n today’s U.S. wedding market, “Goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get married” doesn’t quite ring true anymore. More and more couples choose nontraditional sites for their nuptials, often combining the ceremony, reception, and honeymoon all at the same location in what’s known as the “destination wedding.”

In a survey titled American Wedding Study 2006 (2007 statistics not published at press time), Condé Nast Bridal Group reported that 16 percent of couples had destination weddings in 2006, an increase of 400 percent since 1996. Since the same study reported that these couples spent an average of $25,806 (with 63 guests attending), it’s safe to say that resorts offering wedding discounts or special incentives have an edge on the market. This is precisely why Palace Resorts, a luxury all-inclusive brand with nine locations throughout Mexico, developed a “free” wedding package for North American residents.

“Since there’s so much competition for destination wedding business throughout Mexico, we created a free wedding package at four of our most popular resorts: Aventura Spa Palace [Riviera Maya], Playacar Palace [Playa del Carmen], Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort [Cancún], and Vallarta Palace [Nuevo Vallarta],” says Maira Briceño, director of marketing for Palace Resorts. “We felt that a free offering would pique brides’ interest and ultimately garner more bookings.”

What exactly is the definition of “free,” one might ask, especially when it comes to an allinclusive resort? Good question. Since food and beverage (including meals, snacks, beverages, wine, beer, and top-shelf liquor) are accounted for in the cost of booking a stay, a free wedding basically comes down to legal legwork, ceremony coordination and location, equipment setup, dinner reservations, and some honeymoon perks. In other words, a lot of the wedding planning is taken care of, and most brides will agree that peace of mind is a priceless commodity.

The package includes all of the following:

• Wedding coordinator
• All document arrangements
• Justice of the Peace
• Marriage certificate (issued in Spanish and translated for a fee)
• Witnesses, if required
• Reservation of a wedding gazebo or terrace
• Red-carpeted walkway
• White folding chairs
• Sparkling wine served to guests during the ceremony (four bottles maximum)
• Dinner reservations at select resort restaurants for the reception (capacity limitations apply)
• Fruit basket or petit fours and sparkling wine in couple’s room
• Continental breakfast in bed the morning after
• Private candlelit dinner for the bride and groom with special menu and décor
• Honeymooners weekly cocktail party with memento photograph of the couple
• Late checkout until 6:00 p.m. for the couple

RECEPTION TOO?
After buying the dress, booking reservations, filling out the paperwork, sending the invitations, and then getting to a Palace Resort, the bride’s job is essentially done. What follows is a simple ceremony with a backdrop of crystal blue waters, which sounds heavenly. But the next question is, does the free package fit the bill when it comes to the all-important, make-orbreak wedding reception?

“It’s true that dinner reservations and resort nightlife are open to any guest, whether they’re getting married or not. However, even though the free package doesn’t allow for a private function, brides still get a top-notch reception,” says Briceño. Across all four resorts offering the free package, there are approximately 17 spacious restaurants available for the post-ceremony dinner reception. The beauty of this arrangement is that the restaurants are already artfully designed and decorated, some with breathtaking views, so couples get reception ambiance without having to create it, or bankroll it, themselves.

Also helpful in creating a celebratory atmosphere, the bar is open with mixed drinks, wines, beers from around the world, and, of course, sparkling wine for toasting. What’s more, each person attending can order a meal vastly different from the person sitting next to them instead of being confined to the banquet menu.

For instance, at Aventura’s La Huerta, guests choose from Pasta Salad, classic Caesar Salad, or Citrus Salad, then taste soups like the Aztec Pumpkin Flower Cream before delving into a host of entrées, including Grilled Grouper Fillet or Glazed Chicken Breast au Coffee. At Playacar Palace’s Italian restaurant, Terrazza, antipasti dishes are available to choose from, as are pastas including Risotto with Calamari and main courses like Ribeye with Mint and Rosemary and Butter Fried Scallops with Sage. At Moon Palace’s steakhouse, Palapa Barracuda, guests enjoy a selection of grilled specialties like Champagne Fish Fillet, Fresh Tuna Steak, and Curry Chicken Breast. For an Asian-themed reception, MoMoNoHaNa at Vallarta Palace offers a long list of sautéed entrées like Shrimp Teriyaki, Octopus Teppanyaki, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Beef Chop Suey. In lieu of a wedding cake, each of the resorts’ restaurants offers confections like Berry Tart, Midori Flan, Chocolate Venetian Gondola, Kiwi with Passion Fruit Cream Cake, or Tiramisu, to name a few.

Music and passion are always the fashion at wedding receptions, and the free Palace Resorts package has got it covered. Again, resort guests outside the wedding party will be taking their turns on the dance floor, but, according to Briceño, there are plenty of floors to choose from.

“Collectively, there are a total of 18 bars spread across the four resorts, including discos, lounges with live music, pool bars, and even an amphitheater bar with all types of live entertainment,” she says.

FOR THE COUPLE ALONE
After headaches are nursed and wedding guests have flown home, the couple starts their honeymoon and takes advantage of the free package of perks dedicated solely to them. A private, candlelit dinner is arranged on a night of their choosing, with a preset menu of Seafood Salad, Poblano Pepper Cream Corn soup, Beef Medallions with Achiote Shrimp and Vegetables, and, for dessert, a miniature heart-shaped cake. A weekly honeymooners cocktail party is also part of the package and is open to all newlyweds staying at the resort. The party includes free-flowing adult beverages as well as a seated, Asianinfluenced dinner of Harasume (noodles), Sliced Vegetables, and Peanuts in a flour tortilla bowl; Sautéed Beef Fillet and Shrimp or Shrimp Tempura with Orange Sauce; and Caramel Cluster for dessert. A photographer is also on hand to snap a keepsake picture of each couple.

Briceño says newly married couples walk away happy when they choose the free wedding offer, and, as a result, it has become the most popular package at the four resorts.

INCREASE IN BOOKINGS
“We’ve seen a notable increase in bookings because of it. The wedding couple finds value not only in the knowledge that things are being handled for them, but in the fact that they don’t pay extra for these arrangements. However, if there’s anything they need or want that’s not included in the package, we have plenty of services available at extra cost.”

Optional à la carte services run the gamut from spa services, bouquets and boutonnieres, mariachis and jazz trios, to even a horse-drawn carriage whisking the couple down the beach after the ceremony. Complete packages are available for fees ranging from $670 to $1,995, and couples opting for a private dinner function on the beach or in a ballroom can expect to pay anywhere from $47 to $57 per adult. (Private function fees are laborrelated, as food and beverage is budgeted into annual room rates at each resort.)

“A couple’s wedding should be exactly the way they’ve dreamed it,” says Briceño. “If they don’t find everything they want in the free package, our dozens of other wedding services will live up to Palace Resorts’ promise: ‘Your every wish indulged.’”

Ashley Brown Allen is a frequent contributor to HOTEL F&B.