Outside Vendor Fees are something many current and potential clients ask me about, they want to know what they are and why resorts are charge them this fee for using a vendor that they love the work of. Because of all the questions and speculations, this week’s blog answers some of the most common questions I have come across. I hope this helps clear up some confusion on what these fees are and why they have been put in place by 90% of the resorts here in Riviera Maya.
So, what are outside vendor fee’s?
Outside Vendor Fees are associated with resorts here in Riviera Maya (usually all-inclusive) and occur when you want to work with a vendor outside of their preferred vendor list. These fees vary considerably depending on the resort you choose to hold your destination wedding at. Usually they are anything between $100USD – $1000USD per vendor. Because of this, it is very important for you to research and determine the extent of this fee before setting anything in concrete with a particular venue. Always read all your contracts very carefully and gather as much information as you can before signing.
If using an outside vendor means additional fees, why don’t I just use the vendors on the resorts list?
When you plan a destination wedding at one of the wonderful resorts here in Riviera Maya, Mexico you will mostly likely be appointed a wedding co-ordinator who will in the early stages of things give you a list of ‘inside vendors’ that they work with. These vendors are companies/professionals who pay a fee to be associated with the resort, this ensures all couples getting married at that resort are sent straight to them for their services.
As you will see from the list, there is usually only one or two options per section, not giving you much choice but you may get lucky and find somebody that you feel very excited to work with, if so then great!! If this is not the case, and you want someone a little different that works in a particular style that you like, you may wish to search the internet and find your own vendor. This is where the term ‘Outside Vendors’ comes from. Do not worry, many rates of an outside vendor can be rather competitive even when you factor in the additional amount for the fee. In my personal opinion I think hiring a vendor you are excited to work with, love the work of and trust is something very worth those extra bucks, this is your special day after all and your memories of this day will last a life time.
Do outside vendors discount their packages to compensate for this fee?
This is something that varies completely from vendor to vendor. If you ask, some vendors may be able to give you a slight discount to help cover part of the fee but keep in mind, they may also be occurring costs to the resort and their overheads will not be cheap to produce the quality of work that they do. With my packages, and I believe many other vendors do the same…. I have taken into account that clients may have to pay a fee in order to use my services and have built my packages with this in mind. Since it is very case-sensitive, it is best to not assume that all companies will absorb this fee for you.
I hope the answers to these questions have helped clear up any worries or confusion you are having about Outside vendor fees and if you need any more information or want to send a question through, please do so!