Trips is doing more destination weddings each & every year, with last year heralding a record number of destination weddings for our office. There are others who wish to imitate what we do & what we offer, so that certainly let's us know we are doing something right!

 

  

Here are 25 GREAT REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BOOK YOUR DESTINATION WEDDING WITH TIKI TRIPS:

  1:   We create your own destination wedding website page just FOR YOU, with a special link you

               can put on your invites for all wedding/trip pictures & info! So convenient & easy for you &

               your guests... & even a bit prestigious, too!

2:   We GUARANTEE what we sell to you! (The internet doesn’t—read the fine print!)

               You get exactly what you purchase with us: http://www.tikitrips.com/strongarm

3:   20-plus years of travel industry experience—we know what we’re doing!

4:   We specialize in destination weddings—we are THE wedding experts!

              We are industry certified as destination wedding specialists! (Internet can’t say/do that!)

5:   We are recognized by the media as the travel & destination wedding expert source as well!

6:   We've "been there, done that"! We know your destination & resort personally... we've been

               there to ensure a quality resort at a quality destination. Everything looks great on the internet

               or else it wouldn't be there... here's your way of ensuring through us that it IS a great hotel at

               a great place (because we've BEEN there!), thereby making a great destination wedding experience!

7:   Deal with one source, someone you’ve met & know! (Not a stranger every time!)

8:   A REAL office where you can call/come by for assistance—unlike the web!

9:   Everything is done with US, not scattering your group all over, ensuring everything is

               done right & coordinated together for the best, smoothest experience!

10:  We are your wedding LIAISON throughout your entire destination wedding/travel planning

                process, from start to finish... we don't just book your trip, we are here for you from Day 1

                until you depart on your trip! And during your trip, too! (See # 11 below)... 

11:  PROTECTION DURING YOUR TRIP--SOMEONE TO CALL IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY 24/7--

                If someone has an emergency before or during your trip or needs special assistance, you want

                someone you know, someone who will be there to handle it. That's Tiki Trips!

12: ONLY A DEPOSIT TO RESERVE YOUR TRIP!  PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE!

               Trip final payment won't be due 'til 60 days before you go... plenty of time for you & your guests

               to save up & make payments, thereby making it easier financially for folks to go!

13: FREE DESTINATION WEDDING/HONEYMOON REGISTRY!

               No fees or percentages kept-- 100% of funds given go towards your trip!

14: FREE destination wedding decorations when booking your wedding with us! We will design,

               collect & pack decorations for you to take with you on your destination wedding in your

               wedding colors & style-- at NO extra cost to you!

15: Free extra assistance/advice on everything wedding & travel-related: from proofreading your

               invitations to what type of dress is best to where/what to have at your reception--

               we're your wedding B.F.F.!

16: We can arrange either a GROUP DEAL or individual DISCOUNT for your group, your choice!

17: TRAVEL INDUSTRY “INSIDER” INFO—we know what’s going on behind the scenes &

               travel secrets & tips to make your trip cheaper and/or better!

18: Industry connections to ensure all goes well & you have a smooth wedding/vacation experience!

19: We create unique DESTINATION WEDDING INVITATIONS—“MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE” STYLE!

               (You pay for the "message in a bottle" invitations/materials & postage, & for every invite that results

                in a booking, we'll reimburse you the cost of the invite! Can't beat that!)

20: FREE credit towards wedding reception decorations after your return home!

               (If planning a later reception at home, we can decorate it for you in your wedding colors/style!)

21: FREE CONSULTATION to get started planning your destination wedding/trip!

22: We offer customized t-shirts & ballcaps for your group trip! (Cost varies by design/color/quantity). 

23: We CARE about our travelers & the quality of their vacation experience! If we didn't, we wouldn't

               offer #10 or #11 (be your liaison through the whole process & offer you 24/7 protection/assistance),

               nor would we visit each destination & hotel to ensure quality (#6), nor would we keep up our travel

               industry connections (#19) to ensure a smooth trip, nor would we offer lots of extra help (#15)

               that's way beyond regular travel agent duties that you won't find with any other travel agency.

               Why do we do all of this? Because we care!

24: Have fun traveling after the wedding/honeymoon... we offer a $100 discount off your next vacation

                package booking with us at Tiki Trips! Here are some exciting future trips we have planned:     

                http://www.tikitrips.com/future

  

              And last but not least…

25: We do a great job—folks love us!  http://www.tikitrips.com/triptestimonials

 

   

                                                                            

   

  

COMPLETE WEDDING PLANNING INFORMATION & POLICIES:   

 
 
FREE DESTINATION WEDDING CONSULTATION:

We offer a free personal consultation for your destination wedding via phone, & we schedule phone consultations in the afternoons & evenings Monday thru Friday. We can assist you with destination ideas & the selection of the best destination wedding location for you... after all, we've "been there, done that", so we KNOW! 

    

There are many things & many places to consider when planning a destination wedding. You need professional assistance & advice to make sure you are doing the absolute best thing you can within your parameters (budget, timeframe, "want" list for the trip). The amount & depth of professional advice & assistance you seek is up to you; the more you know, the better your wedding & trip will be!

 

                

DEPOSIT, IN-OFFICE MEETING & BEGINNING THE PROCESS:

After your initial free phone consultation, to begin planning your destination wedding & to secure your wedding date, we require a $500 deposit by CHECK or CASH to begin the process. When you are ready to make your deposit & begin planning, we recommend an in-office wedding appointment to discuss all details, ideas, questions, issues, & the entire process. We schedule in-office wedding appointments Monday thru Friday, evenings after 6 pm are best. (We are not open on weekends, therefore we do not hold appointments on Saturdays or Sundays). This deposit is non-refundable, but this deposit is partially or fully refundable to you (90 days after your wedding trip is complete, as long as you are booking a group… see details below). Therefore it essentially costs you nothing for our services! This deposit then enables us to start securing a wedding date reservation at the resort or locale of your choice as well as securing pricing for you & your group. After this, we start building your personal, customized wedding website page (one of our unique features we offer, complimentary to you!), a special bonus for our destination wedding groups! (You can put your wedding webpage address on your wedding invitations to give folks instant access to your exciting destination wedding information!). FYI: WE DO NOT START SECURING WEDDING DATE AVAILABILITY & START THE PLANNING/BUILDING PROCESS UNTIL & UNLESS WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR WEDDING DEPOSIT, no exceptions.

   

Please respect the appointment: Appointments are be scheduled for one hour during the time allotted. Please be on time & be prepared to pay for services rendered. If you are too early for your appointment, expect to wait until your appointment time, as others may be scheduled before you. If you are late for your appointment, you may need to reschedule. If you no-show your appointment (no advance cancellation or notice whatsoever) then we will not be able to reschedule another.

 

Note: We really love kids, but due to the important nature of the consultation & to avoid interruptions & preserve office equipment & many breakable items in our office, CHILDREN UNDER 16 ARE NOT ALLOWED at in-office appointments, no exceptions. Please make other arrangements for child care during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

  

Headache-saving HOT TIP: Before coming to Tiki Trips for your official wedding consultation, it is an excellent idea to discuss the destination wedding idea with those most important decision-making people involved in the wedding (each other AND parents, for example, if they are paying for the wedding) to make sure this is a positive, happy decision for most/all. Why do we suggest this? We see about a 25% drop-out rate in destination weddings because the bride & groom started the destination wedding ball rolling BEFORE clearing it with other important decision-making persons (usually parents). It doesn’t make any bride or groom look or feel good to plan a whole destination wedding, pay a deposit, tell all their family & friends, send out the invitations, get everyone all excited, & then one of the decision-makers (usually family) squashes the whole thing! We don’t like to see anyone lose their deposit nor waste precious time booking a wedding that won’t happen, so be sure to CHECK WITH THOSE IMPORTANT PERSONS FIRST before starting the process to make sure the majority and/or all persons involved are on board! (If you, the bride & groom, are the decision-makers & wedding-payers & don't care what anybody else thinks, then don’t worry about this step, GO FOR IT!)

 

 

WHY A DEPOSIT?

We require a deposit to give our wedding couples who are serious about booking with us (A) priority... & (B) the best service possible. We have SO many destination wedding inquiries that we are simply overwhelmed with requests; this deposit ensures fairness for everyone involved. We do not want to waste time on those who are not really serious about booking a destination wedding when there are others waiting who ARE, plain & simple! This deposit also covers our initial costs in planning your destination wedding, including many international phone calls & international faxes, hours of counseling, dealing with different members of your group who have many questions & issues over the months we will be planning your destination wedding, & of course your customized wedding website page (which is expensive & time-consuming for us to create, but free & sanity-saving for you--& even a bit prestigious, too!)

  

Deposit flexibility: Your deposit is for your destination wedding booking with us at Tiki Trips & is not linked to a particular hotel or destination or date until you choose a date & destination & hotel; should your preferred place or date be booked when we start the process, we will of course help search for alternative dates or places until we find what you need.

  

Re-scheduling a wedding/date/location: If you need to re-schedule your wedding to another date or hotel or destination AFTER your wedding is scheduled & confirmed at a particular location (we understand that things come up), we charge a $150 re-scheduling fee per incident, as it is essentially starting the whole long, time-consuming process over again. Please be certain of your travel plans to avoid re-scheduling if at all possible, including checking with all important family & friends to be sure that date works for everyone involved BEFORE booking your date & place.

  

  

TRIP COST: FUTURE ESTIMATION  VS.  "REAL" PRICING:

We can give you an initial price estimate/range to ensure your chosen location is an affordable one for you & your wedding group. Exact, "real" pricing is released when the space goes open for sale usually 8-9 months in advance for the best packages; if pricing is not yet available for your date that is still too far in the future to price, a price estimate/range can be given to help in the decision-making process. Please note that an estimate/range is a "guesstimate" of what prices will be in the future based on past pricing & may or may not accurately predict future costs. An estimate is NOT a direct, "real" price nor should be "written in stone" as to what the cost will be. Prices, whether a future estimate or a real price, can change at any time until reservation with deposit is made. Though price increases are rare after deposit, prices are never 100% guaranteed (due to fuel cost hikes, government tax increases, foreign currency fluctuations & other cost increases beyond the travel agency's control) until the traveler has paid in full. Once the traveler has paid in full, nobody can mess with their trip!

  

     

HOW MANY IS A “GROUP”?

As long as you are booking a group of at least 25 or more passengers from any city (excluding the bride & groom) then you get your total $500 deposit refunded as future trip credit (see details below). If you book 20-to-24 passengers from any city (excluding the bride & groom), then $400 of your deposit is good for future trip credit; if your group books 15-19 passengers (excluding the bride & groom), then $300 of your deposit is good for future trip credit; if your group books 10-14 passengers (excluding the bride & groom), then $200 of your deposit is good for future trip credit. If your group books less than 10 passengers (excluding the bride & groom), then the deposit is non-refundable. Why? Because it costs us a lot of time & money to make & secure your wedding arrangements in faraway places, build your wedding website, pay our webmaster to post your wedding & applicable info, & consult with many people calling us about your wedding with questions & issues, so none of this is free for us to do. If not many folks book, we cannot offset these costs. If you are legitimately booking a group, though, & have many folks booking with us, then you have nothing to worry about!

  

NOTE: refund of the wedding deposit as future trip credit: Refund of the wedding deposit will be given in the form of future trip credit only to the bride & groom & is good for an air/hotel package or hotel/transfer package to a destination Tiki Trips offers & valid for one calendar year from date of return home from your wedding trip. This future trip credit is for the BRIDE & GROOM only, no one else; this future trip credit is not valid for other persons' travel (in other words, this future trip credit is non-refundable & non-transferable to others, as your wedding deposit is/was your wedding deposit for the two of you, the bride & groom & no one else). Therefore, this trip credit understandably cannot be used by or given to anyone other than the bride & groom.

 

FINAL PAYMENT DEADLINE: group trip final payment deadline is usually 60-to-70 days prior to departure (varies by group), so we take a count of your group folks at that time of final payment & schedule your wedding deposit refund accordingly (per outline above). No further credit will be considered after final payment time, so it is in your best interest to have everyone signed up & paid for IN FULL by this time. Those not paid IN FULL by the final payment deadline or who book after the deadline do not count towards the group.

 

TRUE GROUP VS. INDIVIDUALLY-BOOKED GROUP:

A "true group" is defined by at least 25 or more passengers departing & returning to & from the same home city on the same day going to the same destination & staying at the same hotel for the same number of nights. Anything else is an "individually-booked group", where folks are booked individually for the group trip when they are ready. Both have pros & cons:

 

True group: (1) Price is set. (2) Space is guaranteed. (3) Deposit deadline-- deposit must be made by everyone in the group within 10 days of booking. (4) Everyone must be doing the exact same dates. (5) Everyone must be coming from the same city. (6) You get some credit towards your trip as the wedding couple when booking a true group, but (7) you must also sign a contract for the space, and.. (8) you are financially liable for 75% or more of unsold space. (9) If folks in your group cancel after booking or don't make final payment, you could be penalized. Bottom line: rigid & risky with benefits.

 

Individually-booked group: (1) FLEXIBILITY! Folks can come from whatever city on whatever dates & stay as long or as short of a time as they wish. (2) No contract, no liability. (3) Price can fluctuate 'til a traveler books. (4) Space can sell out (though very rare). (5) Group discount for everyone instead of credit for bride & groom. (6) No booking deadline-- folks can book when they want & when they are able to do so (important in a tough economy). (7) If folks in your group cancel or don't make final payment-- no problem!-- you are not penalized.  Bottom line: no-risk, flexible way of booking a group with benefit for all.

 

Note: if the majority of your family lives in the same area & all want to go for the same length of stay & going/coming on the same dates (rare, but it does happen) AND you have at least 25 people going, then a "true" group may be for you. If, however, you have folks spread out all over the country, and/or you already know everyone will want to travel different days & all do something different, then an "individually-booked" group is the way to go. FYI, 99% of our groups go the individual route for the least liability & the most flexibility.

 

  

WEDDING COST VS. TRAVEL COST:

The cost of the destination wedding is 100% SEPARATE from the cost of the travel. The prices for your trip NEVER include the cost of the wedding, nor does the wedding ever include the cost of your trip! So when you are looking at wedding package information & travel costs, do not assume that wedding price is for your flight or your stay or anything else or vice versa. Again, the WEDDING IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM FLIGHT/HOTEL/TRANSFERS, & one never includes the other. (This is probably obvious to most, but it must be stated for those few for whom it is not). Travel costs (flight, hotel, transfers) are paid ahead of arrival (paid in full by 60-70 days prior to departure); wedding costs in most all-inclusive resorts are usually paid on site after arrival, usually by credit card. However, wedding costs & payment arrangements in various destinations can vary widely; please check with your wedding coordinator for your destination & wedding.

 

 

TIMELINE--WHEN SHOULD YOU START TO PLAN A DESTINATION WEDDING?

You should start to plan your destination wedding as far in advance as possible. Securing your date is the most important initial part, as you can't get married at your chosen destination if the date is not available! Many resorts & locations only allow one wedding per day, so that's the good news AND the bad news... if your date is available--YEA!!--& if it's taken--BOO!-- you have to pick a different date! Though you can reserve your wedding up to a year or more in advance at many places, your travel arrangements cannot begin to be made until about 9-10 months in advance (as far ahead as the travel industry. both airlines & hotels, can reserve). There are exceptions to this advance booking timeline (both sooner AND later), so please ask your agent for more info.

 

HOT TIP: Because you are doing a destination wedding, you don't have to have your wedding on a typical Saturday night. Many brides & grooms are "programmed" to think Saturday-Saturday-Saturday, as most weddings at home take place on a Saturday night. However, folks are going on your destination wedding trip when YOU say to go, so the day of the week you have your wedding doesn't really matter! (Although most plan weddings around a weekend day--Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday--to take advantage of the weekend). Best day of the week to get married for a destination wedding? TUESDAY! Why? It's not a weekend day (harder to get, sometimes more expensive travel around that day) & Tuesdays can be wide open! And in some cases cheaper since it's not a popular weekend wedding day. Bingo! And to fit perfectly with a Tuesday wedding... Saturday-Wednesday travel, the super-secret best days to travel! See below...

 

SUPER SECRET BEST DAYS TO TRAVEL FOR A DESTINATION WEDDING: SATURDAY-WEDNESDAY! Why? Folks automatically think they have to depart on a Thursday or Friday to take advantage of the weekend, but departing on Saturdays are wonderful because (1) you are still taking advantage of the weekend by being gone on Saturday & Sunday, (2) you've finished the work week, usually making it easier to be gone, (3) many places of employment prefer you take days off from the same week, not two different weeks (4) you are still taking the same amount of days off, THREE--Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday-- as you would if you left on a Thursday & came back on a Monday (taking off three days-- Thursday, Friday & Monday), (5) you avoid the "weekender traveler" traffic that goes on Thursdays/Fridays & come back on Mondays/Tuesdays by going Saturday-Wednesday, (6) Because you are traveling on non-weekender days by going Sat.-Wed., your price can stay cheaper & stay lower longer! (7) In many cases, a Monday or Tuesday wedding date is available where a Friday, Saturday or Sunday would not be, thereby working perfectly with your Sat.-Wed. schedule!

  

 

WHAT IS REQUIRED TO ACTUALLY BOOK YOUR WEDDING DATE?

We will contact your chosen wedding location's coordinator (so you don't have to!) to find out all available dates around the time you wish to get married. It's a good idea to have 3 dates in mind, in order of preference (in case one of them is taken). Once your date is chosen, we will notify your chosen wedding location's coordinator with the date you want; you should then expect to fill out a few pages of preliminary wedding reservation forms provided by the coordinator (full names, date wanted, etc) to send in by email or fax to the coordinator. You may also be asked to provide a SCANNED image/copy (back & front) of your I.D. (driver's license or passport) along with a copy of your credit card (back & front), both to prove (A) you are the actual person reserving the date & (B) you are serious about the date by providing your credit card for wedding date reservation. You may also be asked to do other steps to secure your date; requirements vary by destination & hotel. As always, we will try & assist you in this process if needed, but for legal reasons & due to these requirements being items that only you the wedding couple can provide, it is the responsibility of the wedding couple to complete this paperwork & required elements & submit them to the proper entity. Be aware that emails, faxes & voicemails are never foolproof, so it is an excellent, mandatory step to follow up with the intended recipient of your paperwork & required elements to ensure all elements have been received & you have done everything you need to do.   

  

NOTE: When going through the long, time-consuming process it can be to book a destination wedding & secure all of the information needed from your chosen destination, be aware that IT TAKES TIME TO DO THIS, ESPECIALLY WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES & ISLAND LOCATIONS. Why? They can be on "island time" & have a "manana mentality" when it comes to getting things done. After all, they are NOT American & do not live in America, where we do everything at record speed (yes, this is one of the reasons the U.S.A. rules!). So, this means that when we start the booking process & to ask for available dates & then secure your chosen date, PLEASE BE PATIENT... foreign countries & island destinations are on their own time schedule & operate on a totally different set of timelines & expectations than we do at home. What takes us one day to do in America may take 3-7 days abroad. Expect the entire process--from choosing a date to then our asking the hotel for their available dates to then requesting that date to then getting the date confirmation back-- to take one to three weeks, usually 10-14 days. Of course, if we can get it done in a shorter time period, we certainly will, but just please realize that getting answers from foreign countries can be difficult to get quickly or sometimes at all, & we have NO control over how short or long of a time it takes. We have to "play nice" to get nice-- the desired things we want from these places, that being available dates/info & then confirmation for your desired date. And don't worry, we WILL get answers, we are determined & tenacious as a bulldog if needed!

 

  

ONCE WE HAVE THE DATE RESERVED, THEN WHAT HAPPENS?

Once your wedding date is reserved, you should discuss with your group of family & friends how many are planning on coming & how long they are each wanting to stay. Yes, this can be a bit tough to determine, but if you can come up with some sort of conservative estimate, that will help us determine how best to start booking your group. It typically takes a week or two to secure the pricing, secure the group space (if needed), & time to build your website. Since your wedding website page is customized, it may take a few extra days to build. After we complete your wedding website page, we then submit it to our webmaster to post. Please be patient during this phase... it takes time to build anything well. But if you'll remember: "if you build it, they will come!". And building your group will start with the destination wedding website page...

  

 

  

 

HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR GROUP STAY?   HOW LONG SHOULD YOU STAY?

Though every destination is different, we usually recommend that folks going on your trip stay at least 4 nights (or a bare-bones minimum of 3 nights if they can't afford to stay longer). If someone stays just 3 nights, their entire trip will be pretty much taken up with the wedding & festivities, which is why we recommend a 4th night to give the traveler a little bit of "vacation" time for themselves. Of course, if some or all folks want to make a true vacation out of their trip & stay longer (5, 6, 7 nights or more) then we can certainly do that for them! (as long as flights & accommodations are available, of course). For the wedding couple, we recommend that you stay at least 7-8 nights (or longer if you like). Why? You want some honeymoon time, of course! For the same reason we recommend folks stay a bit longer who are attending your wedding, we recommend that you stay longer because your first 3-4 days will be taken up completely with the wedding & festivities. You won't be able to relax until after it's all over (the actual wedding), so stay a few days longer & be able to relax & actually ENJOY your trip!

  

Destination wedding stay HOT TIP: in case your group wants to stay longer but you don't want to see your family or friends once your wedding is over & your "honeymoon" begins, we recommend that you do a "SWITCHEROO"! Switch to another nearby nice hotel the day after your wedding where the two of you can be alone & you don't have to see your family & friends (unless you want to... in which case you're not far!). This makes it nice for EVERYONE: for YOU, so you don't feel resentful that your group wants to stay longer... & for your GROUP, so they don't feel guilty for wanting to stay longer! This way, nobody is in anyone else's way, & vacation life is perfect for all!

  

 

  

                                                  
  

DESTINATION WEDDING PITFALLS TO EXPECT AND/OR AVOID (if possible!):
As with anything in life, nothing is perfect or easy. That includes a destination wedding! Even though a destination wedding is much easier & cheaper than doing a full-blown big wedding at home, it is still not easy nor drama-free, contrary to popular belief. So what are some of the pitfalls to expect when planning a destination wedding? Well, first, you are involving your entire family & friends in the wedding process AND their money as well, so of course that will lead to some added drama & issues. (Just knowing this may happen can make it easier to deal with when & if it does). Not everyone may want to go or have the money to go on the wedding trip, so the kindest thing most wedding couples tell their group is, "We'd love to see you there if you can make it, but it's ok if you can't go". What couples don't realize is what happens as an indirect result... some folks who don't want to go OR don't want to burn the vacation days to go OR don't have/want to spend the money to go WON'T TELL YOU THAT. Instead, they may complain about a variety of other things directly or indirectly related to your wedding. Some may get frustrated, jealous, stressed, upset or embarrassed they can't afford to go. However, they can't complain directly to you the wedding couple about the location or cost or anything directly related to your wedding choice because that would make them look like a jerk & would be offensive to the bride/groom. So what do they do instead? The most passive-aggressive move folks make (to "stick it to you" without your realizing that's what's happening) is to complain to you about your travel agent, saying we won't help them, we won't return calls, we aren't doing a good job, etc., whatever the story. After all, your travel agent is the easiest, non-bride/groom/friend/family target, so unfortunately we sometimes catch the flak, frustration & upset feelings that folks can harbor involving a wedding. Of course, it's no fun for us when this happens, but we deal with it & try to alleviate frustrations, stress & soothe/solve whatever problem the traveler is having.

  

Rest assured, our business & our goal is to assist as many people as possible to get booked for your destination wedding trip-- we do this well-- & of course, & we wouldn't do anything to get in the way of that! (See http://www.tikitrips.com/triptestimonials for proof we do this well!). As human beings are, some folks can't be made happy no matter what happens. We've priced/assisted/reserved folks a dozen or more times without their moving forward with payment (even parents & members of the wedding party!), & those very folks have, shockingly, turned around & fibbed to their bride/groom that we aren't helping them at ALL, all the time when we've been assisting them over & over, repeatedly. By doing this, they are trying to shift the "blame" of not getting themselves booked & thus disguise the fact they don't want to or can't go or refuse to pay up. They try to make someone else's fault they aren't going, & it's pretty ridiculous but humorous. It can also be quite shocking, though usually rare, but it does happen. Just realize this: when any of your invitees complain about anything at all-- whatever it is-- it is a sign they have a problem with going in some way. Let them be, & let it go. You can't force folks to be gracious nor truthful nor pay up nor show up. Bottom line: the folks who want to be there WILL be there, & the rest can't/won't. And realize this: when this is your happiest time in your life-- you're in LOVE & getting MARRIED, after all!-- this may be a really tough time for others, especially seeing you so happy when they may not be, or having tough financial times when others aren't, or jealous that you're getting married & they're not, or worried they may "lose" you now that you're getting married... or all of the above! Weddings, no matter when or where you have them, can be an emotional roller-coaster for everyone involved, so try to remember this if you encounter some "flak" or difficulty, whatever the subject or form it takes. Don't take the drama that folks can stir up personally. It's usually about them & not you. What seems like a crisis today may be a distant memory next week. Let it go. Do your best to let things roll off your back as much as possible & rise above it. You will be glad you did later!
 
The most important point to remember: destination weddings ARE easier & much cheaper than having a big wedding at home, & we are here to help! Our pledge to you & our goal is to assist & book as many of your family & friends who want to book & go to your destination as possible & answer all of their questions & solve any logistical challenges we can. We want as many folks to go on your trip as you do, so that's exactly what we do, get folks booked for your destination wedding trip when they are ready! And on the rare occasion someone is being fussy or difficult about the travel arrangements in whatever way, simply let us know that persons needs a "little extra TLC" & we will deliver just that J

  

  

REQUIREMENTS FOR GETTING MARRIED in the U.S. & ELSEWHERE/ OUTSIDE THE U.S.:

If you are a U.S. citizen & are having your wedding anywhere on U.S. soil (all 50 states including Hawaii & Alaska, Puerto Rico,  all 3 U.S. Virgin Islands--St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix-- island of Guam, & any other smaller U.S. territories), you simply apply for your marriage license at your destination's courthouse office with your valid driver's license after your arrival (please check for your destination's possible requirement of having this license so many days before your wedding AND be aware that government offices that issue marriage licenses are only open Monday thru Friday during banking hours or less; these offices are always closed on weekends & federal holidays). If you are divorced, it's advisable to also take your official divorce decree/court documents with you in case they are required by that state. All requirements can vary by state; please check with the state or country in which you are getting LEGALLY married as to what exactly is required to legally marry you in that state.

   

If you are a U.S. citizen getting married outside the U.S., we recommend 100% to our wedding couples that you have your marriage legalized here before you go, especially if you are getting married in Mexico. It can be an immense hassle to do all the paperwork, a big expense & hassle to send off for foreign-language translations & seals for all of your paperwork, have your expensive blood tests done at your destination (in Mexico & some other countries), all sorts of requirements to have a legal wedding, not to mention a lot more cost for all of the above. Having your wedding legalized here before you go will end up saving you at least $700-$1000 or more when it's all said & done, plus if you have your marriage legalized in the U.S. before you go, you won't have to go through the hassle & expense of also having to register your wedding after your return home. If you want your marriage legalized before you go, you'll simply need to apply for a marriage license at your city's courthouse (usually downtown) & make an appointment to have the judge legalize your marriage anytime before your departure (both of these 2 steps must be taken within days of each other, so don't apply for the license until a few days before you are ready to have the judge legalize). Very simple! As we always say, if the movie star Grace Kelly (later Princess Grace of Monaco) can have her legal/civil ceremony the day before & her religious (non-legal, blessing) ceremony the day after, anybody can! Having a religious/blessing non-legal ceremony in other countries also gives you the freedom to customize your ceremony... they can be a little strict as to what you can say & do if it is a legal ceremony only. Another benefit to a religious/non legal ceremony is that you can have your wedding at the time of YOUR choosing since you will not be beholden to the judge's schedule (since a judge is required at legal ceremonies only). And don't forget, if you are traveling outside the U.S., you will need a VALID U.S. PASSPORT good for at least six months after your return date home & your passport must have at least 1 blank page left in it (for stamping purposes). For more information on obtaining a passport & questions about same, please visit the passport link at the bottom of this page under "Helpful Links".