Using "The Wedding Experience"

[nay6600]

Do you have to use this company when booking a destination wedding on a cruise? I've read almost a hundered complaints tonight about them and they have so many complaints with the BBB. Is there any other way?

 

Rene'

[maddam_5maria]

Do you have to use this company when booking a destination wedding on a cruise? I've read almost a hundered complaints tonight about them and they have so many complaints with the BBB. Is there any other way?

 

Rene'

 

Yes...you find a local wedding planning company at the destination you choose and leave the cruiseline out altogether.

[VM_Mom]

I have to say that I was married onboard and had to use TWE. I was worried because of all the complaints, but my experience was very good. I was pleased with the service during planning and very pleased with the coordinators during the wedding.

[JerseyGem]

If you don't plan on having the wedding itself onboard, you can avoid using TWE (as explained by the first poster). If you then want an onboard celebratory "event" after the "land" wedding, you can avoid using TWE by having a TA arrange a group booking for your party and then having a group event (and call it your reception, etc).

[soon2bmrsspd]

I too used them onboard the ship in Nassau. I just made sure "I" planned EVERYTHING to the second, and brought everything onboard. Therefore all she did was just stand around. I even had guests and my wedding party doing everything, so again to keep TWE out of the actual wedding. As for the months before the wedding, they do very little anyway. There was one aspect that I had no choice in having them handle, and that was the licensing, and of course that was totally messed up, and it took 4 months to make my ceremony legal in the eyes of the Bahamian gov't. Go figure.

[dcdiva]

I have to say that I was married onboard and had to use TWE. I was worried because of all the complaints, but my experience was very good. I was pleased with the service during planning and very pleased with the coordinators during the wedding.

 

My TWE experience was also pretty good. I took the advice of others on this board and made sure to confirm everything, and than reconfirm it, and then reconfirm again. I am sure I was their favorite bride :rolleyes: But it worked out great and I wouldn't have changed a thing. The TWE coordinator (was also our officiant) was completely fanstastic on the day of the wedding. So that went along way in offsetting some of the annoyances during the planning.

[nessa26]

To offset the ratio, Ive had nothing but good things to say about them! They have been really great and helpfull :)

 

Do you have to use this company when booking a destination wedding on a cruise? I've read almost a hundered complaints tonight about them and they have so many complaints with the BBB. Is there any other way?

 

Rene'

[hhortononb]

To offset the ratio, Ive had nothing but good things to say about them! They have been really great and helpfull :)

 

I have also had a great experience with them so far! :D

[Artemis908]

my experience thus far has been so-so. I think I will know more when I actually have the wedding. I have been getting some misinformation depending on who I talk to, that's been the most frustrating.

[Lipz]

I've had no problems with TWE.

I have gotten emails from several of them after initially hearing from one on a regular basis. When I finally got a receipt from my original one I said "I hope all has been well since I've been working with others', she responded 'I'm doing better thanks for asking'. Who know she may have been out sick just from her response.

At any rate it doesn't matter who emails me back as I have kept EVERY email and will have the ones that stated what we are getting with me when we get on board. It's about all we can in the long run.

I hear the onboard coordinators are GREAT!

I just hope we get one who is same-sex coupld friendly or my bad side might come out! lol

[DramaticCanadian]

So TWE is basically my only option because I'm planning a wedding at the port before the ship leaves, and not on any of the islands/stops.

[Lipz]

So TWE is basically my only option because I'm planning a wedding at the port before the ship leaves, and not on any of the islands/stops.

 

That's exactly it.

If your getting married on a cruise ship and it's the day the ship sets sail you will have to go through 'The Wedding Experience' unless the cruise line you choose uses a different wedding company.

[LilBlackDress]

So TWE is basically my only option because I'm planning a wedding at the port before the ship leaves, and not on any of the islands/stops.

 

depending what port you are sailing from you can get married on the beach and or a they have special near by locations. TWE offers this at some ports but the nice thing is so do local planners.

 

The upside (imo) is you don't have to use TWE. The downside is you won't get the early boarding...

[amc80]

So TWE is basically my only option because I'm planning a wedding at the port before the ship leaves, and not on any of the islands/stops.

 

We are getting married and having a brunch reception at a hotel in Florida, then traveling to the port to board. I didn't want to go through TWE; aside from being a PITA, it is really expensive for basically nothing.

[Lipz]

We are getting married and having a brunch reception at a hotel in Florida, then traveling to the port to board. I didn't want to go through TWE; aside from being a PITA, it is really expensive for basically nothing.

 

 

It's funny because I had the opposite experience. I live in NYC where getting married can be someone's yearly salary. So we opted for a cruise ship wedding. We originally did it because it is just our thing and reflects what we love. However, I found out that it actualy saves us money. Now by making it more your own you do spend money, but to be honest I'd rather pay $15, 000 on a cruise ship wedding that also gets us and our two kids a weeks vacation, than $20,000 for a few hours at a venue here in NYC.

[VintageNeedfulThings]

Do you have to use this company when booking a destination wedding on a cruise? I've read almost a hundered complaints tonight about them and they have so many complaints with the BBB. Is there any other way?

 

Rene'

I am being married on the Splendor on June 19th and I am finding them to be very unresponsive. I am nervous

[VintageNeedfulThings]

Could you explain what they messed up? They are getting my license as well for a June 19th 2011 wedding out of Long Beach.

Thank you

[JulieRose]

It's funny because I had the opposite experience. I live in NYC where getting married can be someone's yearly salary. So we opted for a cruise ship wedding. We originally did it because it is just our thing and reflects what we love. However, I found out that it actualy saves us money. Now by making it more your own you do spend money, but to be honest I'd rather pay $15, 000 on a cruise ship wedding that also gets us and our two kids a weeks vacation, than $20,000 for a few hours at a venue here in NYC.

 

Same with Philly! We talked to officiants who wanted more than TWE's entire fee JUST TO PERFORM THE CEREMONY!!! crazy.

[pinkdiamonddolly]

You can say alot about cruise ship weddings, but you can't say anything bad about the cost. I don't live in a major city, I live in BFE and you are not getting married here for under 10,000.00 (yes I know thats cheap by NYC standards LOL) BUT seriously Carnival weddings are roughly 2000.00, Thats insane cheap for a wedding PLUS a reception. I just wish there beach wedding packages were less expensive. I don't get why they are the same as the other packages but, no ship reception:confused:. I am doing a beach wedding (local coordinator) and a ship reception (Thanks Lipz, you helped me decide). TWE bites because they are the only game in town, I would love to see a competitor come in.

[Ehechtor]

I've been planning my upcoming wedding (I'm the groom :)) onboard the Carnival Liberty on June 18th 2011 and I've not had a problem with TWE thus far. They've been extremely responsive and have answered all my questions but then again, when I need a quick answer, I don't send email. I pick up the phone and talk to a human being.

 

Now when it comes to the wedding on board the ship that is another story. I've read several posts from women who have recently gotten married while in port in Miami on the Liberty and they told me that their wedding was absolutely perfect and they had no problems whatsoever.

 

I just hope that my future wife and I have the exact same experience.

[heatherkristin]

throughout the whole planning of our wedding, TWE was great to work with! I have no complaints about them at all. My husband and I were just married 04/05/2011 aboard the Carnival Paradise, and the coordinator from TWE, as well as the one from Carnival were a dream to work with. :)

[Lipz]

Same with Philly! We talked to officiants who wanted more than TWE's entire fee JUST TO PERFORM THE CEREMONY!!! crazy.

 

Now see you taking me 'there'....

As we looked for an oficiant and interviewed with a few I got my biggest shock when one had a quote of OVER $1,200. :eek: Excuse me?!?!

The least expensive officiant we came across was charging $600 but we could see how 'new' she was and the interview was kind of weird just in what she didn't say or ask. At any rate, we went with the second one which was more than $600 but not as bad as $1,200. We're paying $800 and I believe it's way to much, but I'm just cheap any way.

This also makes me wonder if I am in the WRONG field!

 

 

 

You can say alot about cruise ship weddings, but you can't say anything bad about the cost. I don't live in a major city, I live in BFE and you are not getting married here for under 10,000.00 (yes I know thats cheap by NYC standards LOL) BUT seriously Carnival weddings are roughly 2000.00, Thats insane cheap for a wedding PLUS a reception. I just wish there beach wedding packages were less expensive. I don't get why they are the same as the other packages but, no ship reception:confused:. I am doing a beach wedding (local coordinator) and a ship reception (Thanks Lipz, you helped me decide). TWE bites because they are the only game in town, I would love to see a competitor come in.

[Herbaltees]

Lipsz did I understand you correctly. In addition to the Fee for the wedding onboard we must solicit and pay our own officiant?

[Lipz]

Lipsz did I understand you correctly. In addition to the Fee for the wedding onboard we must solicit and pay our own officiant?

 

 

No. The officiant comes with your wedding package.

We had already hired an officiant because our original wedding was not on a cruise ship. When we decided to change it to the ship, we were still stuck with the one we hired since we could not get our deposit back. So she is doing our cruise ship wedding.

[Herbaltees]

No. The officiant comes with your wedding package.

We had already hired an officiant because our original wedding was not on a cruise ship. When we decided to change it to the ship, we were still stuck with the one we hired since we could not get our deposit back. So she is doing our cruise ship wedding.

 

Just curious, will your officiant be counted as a "guest" in the count? I'm wondering if we select our own officiant would this person be counted as a member of our party, not that I'm opposed to paying for his/her meal, I'm more concerned with the limit of non sailing guests.