The couple signs for $9,000–$25,000 at most Caribbean and Mexico all-inclusives — roughly a third of the ~$33,000–$36,000 average US wedding. The catch hiding in plain sight: every guest buys their own $1,340 vacation, so a 30-guest wedding's true total clears $50,000. Here's both ledgers, package tier by tier, plus the legal paperwork by country that decides whether your marriage is real when you land.
| Line | Typical | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Resort package | $1,500–$13,200 | Tier and included-guest cap; overages $25–$130/head |
| Legal fees & documents | $195–$1,000 | Country; see the table below |
| Flights for two | $600–$1,400 | Origin, season, booking window |
| Couple room nights | $900–$2,600 | 5–7 nights × $180–$400 all-inclusive rate |
| Photographer | $1,200 or $3,500 | Resort shooter vs flown-in pro |
| Welcome party / events | $500–$2,000 | Private dinners, rehearsal drinks, catamaran day |
| Welcome bags | $8 × guests | Sunscreen, snacks, itinerary cards |
A realistic mid-range Jamaica plan — standard $4,600 package for 30 guests, $325 legal, $1,000 flights, five nights at $350, resort photographer, $800 welcome party, $8 bags — totals $9,915. Same plan at the basic tier for 20 guests: $6,185. Premium tier, 50 guests, flown-in photographer: $22,975.
Published 2025 examples from Jamaica resorts run $4,599 for 30 guests and $13,199 for 40, with $25–$130 per extra guest. The "free wedding" in the brochure is real but skeletal — a la carte additions are how it becomes a paid tier in disguise.
Destination, tier, guests, flights, nights — the couple's total, per-guest cost, and the true total, line by line.
Open the Destination Wedding Cost Calculator →| Destination | Typical cost | The hoops |
|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | ~$325 | 24-hr residency; ~$75 license via planner; certified birth certificates; no blood test or apostille |
| Mexico | $650–$1,000 | Civil judge required; apostilled + translated docs; blood test in some states; 2–4 witnesses |
| Dominican Republic | $600–$1,000 | Notarized + translated documents; civil license; usually bundled by the resort |
| Costa Rica | $400–$900 | Lawyer-led civil registration; apostilled docs; 2 witnesses |
| US Virgin Islands | $150–$350 | No passport for US citizens; license ~8 days ahead; no residency wait |
| Las Vegas | ~$195 | $102 license, zero waiting, officiant $50–$150 |
The classic move for Mexico and the DR: legally marry at the courthouse at home first, then hold a symbolic ceremony abroad. Nobody at the resort can tell the difference, and you skip apostilles, translations, and a judge fee. Rules change and resort wedding offices know the current drill — confirm before booking (and none of this is legal advice).
Each guest pays airfare plus three to four group-rate nights, typically $1,100–$1,700. At the worked example's $1,340, your 30 guests collectively spend $40,200 on your wedding — more than four times your own bill. Two implications worth acting on:
The hotel room block calculator works out block sizes and attrition clauses; the wedding budget calculator places the whole event in a 12-category plan; and the catering cost per person calculator prices the welcome dinner if your package doesn't include one.
$9,000-$25,000 for the couple covers most Caribbean and Mexico all-inclusive weddings: a $4,600 standard package for 30 guests, $325-$800 in legal fees, $1,000 in flights, five room nights, a photographer, and a welcome event lands near $9,915. Budget-tier couples do it for $5,000-$7,000 with basic packages; premium packages with flown-in vendors pass $20,000.
Guests pay their own way: about $1,340 each for airfare and three group-rate nights at a typical Jamaica wedding. Multiply by 30 guests and the room-and-airfare bill the couple never sees is $40,200 — a $50,115 true total against the couple's $9,915. That's not a scam; it's the trade: the couple buys a smaller bill, guests buy a vacation.
Jamaica: 24 hours on the island, a ~$75 license arranged through your planner, certified birth certificates, no blood test, no apostille — about $325 all-in with the officiant. Las Vegas is even faster (~$195 total). Mexico and the Dominican Republic are the paperwork-heavy ones: apostilled, translated documents and $600-$1,000 in fees, which is why many couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony at the resort.
Some do — a basic 'complimentary' ceremony for couples who book a minimum number of room nights (often 5-10 across the group) or a higher suite category. The free tier covers a ceremony site, basic florals, and champagne; anything you actually pictured — private reception, real decor, photography — is priced a la carte, which is how 'free' becomes $4,600.
Plan on 40-60% of your invite list, versus 70-85% for a local wedding. Invitations should go out 8-12 months ahead, and the room block should be booked with a travel agent or the resort's group desk so guests get group rates and you get credit toward room-night minimums.