Posts Tagged ‘weddingmoons’

Planning a Destination Wedding – San Antonio Wedding Coordinator

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One type of wedding more and more couples are deciding to have is destination weddings. You might love to travel together, want to get married at the place they met, desire a smaller more intimate wedding, or just want a very different type of wedding experience than the norm. There are over 400,000 destination weddings taking place annually and 55% of those are in North America. In 2013, 1 in 4 couples had a destination wedding (Source: The Knot 2013 Report).

Popular locations for destination weddings are the Caribbean (41% of international destination weddings, The Knot 2013 Report), Hawaii (16%), Mexico (21%) and various locations in the US. The larger hotels/resorts have wedding packages already in place to make the planning process so much easier for the couple. They even offer in-house wedding coordinators to assist you with the entire planning process so that when the couple arrives to the resort for the wedding most of everything has already been done.

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Tips To Remember

  • Pay attention to the peak and off peak seasons when deciding on a date. The peak season will be pricier because you will be competing with crowded resorts and lots of visitors. Also keep in mind of national holidays and large events taking place at that location.
  • Besides thinking about the ceremony and reception space at the resort’s location you also have to think about room availability as well. You’ll want to block off rooms as early as possible so they don’t fill up for your guests and you can get the best price possible.

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  • Ask the resort what is included in the wedding packages to see what is the best deal for you. Sandals offers a complimentary WeddingMoons package with a minimum 3 night stay! From the bouquet and ceremony décor to the cake and reception table, every exquisite element has been take care of to make your wedding day as easy as it is elegant.
  • If you aren’t getting married at an all inclusive resort, you might want to look into reserving space at another hotel to offer your guests a choice for hotel pricing, a lower and higher choice option.
  • Be sure you find out the document and residency requirements of marriage for the location of where you want to get married. Each have their own rules. Many will require anywhere from 48-72 hours stay prior to the ceremony. There are fees associated with this as well so make sure you understand it all before traveling.

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  • You want the best turnout as possible so check with your guests before booking anything to see when the best time to travel is for them.
  • Consider choosing a neutral location for both families traveling to the destination wedding. You want to have guests come from both sides and if all of your family is in the location of the wedding you might end up having a lot of family from yours and little for his, would he like that?
  • Don’t forget to check out the seasonal weather forecast for the location you are thinking of and chances of hurricanes, snow storms, rain, etc. The Caribbean gets extremely hot in the summer so you might not want to have the entire wedding outside during the summer months or maybe wait until the fall or spring.

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  • Be sure to send out save the dates 10 months to 1 year before the wedding so guests have plenty of time to prepare and book their travel. Also, be sure to make it as simple as possible for guests to book hotel and flights by providing this information to them.
  • As I mentioned earlier, many of the larger resorts will have in-house wedding coordinators but they will not be available for all the events and coordinating needed during the entire stay. I highly recommend that you hire a wedding coordinator that will help coordinate all the events and ensure that the entire day of the wedding runs smoothly.

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  • Don’t forget to plan activities and other get togethers with your guests during the stay. Having a good bye brunch before leaving is an excellent way of thanking everyone for coming and saying goodbye.

Destination weddings are a lot of fun but do take some planning and coordination just as regular weddings do. If you are thinking about having a destination wedding please contact me! I am a Certified Sandals Specialist and WeddingMoons Specialist. I’m here to help! Trudy Scott, http://www.RoyaltyEventsPlanning.com, 210-595-9263. Here is a link to my past destination wedding blog posts: http://royaltyeventparties.com/category/destination-weddings/

Sandals Destination Wedding Testimonial

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Recently, through the Association of Bridal Consultants, I attended the Sandals Weddingmoons specialist training in Nassau, Bahamas. While I relaxed in a whirlpool after a long day of training, I met this wonderful couple, Cindi and Jack, who talked about their Sandals destination wedding as if it had just happened. Actually, they got married on May 29, 2010, at Sandals Montego Bay with 20 of their closest friends and family. Even before their wedding, they have come back year after year to Sandals for their vacation. They were so excited to talk about how amazing Sandals was I had to ask for a testimonial. They were THRILLED to share their answers to my questions…

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1. Why did you decide on Sandals to have your wedding?

     “We decided to get married at Sandals because we wanted a destination wedding that would be no stress for us or our families.  We both work and just didn’t have time to dedicate to all the extreme planning that goes into a wedding.  We had been to many Sandals before and loved watching people get married on the beach.  Every wedding we watched was picturesque. There is nothing more beautiful than a white sand beach, blue water and a beautiful sunset in your wedding pictures.”

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2. What did you like about the planning process with them?

      “It literally took 20 minutes to plan our whole wedding!  We arrived at Sandals, had a drink on the beach and then met with our wedding coordinator.  She brought us champagne and we got to sample three different types of cake and we picked our favorite.  Then she had us pick our favorite flower package.  It was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done in my whole life.  I know so many brides that spend an insane amount of time planning and prepping for their wedding.  I spent about 20 minutes planning/prepping and then got to spend the rest of my day sipping drinks with my future husband on a beautiful beach.  It just doesn’t get much better than that!”

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3. What was the most memorable part about your wedding at Sandals?

     “The beauty of everything!  Our flowers were gorgeous, the set up was beautiful and the beach/sunset was beyond gorgeous!!  Our wedding looked like something out of a magazine!  I still LOVE looking at our pictures!  We also loved the fact that we got to spend our wedding day on the beach and swimming in the water with our families.  We enjoyed getting to spend time with our 20 guests that came to watch us get married. The wedding coordinator came to get us to start getting ready about an hour and a half before the wedding.  The day was so relaxed and so much fun instead of being stressful and spending the whole day inside getting ready.” 

 4. Why have you come back to Sandals each year?

     “We come back to Sandals every year because we love it so much.  We love having a large variety of amazing food, love that all drinks are included and no tipping is a huge plus.  It is so nice to lock up your wallet once you get there and know that you never have to pull it out again until you leave.  The staff is always so friendly and fun!  We always make at least two or three sets of friends each time we have gone to Sandals. We have yet to have a bad experience at a Sandals.”

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5. What location has been your favorite and why?

“We have two favorites.  If we are going to be alone and want a quiet romantic getaway, then our favorite is Negril.  Sandals Negril is so quaint and the beach is very beautiful!  This is definitely the resort to go to if you are more into spending time with one another and not so much with other people.   If we are going to have fun, meet some people or bring friends with us, then our favorite is Sandals Royal Bahamian.  The private island is beyond beautiful and made the trip over the top. We also love having the option of a quiet pool and a party pool.  There are so many amazing restaurants and things to do at this resort.”

6. What value do you see with Sandals?

     “We love that Sandals is truly is all inclusive!  There is no hidden fees or anything they don’t tell you about.  There is always food and drinks available to you and everything is so good.  The resorts are always clean and there is always someone to help you with whatever you need to make your vacation amazing.” 

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Royalty Event Parties, an established wedding consulting company in San Antonio, is a Sandals Certified Specialist and Weddingmoons Specialist. I’m here to make sure you feel the same way as Cindi and Jack do about your honeymoon or destination wedding! Please contact me to find out more information about Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple. 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com.

Sandals Destination Weddings – Weddingmoons

101_5621Last week I had the privilege of traveling to Nassau, Bahamas to become certified in Sandals Weddingmoons. Basically, it means their wedding and honeymoon options. I have traveled all over and I must say that this was THE BEST resort I have ever stayed at. Not only was the resort beautiful and offered so many amenities but the staff was extraordinary! I was even welcomed with champagne at check in!!

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101_5733What I learned the most from my stay was the value guests receive at Sandals and Beaches. Everything is included during your stay…delicious food, premium liquor, large beautiful rooms, gratuity, lots of land and water sport options, daily entertainment & so much more! The value is point on for the price! You could even choose to have your own personal butler for a luxury stay in a Butler Category!

Destination weddings at Sandals starts with the pre-designed wedding themes. This option is for those brides that want a less stressful way of planning their wedding. There are 6 styles available based on your budget and look you are trying to achieve. The Beautiful Beginnings theme is FREE if you book 3 nights or more in any room category. This is a $500 value! It includes a sweet Fuchsia dendrobium orchid bouquet and boutonniere, as well as a table for eight with crisp linens, a lovely centerpiece, and a charming white cake. Click here for what every Weddingmoons provides their couples: http://www.sandals.com/weddingmoons/weddings/inclusions/

Sandals_MS-3577-2101_5594If you are a bride that wants more involvement with the planning to create a look and style specifically for you, Sandals offers that option as well. The easiest way is to use the Planning Tool of 6 simple steps on the Sandals website. http://www.sandals.com/weddingmoons/weddings/planning-destination-wedding/

If you are having a group of guests come along there are even more inclusions offered!

Celebrations for 5 – 9 rooms also receive:

  • Complimentary room category upgrade for bride & groom*
  • 1 Hour Delightful Reception with sparkling wine, cold hors d’ouevres, and signature cocktail for the wedding group

Celebrations for 10 – 19 rooms also receive:

  • Complimentary room category upgrade for bride & groom*
  • Private group pre-registration and check-in (based on majority of group arriving at same time)
  • Private pre-wedding celebration dinner for the wedding group*
  • 1 Hour Classic reception with sparkling wine, hot & cold hors d’ouevres, and signature cocktail for the wedding group
  • Pedicure for the bride

(The above came directly off the Sandals website, please go to the above link to see the disclaimers of the group inclusions).

weddingmoons_certified_trudy_scott_2Sandals also offers other specials. Please take a look at http://www.sandals.com/weddingmoons/weddings/specials/. If you would like more information about planning your destination wedding or honeymoon please contact Trudy Scott at 210-595-9263, info@royaltyeventparties.com or go to my website. You can also keep up with specials, tips and pictures on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/royaltyeventparties

What does Sandals Offer for Honeymoons?

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The most luxurious of all inclusive resorts, offering more than any other, and the one everyone has heard of is…Sandals! Did you know that Beaches and Grand Pineapple Beach Resorts are also owned by Sandals and offer the same amount of quality for families? There are 20 resorts on 8 islands!! In this blog I am going to focus only on Sandals, 15 resorts for couples only. The perfect resort for your honeymoon! Sandals are in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, Bahamas/Nassau, Bahamas/Exuma, Grenada & Barbados!

Why book a Sandals honeymoon when there are a lot of resort options out there? There are MANY reasons. The #1 reason is Sandals has more QUALITY inclusions than any other resort in the world! Lets take a look further into this…

1. Sandals offers so much value!

  • Direct roundtrip airport transfers
  • Tips, gratuities & hotel taxes included (except for Butlers & Red Lane Spa therapists)
  • Well-appointed room accommodations (luxurious furnishings & sheets, in-room bar, lots of upgrades available) 35% of all Sandals accommodations are suites.
  • All meals & snacks with anytime dining (they even handle dietary restrictions). They have 156 individual restaurants spanning over 19 different international cuisines in all their resorts (including Beaches & Grand Pineapple), up to 19 in each resort.
  • Unlimited drinks including Beringer Wine, beer & premium brand liquors (up to 9 bars in each resort)
  • Nightly entertainment
  • Unlimited land sports (tennis, basketball, billiards, table tennis, shuffleboard, beach volleyball, fitness center). Unlimited golf (Ocho Rios & St. Lucia).
  • Red Lane Spas (fee)
  • Unlimited watersports with instruction. Sandals has a fleet of 270 boats! They offersandals_snorkeling waterskiing, wakeboarding, knee boarding, snorkeling, tubing, sailing, kayaking, aquatrikes, paddle boarding, hobie cats, glass-bottom boats, windsurfing & scuba diving.
  • Unlimited Scuba diving (non-certified divers must take resort certification, $90). Over 240 dive sites with up to 30 per resort & 6 dives a day!
  • Extraordinary service from the staff!
  • Exotic offshore island adventures included at Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay & Sandals Royal Bahamian (complimentary boat transfers to a pristine beach)!

2. Stay At 1 Resort and Play at 3 in Jamaica!

  • Sandals Montego Bay is “an upbeat resort on Jamaica’s largest private beach” with 250 rooms & suites on 26 acres. There is only a 5 minute airport transfer! It has 19 global restaurants on the shoreline and has its own wedding chapel.
  • Sandals Royal Caribbean – “Britain to Bali-Exotic adventures in Old World Jamaica” with 197 rooms and suites on 15 acres with a refined atmosphere. Even the queens and kings have stayed here and to celebrate this they even have an English high tea service daily.
  • Sandals Carlyle is “an authentic Jamaican boutique resort” with 52 rooms and walking distance to Montego Bay’s hip strip. A great price offering here!

3. Sandals offers many locations for your luxury vacation, honeymoon or wedding!

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  • In Jamaica you can choose from the 3 resorts listed above in Montego Bay, Sandals Negril (with a 7 mile beach), Sandals Resorts on the South Coast: Sandals Whitehouse (European flair) and Sandals Resorts in Ocho Rios: Sandals Grande Riviera (the grandest of all resorts in Jamaica) & Sandals Royal Plantation (All-Butler Boutique Resort).
  • In Antigua there is the Sandals Grande Antigua resort (this is the “Most Romantic Resort” voted by Brides Magazine).
  • In St. Lucia you can stay at 1 and play at 3 also!!! Sandals Regency La Toc is “The Emerald of the Caribbean” resort with suites having a 180 degree view. Sandals Grande St. Lucian is the best resort for beach lovers! This resort is very popular for honeymooners!! Sandals Halcyon is “A True Garden Of Eden By A Tranquil Bay.” There are 23 global restaurants here!
  • In the Bahamas there is Sandals Royal Bahamian, “The Bahamas Most Elegant Resort” and Sandals Emerald Bay, “The Ultimate Golf & Spa Resort.”
  • The Sandals La Source is in Grenada and the newest of the Sandals properties.
  • And finally, Barbados…Sandals Barbados is currently closed but will reopen January 28, 2015 after a $65 million renovation!!

4. Honeymoon Extras

  • The couple will receive a bottle of bubbly chilled wine in their room.
  • A special turndown service that includes flower petals on your bed on the first night of your honeymoon.
  • Delight in a delivery of a decadent breakfast in bed one morning of your choice.
  • Have an intimate couple’s massage.
  • Have a romantic private dinner for two by candlelight.
  • Use the butler service for the upmost personal attention.butler_service

When you add up all these great inclusions the value is really extraordinary compared to other resorts where you pay for all the “extras.” If you would like more information about the Sandals honeymoons, WeddingMoons or vacations, please contact Trudy Scott with Royalty Event Parties at 210-595-9263 or you can go directly to the Sandals website through this blog or my website.

 

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Best Resorts for a Destination Wedding

If money were not an issue, there would be plenty of people who would go all out on their wedding day. Instead of staying in their city, they would opt for a destination wedding because they want to feel the excitement of visiting a romantic location and getting married there. If this is something that you can relate to, it is important that you choose the right location for your wedding.

Here are some of the best destination wedding resorts that you can visit:

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Sandals Royal – Located less than an hour away from mainland United States, you can have a wedding ceremony in Nassau, Bahamas and get to enjoy the beauty of the place. Best of all is that you can gather all your guests in one private island where you can celebrate your newly formed union.

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Cayo Espanto – If you are planning a small and intimate wedding, you may opt for visiting Cayo Espanto in Belize. After the ceremony, you can stay in the private island with your invited guests.

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Couples Swept Away – just as its name suggests, a destination wedding in this resort located at Negril, Jamaica will leave you and your husband mesmerized. The property exudes the character of a classic Caribbean destination wedding that you will enjoy really well.

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Palace Resorts – There’s nothing more romantic than having a wedding by the beach. If you and your fiancé are a fan of the blue water and sand, there are a number of options that you can go with. Palace Resorts has a number of resorts located throughout the Mexican Caribbean: Cancun, Isla Mujeras, and Riviera Maya.

Call us for more information on how we can plan your destination wedding in one of these resorts. 210-595-9263. http://www.royaltyeventparties.com