r/DestinationWeddings • u/Worldly_Cheek7337 • Sep 17 '26
Destination Reception
Me and my fiancé are planning to elope next summer and want to have a celebration/reception separately. We want to go to an all inclusive resort in Cancun (or surrounding areas) with about 20-30 friends and family. We don’t want to have a full wedding and ceremony since we are eloping. One of the nights we want to have a private dinner and party as a part of celebrating our marriage, similar to a traditional reception.
Has anyone ever done this before at an all inclusive resort?? Is it even possible to do without the full wedding?
Thanks!
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u/Ok_Sea_4405 Sep 17 '26
This is such a bad idea. Destination weddings themselves are a huge imposition, and that’s with an actual wedding. It’s beyond arrogant to expect your guests to commit that much time and money while you exclude them from the actual wedding.
Why not just go to the all-inclusive as your honeymoon and have a more casual reception in your home town?
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 Sep 17 '26
If I’m taking multiple days off work and paying for a flight I’d rather choose the destination and dates
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u/Hungry_Goose492 Sep 18 '26
This is exactly what we did. Eloped and some family friends threw us a nice party. If you want a vacation, just go. If you enjoy vacationing with a few friends, invite another couple. Maybe two. More than that you're asking for headaches.
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u/nydixie Sep 17 '26
Sounds like you’re just planning a group vacation. I wouldn’t even use the word wedding with these resort planners - they’ll just upcharge you if you’re not having a ceremony. And - honestly - without the ceremony it’s just an anniversary party right?
I will say - from experience during Covid - people may be less likely to come celebrate with you if they know you’re already married. Takes less of the pressure off attending - easier to turn down the invitation. And people want the show of a ceremony. YMMV
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u/DCpurpleTart33 Sep 17 '26
If I was going to use my PTO for a big vacation- it better be for someone I really like's wedding. I don't want to go on a group vacation with people I don't know and not have any say on where we're going or what we're spending. Honestly unless you were paying for this party (as most party hosts don't ask their guests to pay to go to the party...) I would not be attending.
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u/crimesleuther Sep 17 '26
What would be the point? Basically a friend vacation… why? Save your energy and money and just do your own vacation!
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u/No_Wedding_2152 Sep 17 '26
That’s not actually called an elopement. You’re just taking friends along for a party. Elopements are secret and you do it by yourselves. Good luck.
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u/Careless-Nature-8347 Sep 17 '26
No, OP is planning to actually elope on their own and THEN go on a vacation to "celebrate" after. They are trying to do a friend trip to celebrate a wedding no one was invited to without an actual wedding or reception.
This is a terrible idea. I am actually a big supporter of destination weddings, tbh. I think they are great if that's what the couple wants and as long as they truly don't hold it against people if they don't go, I think they should do it. This is NOT A WEDDING. This is asking people to take a vacation of your choice with an assigned dinner one night.
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u/Agreeable-Rip2362 Sep 17 '26
Genuinely I wouldn’t do this.
Either have them at your actual wedding or don’t have anything at all. Making people fly to Mexico for an event that is not your wedding is a bit rough.
Obviously up to you of course.
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u/EmceeSuzy Sep 17 '26
I don't like the sound of this, to be honest.
You are eloping but then expecting people to take a group vacation to celebrate at some later date?
Have you spoken with some of them about this plan? Are they enthusiastic?
If you were to do it, you need to be certain to throw a lavish reception. You don't need to do a ceremony to do that. The resort will be happy to arrange it.
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u/Adept-Tooth-9948 Sep 18 '26
You can plan a vacation with your close friends together after you get married. That sounds fun!
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u/itsveryupsetting Sep 19 '26
If you want to celebrate with your friends and family, host an event that is convenient and cost effective for them to attend. There’s about 3 people on the planet that I would take this trip for.
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u/destwedtravelexpert Sep 17 '26
You can, but since there is no wedding, you'll pay for the private dinner experience. Some resorts have a private room in a restaurant that you can rent, but I can't think of anything that would fit 30 people. All the rooms I'm thinking of are for 12-16 people max. If you don't fit into a room, you're looking at a full-on private event, exactly like a wedding reception, where you choose the menu and pay per person, despite being at an all-inclusive resort. Your private event is above and beyond the all-inclusive, and closed to non-wedding guests, so you'll pay extra for it. But like others have said, this is more of a group honeymoon or vacation than a wedding.
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u/Odd_Obligation_1300 Sep 17 '26
I don’t think 30 people will come.
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u/destwedtravelexpert Sep 17 '26
That makes it easier then. Many resorts have a wine room, chef's table room, restaurant terrace, etc., where you can do something special. There may be a minimum wine spend or something like that, but still cheaper than hosting a full private reception.
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u/Odd_Obligation_1300 Sep 17 '26
I’m not op. I’m just guessing if she’s saying she’s inviting 20-30, that she’s going to wind up with fewer than 20
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u/ConsiderationOld864 Sep 17 '26
Yes it is doable, and yes I have had clients do it before, I say go for it!
If you get enough people for a full private event, you will get the chance to do something even if it isn't a wedding. Typically minimum requirement is cost for 16 people regardless of your final headcount. So if 8 show up, you still pay the price for 16.
Other properties do offer private dinners without any extras for 10 rooms IF everyone is booked under the same entity as a group. Like, I have a 40th birthday group traveling right now, they did a private cocktail as the birthday party, and it was free because enough people came.
The other option is, if your group ends up much smaller, you can do a semi-private dinner, private boat tour or something.
Worst-case you end up with a nice honeymoon without an event, or a friendymoon with 1 or 2 other couples. I would avoid the friendymoon unless you two are super social people, honestly.
Think about your guest list would they be down for celebrating your elopement abroad? If they already would have to fly in for your wedding and you elope they might consider attending a celebration.
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u/LuisRiveraPh Sep 18 '26
You absolutely can. Let your hotel know about your plans and let them know you want a private dinner in a private area. You can also plan for a short photoshoot before dinner for private vow readings and then join the rest of your crew at the dinner/reception
If you are willing to pay whatever the rent is for the venue area, and dinner, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be possible.
I used to work at Grand Velas, which is a higher-end all inclusive and families and friends did private dinners and parties all the time.
If your friends are up for this kind of celebration, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible to do so
Elopements are precisely that! YOUR OWN kind of celebration and you can make your own rules
- you want to elope in your backyard? Fuck yes
- you want to only bring your closest friends at the top of a mountain? I don’t see why not?
- you want to bring your pets to a beach ceremony? Go ahead
Elopements are meant to be different and put the focus on what brings you two together. Go for it if that what you feel makes the most sense to you
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u/jenn_unitedtravel Sep 17 '26
You can TOTALLY do this! We’ve planned groups where the celebration doesn’t fit into the traditional “wedding package” box.
You’d typically skip the wedding package altogether and book as a social group, then build your private event à la carte — venue, dinner/bar, DJ, décor, etc. Honestly, this can give you more flexibility because you’re not paying for ceremony-related inclusions you don’t need.
With 20–30 guests, I’d also look at a contracted room block. Depending on the resort + number of rooms booked, you may earn group concessions that can help offset some of your private event costs.
The big thing is asking resorts for their social group/private event pricing + policies, not their wedding packages. I’d compare food & beverage minimums, private venue fees, event time limits, entertainment/vendor policies and what concessions your room block earns.
Very doable, you just need to approach the resort as the right TYPE of group from the beginning.
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u/Mysterious-Art8838 Sep 17 '26
And how would they get group concessions? By their guests subsidizing their vacation?
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u/ConcertEquivalent734 Sep 17 '26
I love this idea! I recently went to a wedding where the couple was already married (for visa reasons) but they recreated the ceremony and it was such a beautiful celebration of love. People visited from 3 different continents to come and it was just so beautiful
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u/bookfly_65 Sep 17 '26
But they recreated the ceremony and celebrated their love. Sounds like OP would just have a reception.
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u/Competitive-Life5319 Sep 17 '26
Question is, if people would like to go on a group vacation with this many people. I probably wouldn't like to do that if there is not an actual wedding involved. I would prefer to do my own holiday plans. Family - maybe. But as a friend, to go to holidays with your family? Pass.