Thursday, 30 August 2012

Dream Destination Wedding Travel Agents

By Martina Garrett


Destination wedding travel agents are a hot commodity these days, and the market seems to be on track to get a lot bigger. The $16 billion sector has a 16 percent share of the overall marriage business. It may even save on the expenses as compared to getting hitched at home, but there's more to it than money.

The very idea of nuptials in an exotic location makes people forget about the costs and cut loose without inhibition. But the travel agent must not focus on plucking all the low-hanging fruit. All that needs to be done is to find out what kind of dream the couple has in mind and make it happen. Of course, this is not as simple as suggesting Disney family vacations or a beach holiday.

Budget realities constrain the choices and the logistics of bringing in guests from all over the map make it even harder. The place chosen must also be able to provide the suppliers. There has to be a list of suitable venues at the chosen destination, along with hotels, catering, flowers, cake and all the things that go into putting together a wedding ceremony and bash.

This might seem like a job for a wedding planner, and it is indeed easier if the travel agent can do this job too. However, it is better if there is a local planner who knows how to make things happen at the venue in question. This leads to the possibility that too many people involved in the planning may complicate things.

When a couple comes seeking help for a destination wedding, it usually means they want a full package deal. Many resorts around the world offer just this, with an in-house planner and venue available. They will have a full list of providers for anything the couple and their guests could possible need.

The resort will provide multiple choices, from an intimate ceremony in a small chapel to an open one on the beach. The reception will be just as meticulously planned with a huge ballroom and enough staff at hand to make sure the guests have an experience they will never forget. The honeymoon suite will be the icing on the cake.

There are other more exotic choices, including cruise ceremonies on an ocean liner out at sea. Another aspect that needs special mention is the increasing demand for a green wedding. In this case, the travel agent has to work even harder to reduce the carbon footprints caused by all the travel and hotel stays. Free carbon credits to balance Co2 emissions for all guests and a green-certified hotel and event venue are recommended.

It must be obvious by now that destination wedding travel agents are required to do a lot more than show clients a catalog and book the tickets. They need to match a starry-eyed couple with their dream. Then the agent has to figure out the logistics of the event, including travel and hotel stay arrangements for a boatload of guests from all over the map.




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