Wedding sponsored post by Class Venues: Looking to have a wedding in Italy? Our friends at ClassVenues.com provide an excellent wedding locale and are experienced in organizing important events. Here’s their article – enjoy!

With luxury resorts offering destination weddings today, how do you choose the best cheap wedding destination location without getting ripped off?

By avoiding the top five mistakes bride’s make when booking a destination wedding.

While limiting the number of guests that’ll attend your wedding will lower the reception costs at an exotic locale¸ you need more expert destination wedding tips that will keep you from blowing your wedding budget.

Whether you are planning a wedding in Italy or a beach-themed wedding in Jamaica, use these tips to throw a fantastic destination wedding for less.

# 1 – Destination Wedding Tips - Look for reviews from former brides.

Scour the web for travel websites that have consumer reviews of wedding destinations. Spied a few wedding castles or beach-front locations that are perfect for your nuptials?

The reviews of your proposed wedding locale will give you an accurate –and sometimes passionate viewpoint of the top cheap wedding destination locations.

# 2 – Destination Wedding Tips - Don’t forget the important wedding planning details, for a destination wedding.

If you’re having an international wedding, be aware of the legal marriage requirements. Make sure that you and your wedding party have valid passports, you fulfill any residency requirements for a legal marriage ceremony, and you have an official to perform the ceremony.

# 3 – Destination Wedding Tips - Hire the best wedding photographer/videographer you can afford.

Like hiring a photographer, booking a wedding video in Italy or Hawaii is not as difficult as you think. In fact, you can find part-time videographers that are cheaper that hiring professional wedding video production companies.

But before you sign on the dotted line of that wedding contract, ask to see previous wedding video or stock video of all of your wedding locations.

# 3 – Destination Wedding Tips - Buy a guide-book.

A well-written guide-book will give you insights into your cheap wedding destination location that a travel agent or a well-intention bridesmaid can offer.

An excellent guide-book will give you expert advice on the best hotels, restaurants and clubs for your budget.

# 4 – Destination Wedding Tips - Hire a wedding coordinator to help with any last-minute details.

Since you are planning your wedding from afar, you’ll need someone to secure the wedding villas for your bridal party, approve the food and décor for the reception and give you advice on any local customs. To find a good wedding planner, start by asking relatives, the destination location and friends for referrals.

How much does this service cost? A wedding planner charges between 10% to 15% of the total cost of the wedding.

# 5 – Destination Wedding Tips - Ask for bulk discounts or your hotel rooms and reception location.

Bringing a lot of friends and family to your destination wedding? Instead of clipping coupons, ask for a reduced rate on hotel stays and your reception site.

In fact, some hotels offer brides and grooms who plan a small wedding of 4 or less a free wedding ceremony! The catch? As long as the bridal party books a 5- to 6-night stay in a suite for their honeymoon in one of the wedding resort’s concierge-level honeymoon suites.

No matter what your reasons for selecting a cheap wedding destination location, one thing’s for sure: you deserve the best wedding day whether your wedding budget is $3,000 or $50,000.

Cheap Wedding Hotel Tips -How to Book a Cheap Luxury Hotel Room

Dreaming of staying in a luxury hotel room for your honeymoon?

For brides who desire the comfort and beauty of luxury hotels–but cannot afford the sky-high prices– you don’t have to sacrifice your dream destination.

While luxury hotels feature 24-hour concierges, amenities fit for a king or queen, designer linens, spa services, breathtaking views and 5-star restaurants, these pricey places are difficult to fit into the budget of a bargainista looking for cheap luxury hotels.

For many couples, once they’ve paid for the wedding ceremony and wedding reception, there are few dollars left to stay in a luxury hotel room.

But, for brides who still have those champagne dreams, you can shop around for a discount hotel room or cheap luxury hotels to experience a platinum wedding on a beer budget.

Cheap Wedding Hotels Tip #1- Use a travel agent.

A travel agent will alert you of any discount luxury hotel rooms that are available at the time of your wedding. If you don’t have a specific luxury hotel in mind, you can ask the travel agent to recommend his or her favorite hotel to get any insider tips on a cheap hotel for your honeymoon.

Cheap Wedding Hotels Tip #2- Plan your wedding during the luxury hotel’s off-season.

All hotels have different rates for travelers depending upon the time of year the room is booked. For example in Florida, luxury hotel rooms are more expensive during September through March in preparation for travelers looking to escape the winter weather in a sunny destination.

Ask your travel agent or the luxury hotels reservations desk for peak times of the year, so you can avoid high prices and get cheap luxury hotel rates.

Cheap Wedding Hotel Tip #3- Have a destination wedding.

Have your wedding and honeymoon in the same place. For example, plan your luxury wedding in the Cayman Islands. After your family and friends have toasted and celebrated your special day, stay for your honeymoon in one of the island’s most incredible luxury hotel rooms.

You’ll slice a significant amount off your wedding budget by booking a hotel room in the same city where your wedding takes place.

Cheap Wedding Hotel Tip #4- Visit travel price comparison websites

Websites like Yahoo! Farechase and SideStep.com/hotels search multiple travel consolidators and online websites that book travel for cheap luxury hotel prices. Input the dates of your honeymoon travel and your destination.

Cheap Wedding Hotel Tip #5- Ask for a discount, use coupons or membership rates.

Ask the hotel for a discount rate for your travelers. Once you’ve confirmed the hotel rooms for your wedding party and guests, if you are having a destination wedding, negotiate with the hotel for a complimentary luxury wedding hotel suite for free.

• If you are a member of AAA or AARP, for example use their discounts to get anywhere from 5% to 20% off your luxury hotel stay.
• Scour the web for online hotel coupons at a coupon website for weekly discount hotel deals.
• Ask for a weekend, corporate or extended stay rate. Some luxury hotels have special room rates for these types of travelers, but do not present them upon booking the hotel, unless you ask.

Finding cheap wedding hotel rooms shouldn’t be a daunting task.

However, using these tips above, a bride and groom can have the wedding they want and the honeymoon at a discount luxury hotel without sacrificing quality or staying in a cheap wedding hotel.