Resort Wedding Rules⚠ Real case: "venues were never booked"
Nassau County (New York) Police arrested a travel agent who took money from a wedding party for a destination wedding. Police said the agent "received $5,000.00 (U.S.) from two (2) victims for a destination wedding. The ALG vacations resort venues were never booked ... total amount received ... $7,660.00. The victims never received refunds." The agent was charged with grand larceny and scheme to defraud; her arraignment was scheduled for January 6, 2026.
Source: Nassau County Police Department notice. An arrest is not a conviction.
FTC red flags for travel deals
- "Free" that you have to pay for. The FTC warns: "Scammers say it's a 'free' vacation that you have to pay for."
- Unusual payment methods. If the only way to pay is "by wire transfer, gift card, payment app, or cryptocurrency ... That's a scam, every time."
- Get the cancellation and refund policy before you pay.
- Confirm with the property. "If the property is located in a resort, call the front desk and confirm."
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Source: FTC: Avoid Scams When You Travel.
Protect your resort wedding
- Call the resort's wedding department yourself and confirm your wedding date, venue and room block are booked in your names.
- Get every condition of a "free" package in writing: minimum nights, room count, which guests count, and what happens if you fall short.
- Pay by credit card, which gives you dispute rights. Never by wire, gift card, payment app or crypto.
- Check whether the deposit is refundable. Most resort wedding deposits are not (Sandals $250, Karisma $300, Iberostar $500, Barceló from $300).
- If you use a travel agent, ask for the resort's confirmation number and verify it directly with the resort.
Not a scam, but read the fine print
Some real resort offers have conditions that catch couples out: Barceló's "From 0" Coconut Paradise doesn't publish its requirements and charges the standard price if they aren't met, and Karisma counts only rooms on a Groups Department contract. See hidden costs.
Get package changes by email
A short email when a resort brand changes its free wedding offer, fees or fine print.