Insider Knowledge
What Every Couple
Needs to Know
Before Booking
We love Puerto Rico — it's why we live and work here. But loving a place means being honest about it. This guide will help you navigate the realities of booking vendors on the island so you can protect yourself and your investment.
Why We're Sharing This
Every wedding professional in our collective has heard the stories — and many of us have spent our careers cleaning up the aftermath. Couples who couldn't reach their vendor the week before the wedding. Contracts that offered zero protection when a vendor didn't show. Flowers that arrived wilted with no backup plan. These situations are not the norm, but they happen often enough that we believe every couple deserves a heads-up. This isn't meant to scare you — it's meant to empower you to choose wisely and protect your day.
Communication Is Your #1 Screening Tool
The single most common complaint from couples planning Puerto Rico destination weddings is the difficulty of getting vendors to respond. Unreturned calls, ignored emails, days of silence — it is, unfortunately, a widespread frustration. Some of this is cultural (the pace of business on the island can differ from what mainland couples expect), but much of it is simply a sign that a vendor is not the right fit for a high-stakes event like your wedding.
Many Puerto Ricans speak English fluently, but some vendors are not comfortable communicating in English and may not respond to English-language calls, emails, or messages. This is not personal — but it is a clear signal that this vendor is not equipped to serve you. Don't chase it. Move on.
What Good Communication Looks Like
- They respond to your initial inquiry within 24–48 hours
- If they can't take your call, they text: "I'm deep in prep for today's wedding — I'll respond as soon as it's over"
- If they have an event weekend, they let you know: "I have events this weekend. If you need me, I'll respond Monday morning"
- They are enthusiastic about speaking with you — not making you feel like a burden
- They proactively send information, timelines, and follow-ups without you having to ask
- They keep you on schedule rather than the other way around
The Rule
Your vendors should be the ones keeping you in line and on schedule — you should never have to track down a vendor just to do business. Anyone who does not make it easy for you to work with them does not want your business. There are better ones. A vendor who is hard to reach during the booking phase will undoubtedly be harder to reach when it matters most — and in the worst cases, they simply will not show up.
Contracts: Your Legal Protection
A professional, thorough contract is non-negotiable for any Puerto Rico wedding vendor. Do not proceed with any vendor — no matter how charming, affordable, or recommended — without a proper written agreement.
What a Proper Puerto Rico Wedding Contract Includes
Language You Understand
Contracts can be written entirely in English. If the vendor writes in Spanish, they must include a paragraph-by-paragraph English translation. This is the proper legal format in Puerto Rico.
Clear Scope of Services
Every service included should be explicitly listed. If it's not in writing, it's not guaranteed.
Fair Payment Schedule
A reasonable deposit with milestone payments tied to deliverables. Never pay in full upfront.
Balanced Cancellation Terms
The policy should protect both parties — not exclusively the vendor. Watch for one-sided language.
Performance Guarantees
Clear terms for what happens if the vendor fails to deliver. A vendor-sided contract with zero client protections is a red flag.
Dates, Timelines & Details
Specific dates, arrival times, setup requirements, and deliverables — all in writing.
If a vendor cannot or will not provide a bilingual contract with fair, balanced terms, that tells you everything you need to know about how they will handle problems on your wedding day.
Reviews, References & Venue Tours
Before committing to any vendor or venue, do your homework. Look for reviews on Google, Instagram, wedding platforms like The Knot and WeddingWire, and ask for references from recent clients. A vendor with a track record of happy couples will be proud to share that history with you.
When it comes to venue tours, understand that not every venue can offer casual walkthroughs — especially private estate venues. These properties often need to arrange additional staff, preparation, and time to accommodate visits. A tour fee is completely appropriate and is standard practice among professional venues. In most cases, the tour fee is applied as a credit toward your final price if you book.
A Note on Tour Fees
A venue that charges a tour fee is actually signaling something positive: they value their property, their staff's time, and the experience of every couple who visits. The fee ensures tours are intentional and well-prepared rather than rushed afterthoughts. When the fee is credited toward your booking, the tour is essentially free for serious couples — it simply filters out those who are not genuinely considering the venue.
Contacting Vendors on WeddingWire & The Knot
If you find a Puerto Rico venue or vendor on platforms like WeddingWire or The Knot and they don't respond to your message through the platform, there is often a good reason — and it is not that they don't want your business.
Puerto Rico venues in particular have been heavily targeted by spam accounts and scam operations on these platforms. The problem has become so severe that many venues no longer reply to inquiries directly through WeddingWire or The Knot. Scammers use these platforms to run schemes ranging from blocking out wedding dates with fake bookings to money wire and Zelle fraud — and the volume of fraudulent messages has made it nearly impossible for venues to distinguish real couples from bad actors within the platform itself.
What to Do Instead
When a vendor directs you away from a platform to their preferred communication method, follow their instructions. This is not a red flag — it is a sign that the vendor takes their business seriously enough to protect both themselves and their clients from fraud.
- Read the vendor's full listing carefully — they will often specify how they prefer to be contacted
- Some venues require an application or inquiry form on their own website to filter out spam and bots
- Follow the vendor's stated process — this is the first step in building a respectful client-vendor relationship
- If the listing says "contact us at [email/website]," do exactly that rather than messaging through the platform
A Two-Way Street
Just as you expect vendors to follow protocols and deliver on their promises for the best outcome of your day, vendors need clients who can read and follow simple instructions. This is the foundation of a good working relationship. If a vendor's listing asks you to fill out a form, visit their website, or contact them through a specific channel — that is your first opportunity to show that you are the kind of respectful, detail-oriented client they want to work with. Venues and vendors are also allowed to vet their clients, and this process is how it begins.
The Reality of Flowers in Puerto Rico
Floral design for Puerto Rico weddings comes with challenges that mainland couples rarely anticipate. It is one of the most logistically complex — and emotionally loaded — elements of island wedding planning. Here is the honest reality:
Tropical Flowers
The tropical flowers most reliably available on the island are bird of paradise, false birds of paradise, heliconias, and ginger flowers — sourced from a handful of local farms. Orchids are hit or miss depending on the season. These botanicals are wild and beautiful, but you get what mother nature gives you. A good designer works with what the land provides rather than fighting it.
Non-Tropical Flowers
Roses, peonies, ranunculus, and anything beyond the tropicals listed above must be flown in to the island. This adds significant cost and introduces risk — shipments can arrive in poor condition due to heat and transit time. It is an inherent reality of island logistics that even the best florists cannot fully control.
What a Good Floral Designer Does Differently
An experienced Puerto Rico floral designer understands these challenges intimately and plans for them. They will:
- Build in contingency plans for shipments that arrive in poor condition
- Know which local farms are producing well that season
- Design arrangements that work beautifully with what's available rather than fighting the island's reality
- Be transparent with you about what is reliably achievable and what carries risk
And here is the silver lining: even if your imported florals don't arrive as planned, the natural beauty of Puerto Rico's venues — especially the rainforest and garden settings — provides a breathtaking backdrop that no amount of floral design could improve upon. The venues in our guide are chosen in part because their natural settings speak for themselves.
The Bottom Line
Puerto Rico is one of the most beautiful places on Earth to get married. The culture is warm, the landscapes are extraordinary, and the right vendors will give you a wedding experience that exceeds anything you imagined. The professionals in this industry — the ones who show up, communicate clearly, and care deeply about their craft — are genuinely exceptional.
This guide exists not to discourage you, but to arm you with the knowledge to find those exceptional professionals and avoid the ones who will let you down. Trust your instincts, insist on professionalism, and remember: the right vendor will make it easy for you to say yes. You should never have to convince someone to take your business.
The venues and vendors featured in our guide have been vetted by the industry professionals in our collective. They represent the standard of service that every couple deserves.
Insider Guide FAQ
This is one of the most common frustrations couples report when planning a Puerto Rico destination wedding. There are a few reasons: some vendors may not be comfortable communicating in English, some operate on a more relaxed pace than mainland couples expect, and unfortunately, some are simply unprofessional. The good news is that this is a powerful screening tool — a vendor who is difficult to reach during the booking phase will not magically become responsive on your wedding day. Choose vendors and venues that respond promptly, communicate clearly, and are genuinely enthusiastic about working with you.
Your contract can be written entirely in English if the vendor is comfortable doing so — many are. However, if the vendor writes the contract in Spanish, they must include an English translation presented paragraph by paragraph alongside the Spanish text. This ensures both parties fully understand every term and is the proper legal format in Puerto Rico. If a vendor presents a contract only in Spanish with no English translation, request a bilingual version before signing.
Protect yourself by following these steps: (1) Choose vendors who respond promptly and communicate professionally. (2) Require a bilingual contract with fair terms that protect both parties — not just the vendor. (3) Check for reviews on Google, Instagram, and wedding platforms. (4) Ask for references from recent clients. (5) Never pay in full upfront — a reasonable deposit with milestone payments is standard. (6) Trust your instincts — if a vendor makes it difficult to do business during the booking phase, they will not improve on your wedding day.
A professional Puerto Rico wedding contract should include: full English text (or if written in Spanish, a paragraph-by-paragraph English translation), a clear scope of services, a detailed payment schedule with deposit and milestone amounts, a cancellation and refund policy that is fair to both parties, specific dates and timelines, force majeure (weather/emergency) provisions, and clear terms for what happens if the vendor fails to perform. Be cautious of contracts that are heavily one-sided, protecting only the vendor with no guarantees for the client.
Floral design in Puerto Rico comes with unique challenges that affect both cost and availability. Most non-tropical flowers (roses, peonies, ranunculus, etc.) must be shipped to the island by air, which adds significant cost and risk — shipments sometimes arrive in poor condition due to transit and heat. The tropical flowers most reliably available on the island are bird of paradise, false birds of paradise, heliconias, and ginger flowers, sourced from a limited number of local farms. Orchids are hit or miss depending on the season. A skilled Puerto Rico floral designer will know how to account for these variables and create stunning arrangements regardless. The all-inclusive venues in our guide often include floral design specifically because they understand these challenges and have established reliable sourcing relationships.
Tour fees are completely appropriate and common among Puerto Rico wedding venues — especially private estates that must arrange additional staff and preparation for each visit. A tour fee typically ranges from $50–$250 and is often credited toward your final price if you book the venue. This practice actually signals professionalism: the venue values their time, their staff's time, and their property enough to ensure tours are intentional rather than casual. Be wary of venues that allow unlimited casual drop-ins with no structure — this can indicate a lack of professionalism in other areas as well.
Many Puerto Rico venues have been heavily targeted by spam accounts and scam operations on platforms like WeddingWire and The Knot — including fake booking schemes, date-blocking, and money wire fraud. The volume of fraudulent inquiries has led many venues to stop responding directly through these platforms. Instead, they will direct you to their preferred communication method, often their own website or an inquiry form. This is not a red flag; it is a protective measure. Read the vendor's full listing carefully, follow their stated contact instructions, and you will reach a real person who is ready to help you.
Watch for these warning signs: (1) Slow or inconsistent communication — if they take days to respond during booking, they will be worse during crunch time. (2) No written contract, or a contract only in one language. (3) Contracts that heavily favor the vendor with no client protections. (4) No online reviews or references available. (5) Resistance to answering direct questions about pricing, availability, or logistics. (6) Requiring full payment upfront with no milestone schedule. (7) Making excuses instead of solutions. The right vendor should make it easy and enjoyable to do business — not something you have to chase.