Outside Vendor Fee or Penalty
Deciding to Get Married in Playa del Carmen and Planning Your Dream Beach Wedding is an Exciting Time!
There are several decisions you must make during the planning period to have a perfect, smooth destination wedding. One of the most important first steps is deciding your budget and considering how much a wedding will cost in Mexico. The second most important step is reading and understanding your contracts properly before signing. Find the time to do it correctly. You’ll be glad later.
To create an estimate of your destination wedding cost, you must consider a wedding planner or coordinator, travel agent, transportation, accommodations, all-inclusive options, decor and florals, catering, wedding cake, DJ, hair and make-up artists, fireworks, and of course, your Playa del Carmen photographer and videographer of choice. While you may have these items on the list, one thing you may not have considered is the vendor’s fee set by your hotel or resort.
As you may already know, your hotel or resort has its own wedding staff to make things easier for you. However, suppose you are not entirely happy with their style and prefer to hire a local artist whose work you absolutely love. You shouldn’t have to settle for a service you don’t absolutely love. In that case, you must consider the vendor’s fee. That’s an additional fee paid by the wedding couple to give access to any outside vendor, including your photographer. So how much should you budget for the vendor fee? This additional cost is determined by the venue and may vary from USD 100 to USD 1,500.
Depending on the hotel, their guest plan, and your wedding activities, you may have to cover:
Vendor Fee + Day Pass for Each Vendor:
This option will cover a specific vendor fee set by the hotel plus the food and drink expenses for each of your vendors.
Vendor Fee + Day Pass + Vendor Meals:
Other hotels/resorts may have the option of including a vendor fee, drinks, and meals for the vendor, plus an additional “day pass.”
Vendor Fee per Company, Unlimited Persons:
Consider that some hotels/resorts may charge an overall vendor fee per company, which means there’s no limit of people included in the vendor’s crew.
Vendor Fee per Company, Limited Persons:
Some hotels/resorts do limit the number of people allowed per vendor company. This means that your photographer, videographer, or even hair and makeup crew may be limited to 1 or 2 persons.
Vendor Fee per Activity:
Some hotels and resorts may only ask to cover a vendor fee based on activity. This means, for example, that the videographer crew and photography crew might be considered two different vendors.
These are just some of the examples of packages your hotel or resort might include. It is very important to have this cleared up with your venue from the start and have all the details included in your contract before making a deposit.
Consider These Tips When Deliberating The Outside Vendor Fee
The most important thing to remember is that this is your day and you should not have to settle for anything that doesn’t make you absolutely happy. So, what can you do regarding the hotel’s vendor fee? The first thing to do is research. Before signing any contract or making any deposits, you MUST do your research. Jump on wedding forums. Talk to other couples. Search in blogs, web pages, and social media. Search high and low to find the right solution for your needs and your budget.
To get you started, check out some of the options you have when considering the vendor fee:
Option 1:
Not all venues have a vendor fee. You may choose to do some digging and find the Cancun/Riviera Maya hotels and resorts that openly allow and welcome external vendors. Find accommodations that fit your needs but that are also vendor-friendly resorts.
Option 2:
Budget the vendor into your wedding expenses from the get-go and adjust accordingly. Considering this, it is crucial to have all the facts and figures before signing any contracts. Make sure that you ask for prices, fees and details when looking at hotel and resort options.
Option 3:
Explore different solutions with your hotel or resort. The friendly team at your chosen wedding destination is happy to help you plan your dream wedding and make accommodations to the best of their abilities. Speak to your hotel team to explore the range of scenarios you have with them and negotiate if necessary. Please consider that this, of course, does not guarantee your vendor fee will be waived or even discounted.
Option 4:
Many vendors including local photographers have alliances with a number of hotels. These preferred vendors allow the hotel to waive the outside vendor fee. Speak to your hotel team to see if they have this option and reach out to your photographer to explore the alliances they have.
Option 5:
One of the preferred options for many wedding couples is booking 1 to 3 nights for their vendors. Many hotels/resorts will offer the rate as your party and can often be a more accessible option than paying the vendor fee.
Option 6:
Another choice is to consider a wedding venue outside your hotel or resort. Luckily, you’ve chosen one of the most beautiful destinations in the Yucatan Peninsula, for your wedding. Want to get married in front of the beach? At the edge of a cenote? On a boat? You have plenty of options. This paradisiacal destination boasts a grand variety of scenarios to make your wedding and your wedding photos one of a kind. From an exotic jungle location to a sophisticated beach wedding or even a mystical cenote, there’s a scenario for every preference, style, and even budget.
As your local photographer and an avid explorer of this destination, I am happy to recommend beautiful and magical locations for your wedding photos, engagement sessions, or if you want to be a little adventurous, even an exciting beach Boudoir experience.
I know it may be daunting to consider yet another cost, but remember to enjoy the journey, every step of the way. Savor the moments of planning, the choices, and even the daydreaming. This is one of the most special moments of your life! Find your joy in the planning process.