Your reception is one of your wedding’s most expensive parts, and the costs further skyrocket if you choose to travel. Some brides and grooms are choosing to get creative when cutting costs, looking to non-traditional venues. Here’s what you need to understand about timeshares for destination weddings. 

1. Understand What a Timeshare Is

Like many things, timeshares arose out of good intentions — if you vacation in the same place every year, why rent a hotel when you can buy a piece of property with others who also holiday at that spot and save cash? What your savvy salesperson won’t mention are the ever-growing maintenance costs associated with that ownership. 

Therefore, it’s not like you can buy a suite of rooms for your guests. You might be able to rent other people’s vacation property for that year if you can find enough owners skipping their annual vaca, but there’s no guarantee. 

2. Consider the Alternatives

If you’re seeking rooms where guests can stay, you have many alternatives. The arrival of Airbnb means you can rent a home big enough to accommodate your entire party, complete with a kitchen to save you money on meals. If you and others intend to make a vacation out of it, this option is a solid bet. 

Another choice is to seek group travel discounts at area hotels. To use this method, please send your invitations well in advance and gather early RSVPs to determine how many rooms you’ll need. Approach various venues with your needs and ask about pricing, starting with those where you already enjoy travel discounts. 

Even though you may have a limited budget, don’t overlook pricier resorts when searching. If you plan to combine your honeymoon and wedding, venues like L’Auberge de Sedona let you rent a larger cabin for ceremony guests and a more intimate one for your post-nuptial celebration. 

3. Read the Fine Print

Before you select a timeshare for your wedding destination, please make sure you read the fine print. For example, while guests likely won’t have to sit through a sales pitch if you rent someone else’s timeshare property, management might nevertheless propose having everyone attend a “maintenance meeting.” 

Please check with your venue to ensure that your guests have the right to refuse to attend such meetings. They shouldn’t feel any more pressure at a timeshare venue than they would at a traditional hotel. It’s one thing if staff have informational brochures available, but your guests shouldn’t have to sit through a presentation — which brings us to the final tip. 

4. Avoid Getting Tacky

You probably want to avoid being like the bride and groom who wanted their guests to sit through a timeshare sales pitch to attend their wedding. Yes, it’s your big day, but that doesn’t make you Queen Mother of All Commands. Pulling such a move will lead to no end of social media controversy — just don’t. 

If you decide that a timeshare makes the best venue for your ceremony or reception, please inform guests of alternative lodging choices when you send your invitations. Think about it — would you attend a party if the host said you had to clock in for an unpaid meeting before you could enjoy the fun?

Understand These Timeshares Realities for Your Destination Wedding

Timeshares offer one option for your destination wedding. However, you must understand the realities and carefully weigh your considerations. 

About The Author: Cora’s passion is to inspire others to live a happy, healthful, and mindful life through her words on Revivalist – wholeheartedly convincing them that everyday moments are worth celebrating. Cora has spent 5+ years writing for numerous lifestyle sites – hence her sincere love for both life and the beauty of style in all things. Keep up with Cora on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.