Are you planning your Destination Wedding at an all-inclusive resort that will charge a fee for guests that aren't staying at the resort to be at your wedding?  Don't be surprised, this is very common and they are usually called "guest passes". 

Why would a hotel have the need for guest passes?  Easy.  An all-inclusive resort doesn't want just anybody visiting the property to enjoy a day of free food and cocktails (believe me...I've tried).  Hotels located near cruise docks often sell passes to guests on cruise ships who want to have a day at a beach.

So, what does this mean your those of you planning a Destination Wedding?  Some of your guests may not be staying at your hotel, and will therefore be subject to a fee (usually $100-$150, but can vary) to attend your wedding.  What can you do?

1.  Make sure that all your guests know that if they choose to stay at another resort, they will have to pay the fee to get into your hotel for the wedding. 

2.  Some hotels offer a small number of complimentary passes with their wedding packages.  If you know you will need a couple, perhaps choosing a hotel that has a couple "freebies" is a good idea.

3.  If you have guests that have made a substantial effort to come to your wedding, you should consider paying the fee for them.   For my wedding I had a cousin who was on a cruise that happened to stop on Nassau the day of my wedding, and she was going to truck herself all the way over to see the wedding, then quickly get back to the boat before it took off without her.  That is some effort, and we paid for her pass.  I also had another friend that was tight on cash, and couldn't stay at our property, but managed to get himself down there.  We paid for his pass as well.  There is a fine line here, because I wouldn't recommend paying for everyone that just wants to save a couple bucks by not staying with everyone else.  My advice is to weigh the effort that the guest has made to be at your wedding and/or their financial situation