Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — completely. Your initial consultation with one of our specialists costs nothing. We'll spend 30 minutes getting to know your vision, your dates, and your budget, and give you honest guidance on destinations, resorts, and next steps.

A planning fee applies only if you decide to move forward and book with us. We'll always be upfront about what that looks like before you commit to anything.

This is one of the most common misconceptions in travel — and it's worth addressing directly. Resort rates are set by the resort and don't change based on how you book. Online travel sites receive the same commission structure that travel agents do.

The difference is what you get for it. When you book online, you do all the research, manage all the details, and have no one to call if something goes wrong. When you book with Bliss, you get a named specialist who knows your trip inside and out, handles everything from pre-arrival notifications to problem resolution, and brings 20+ years of firsthand resort knowledge to every recommendation.

In many cases, we're also able to secure perks — room upgrades, resort credits, early check-in, welcome amenities — that simply aren't available when you book independently.

Each of our eight specialists has deep expertise in specific destinations and trip types. If you already know where you want to go, our contact page lets you browse by destination and book directly with the agent who knows it best.

If you're not sure yet, book through our general consultation link and we'll match you with the right person based on your vision and destination. Either way, you'll work with one named specialist from your first call through your return home — not a different person every time you reach out.

We completely understand — life is busy. But here's the honest answer: a quote without a conversation is almost always the wrong starting point. Without knowing your travel style, what you've loved or hated on past trips, your budget, your must-haves, and your dates, any quote we send would just be a number attached to a resort that may or may not be right for you.

Our consultations are 30 minutes and move quickly. Many of our clients tell us it's the most useful 30 minutes of their entire planning process. And if a phone call truly doesn't work, reach out via email and we'll do our best to help you get started from there.

Absolutely — we serve couples nationwide. While we're based in Columbus, Ohio, the majority of our clients are not local. Everything we do happens over the phone, video call, and email, and we're just as effective working with a couple in California as one down the street.

Our expertise is in the destinations we recommend, not our geography. And those destinations are the same no matter where you're booking from.

This is one of the most important reasons to work with a specialist rather than booking on your own. When something unexpected happens — a flight delay, a room issue, a problem with your reservation — you have a real person to call who knows your booking, has direct relationships with the resort, and can actually fix things.

Your Bliss specialist's contact information goes with you on every trip. We're reachable during your travel dates and we take that responsibility seriously. Getting issues resolved quickly and completely is one of the most valuable things we do — and it's something you simply don't have access to when you book through an online travel site.

As soon as possible after getting engaged — ideally 9–12 months before your travel dates. For popular destinations like French Polynesia, the Maldives, and Santorini, the best overwater villas and cave suites at top resorts book up 12+ months in advance for peak season.

For Caribbean and Mexico all-inclusive resorts, 6–9 months is generally comfortable — though butler suites and overwater categories at Sandals resorts fill up faster and should be treated as 9–12 months.

The short answer: contact us right after you get engaged, even if your wedding date is still being finalized. Earlier is always better, and a conversation costs nothing.

Between our eight specialists, we cover the world. Our most popular honeymoon destinations include the Caribbean (Jamaica, St. Lucia, Barbados, Turks & Caicos, Curaçao), Mexico (Riviera Maya, Cancún, Los Cabos), French Polynesia (Bora Bora, Moorea, Tahiti), the Maldives, Hawaii, Europe (Italy, Greece, Croatia, Portugal, France), Bali, Thailand, Australia, and New Zealand.

Every destination we recommend is one our team has personal experience with. We don't recommend resorts or destinations we haven't vetted firsthand — which means our suggestions come from real knowledge, not a brochure.

If you have a destination in mind that isn't listed here, reach out — between us we cover virtually everywhere.

That's actually one of our favorite consultations to have. Most couples come in with a rough sense of what they want — beach vs. adventure, relaxation vs. exploration, all-inclusive ease vs. boutique independence — and we help turn that into a specific destination and resort recommendation.

Come to your consultation with a budget range, your travel dates, and a sense of what kind of experience you want. We'll take it from there. You don't need to know where you want to go — that's what we're here for.

Yes — and we love helping couples set up honeymoon registries. Instead of a traditional gift registry, a honeymoon fund lets your guests contribute toward specific experiences: a sunset cruise, a couples massage, a private dinner on the beach, or simply a contribution toward the trip itself.

We can help you set up a honeymoon registry and structure it in a way that makes gifting easy and meaningful for your guests. Ask your specialist about this during your consultation — it's one of the most appreciated things we help couples put together.

Always book your airline ticket using the name on your passport — not the name you plan to use after the wedding. If you're changing your name after marriage, your passport won't be updated yet when you travel for your honeymoon, so your ticket must match your current legal name.

If you plan to change your name and want your passport to reflect your married name before your honeymoon, you'll need to update it after the wedding — which takes time. Plan accordingly, and always bring this up during your consultation so we can account for it in your timeline.

Our destination wedding service covers the full scope of group travel logistics — not just the wedding event itself. Specifically, we handle resort selection and vetting, room block contract review and negotiation, guest booking management (so your guests have a dedicated booking link and someone to call with questions), airport transfer coordination, and ongoing liaison between you and the resort's on-site wedding coordinator.

The resort's wedding coordinator handles the ceremony and reception execution on the day. We handle everything that gets your guests there, housed, and happy — and we're your advocate when anything needs to be negotiated or resolved.

Guests pay for their own travel and accommodation — just as they would for any destination trip. Your guests are essentially booking a vacation at the resort where your wedding is taking place. They arrange and pay for their own flights and rooms.

What you as the couple pay for is the wedding package — ceremony, reception, florals, photography, and any upgrades — along with your own accommodation and flights. The all-inclusive nature of most destination wedding resorts means your guests' meals, drinks, and activities are all covered in their room rate once they're there.

Most guests who attend destination weddings genuinely love the experience — they're not just attending a ceremony, they're getting 4–5 days at a beautiful resort. Attendance rates are typically around 80% of invited guests for this reason.

Many all-inclusive resorts offer a complimentary base wedding package when you meet a minimum room night requirement with your guest room block. What's included in "free" varies by resort — but typically covers a ceremony location, basic floral arrangements, a small wedding cake, a champagne toast, and an officiant for a symbolic ceremony.

The honest reality: a complimentary base package gets you legally or symbolically married in a beautiful setting. It is not the fully designed, Pinterest-worthy wedding most couples are envisioning. The gap between the base package and your actual vision — upgraded florals, photography, reception dinner, entertainment, lighting, décor — is where the real wedding budget conversation begins.

We help couples understand exactly what they're getting in a base package and what upgrades will cost before they commit to any resort — so there are no surprises.

Several destinations stand out for LGBTQ+ couples planning destination weddings. Mexico is one of our top recommendations — same-sex marriage is legally recognized nationwide, and resorts in the Riviera Maya and Cancún are genuinely welcoming and experienced with LGBTQ+ weddings. The Dominican Republic has also become increasingly popular.

In Europe, Greece legalized same-sex marriage in 2024 and Santorini, Mykonos, and Athens are among the most celebratory destinations in the world for all couples. Portugal and Spain are also excellent options with legal recognition and genuinely welcoming cultures.

For the Caribbean specifically, legal recognition varies significantly by island. Jamaica does not legally recognize same-sex marriage — symbolic ceremonies are available and beautiful, but the legal piece would need to happen elsewhere. Always discuss this with your specialist so we can guide you to destinations that align with both your legal and experiential preferences.

Our team has significant experience planning LGBTQ+ destination weddings and we approach every couple's wedding with the same enthusiasm and care. Learn more about our LGBTQ+ travel services here.