How in the world can I plan a wedding? Do resorts have in-house event planners?

I'm engaged and I am working with my future in-laws to surprise my fiance with a tropical wedding at our resort in Maui. Do the resorts have someone like an event planner to do things for their global clientele travelling from around the world?

I want the resort to take care of most of the details.

kerrik17 wrote:

Do the resorts have someone like an event planner to do things for their global clientele travelling from around the world?

I want the resort to take care of most of the details.

Timeshare resorts, except for those relatively few which have a separate, affiliated "hotel" facility which is not associated with timeshare ownerships, are NOT in the business of hosting or planning "events" (...including weddings). Accordingly, timeshare facilities do not have "event planners" on staff.

A resort may cooperate to some limited extent with some third party that YOU hire (...i.e., YOU pay) to handle all of the wedding details, but rest assured that otherwise a timeshare resort is NOT going to be the least bit interested in handling ANYTHING associated in any way with your function. That's simply not the role or function of a timeshare facility manager, who is there to manage the property on a daily basis for the owners (not to be a part time "event planner"). Management duties and responsibilities most certainly do NOT include "event planning". Moreover, keep in mind that it is highly unlikley that ANY particular space on the resort site can ever be exclusively allocated just to your wedding, since ALL other owners present on site to use their owned week(s) must always have equal access to anywhere and everywhere on the facility while physically present to use and enjoy their owned week(s).

Ken, there are exceptions! Our resort does have people to help with planning and also has a beautiful area next to our Tower units over looking Carson Valley just for weddings.

Weddings are a big part and money maker for the Ridge Tahoe. They even close off the Hungry Bear restaurant many times for the wedding party and dinners. This is reason our restaurant open only on days like Wed-Fridays for owners with most weddings on Sat and Sundays. The resort makes a lot of money for the resort by having all this for its members.

Our daughter now living in Texas is thinking about coming to Tahoe and getting married at the Ridge in March 2012. They wanted to use a winery in northern Ca but its just to much money.

PHILL12

phill12 wrote:

Ken, there are exceptions! Our resort does have people to help with planning and also has a beautiful area next to our Tower units over looking Carson Valley just for weddings.

Weddings are a big part and money maker for the Ridge Tahoe. They even close off the Hungry Bear restaurant many times for the wedding party and dinners. This is reason our restaurant open only on days like Wed-Fridays for owners with most weddings on Sat and Sundays. The resort makes a lot of money for the resort by having all this for its members.

Sounds great Phil, but I'm sure you'd agree that the situation you describe is indeed a VERY rare exception in the timeshare world. In my own 30 years of ownership and experience, I'd never once before even heard of such a thing. Thanks for pointing out this particular noteworthy exception.

I agree with you as far as many smaller timeshare resorts may not give owners/guest these options. Many timeshare resorts do work with owners and guest with extras like this and planning trips around the area. Maybe this is one of many reason why our resort hasn't had problems. I may not like the Hungry Bear not open for me seven nights a week but understand it brings in extra funds to the resort which helps all owners.

I have found in many timeshare resorts that if they don't have someone on site they have people off site that help owners with special needs like weddings. I would bet most owners don't know this because they never needed or asked the resort about options they may have as owners.

PHILL12

ken1193 wrote:

Sounds great Phil, but I'm sure you'd agree that the situation you describe is indeed a VERY rare exception in the timeshare world. In my own 30 years of ownership and experience, I'd never once before even heard of such a thing. Thanks for pointing out this particular noteworthy exception.

No, it's NOT very rare .... we have stayed at many resorts that offer wedding planning and we have WITNESSED actual weddings being performed .... but you posted this as a flatout statement because you, as the self proclaimed timeshare expert, posted it so it must be FACT !!!!

kerrik17 wrote:

I'm engaged and I am working with my future in-laws to surprise my fiance with a tropical wedding at our resort in Maui. Do the resorts have someone like an event planner to do things for their global clientele travelling from around the world? I want the resort to take care of most of the details.

I would check directly with the resort.

ken1193 wrote:

Management duties and responsibilities most certainly do NOT include "event planning". Moreover, keep in mind that it is highly unlikley that ANY particular space on the resort site can ever be exclusively allocated just to your wedding

Evidently none of the timeshare resorts you own, nor those you have visited, had a clubhouse including meeting rooms, banquet halls or an oustide common area for such events. I can't think of even one resort that we've visited (35-40 resorts) that didn't have facilities for such.

If there is a company that can handle this type of party, I am interested too..

Please email me through Redweek if you come across a suitable company.

Kerrik17 there are plenty of wedding planners in Maui. I was checking this out a few weeks ago and most major hotels have them and the planners can plan everything including off the hotel grounds. I even found this option on our American Airlines e-mails of great vacation deals.

My daughter has been to what I think is the best Luau in Hawaii and that is the Old Lahania Luau. They hold weddings before the Luau and then the reception during the Luau. We have seen this almost every time we go.

The only problem getting married in Hawaii is most friends can't afford the trip or get the time off work if they have jobs. The cost is just to much for most people unless its just parents going with you. This was reason our daughter wanted the winery in California. Even having it at our resort still requires most people to not only drive to Lake Tahoe but stay over night and for many this is just a hardship.

Hope everything works out for you! PHILL12

We kind of got off topic here about in-house event planners..