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It’s not every day that clients entrust you with perhaps
the most important event of their lives, but when they do
it’s essential agents get it right. When booking a wedding
and honeymoon, agents can find themselves travel organiser,
surrogate mother and best friend all at once.
Travel Weekly spoke to some of the trade’s wedding experts to
ensure your booking goes without a hitch.
- Congratulate the couple. “It establishes a rapport and
bond,” said Journeys à la Carte managing director
Margaret May. Other touches the Uttoxeter agency adds include
opening a bottle of wine for a celebratory drink once the booking
has been made. “A congratulatory card is sent out with travel
documentation and the date of the wedding always goes in next
year’s diary for a follow-up anniversary card.” - Ask why they are getting married abroad. It may be the couple
met there, have been married before, or one of them comes from the
destination and the local family is planning to attend. Kuoni
special services manager Phil Boswell said: “This gives
agents a better understanding of their requirements and shows the
agent is interested.” - Make a list of requirements, including budget, type of wedding,
destination and what the couple like doing on holiday. They may
want a private ceremony with just the two of them, or they may want
to bring along dozens of friends and family and need kids’
clubs. “You’ll need to bring in all your diplomacy
skills,” said Journeys à la Carte’s May. - If a couple is travelling out with friends and family, it could
be an opportunity to earn extra commission by managing the whole
booking. Clients could benefit from better co-ordination and more
peace of mind if the group is organised together. “It is a
concern when a big party is involved but are not booked together
and we have not been told,” said Virgin Holidays weddings
supervisor Wendy Mitchell. - Research the destinations. “Never assume that people want
beach destinations. Some couples want to get married in Lapland or
Venice,” said Journeys à la Carte’s May. Thomas
Cook specialist wedding agent Sharon Antill said there is a
surprising variety of destinations on offer to couples wanting to
get married, not just the obvious ones such as those in the
Caribbean and Indian Ocean. - Check what type of wedding or ceremony is on offer at the
destination. There is a great deal of variation in the ease of
getting married abroad, depending on the chosen location.
Therefore, in the case of certain places, it might be worth
recommending a blessing rather than a wedding. Tropical Locations
managing director David Kevan said: “For example, in certain
countries, getting married can be complicated compared with a
destination such as the Seychelles. For instance, in Thailand
couples can get bogged down in red tape, which isn’t the best
start to a honeymoon. We would suggest they get married elsewhere
and just have a blessing in Thailand.” - Establish whether they want a civil or religious ceremony.
Certain destinations have restrictions on religious weddings or
only allow civil ceremonies. For an Anglican wedding in Cyprus, for
example, at least one of the partners must have been baptised. In
some destinations, couples requiring particular weddings might need
to get a local priest to fill out forms. “Agents must point
out specific conditions,” said Olympic Holidays weddings
co-ordinator Fanoulla Spyrou. - Check that the necessary legal formalities are feasible for the
chosen wedding. For example, if one of the couple is divorced,
divorce papers may need to be translated and authenticated.
Documents such as birth certificates, certificates of
non-impediment and affidavits may be required to get married
abroad. Virgin Holidays’ Mitchell said clients should be
warned of these extra costs at the time of booking. Couples usually
need to spend a residency period of a few days in each destination
before they can get married. - Don’t stick to the basic wedding package. Extras
don’t just have to run to a photographer or champagne
breakfast – clients could require a full-blown reception
party. Thomas Cook’s Antill said: “We’re
currently organising a barbecue reception for a wedding in
Antigua.” - Is the booking a surprise? If so, make sure nothing is sent to
the unsuspecting party’s home address and they are not called
at home, just in case they find out. Kuoni’s Boswell advises
only taking the client’s work phone number and address.
“With one couple the groom booked a holiday to Africa and I
had to liaise with the bride’s best friend to ensure she
packed all the right clothes,” said Journeys à la
Carte’s May. - Clarify what name the bride will be travelling under. The bride
may have a romantic notion of seeing her married name for the first
time on her travel documents, but this is likely to clash with the
name on her passport. “Changing names could be another hassle
the couple could do without before the wedding,” added
Journeys à la Carte’s May. - Advise clients to book early, especially if they have a
specific date or destination in mind. “Clients should have a
first and second choice of date, otherwise it can drag out the
process with more liaising if the first date isn’t
available,” said Virgin Holidays’ Mitchell. - Give clients dress advice. “If they’re getting
married in the tropics, make sure the bride’s not planning to
wear a big, heavy dress. Advise something simple in a cool
fabric,” said Kuoni’s Boswell. “The couple
won’t want to be hot, red and blotchy in their wedding
pictures.” Likewise, advise the bride to have the dress
professionally packed at the shop it’s bought from and phone
the airline to check whether it can provide any special access,
such as a place to hang the dress. - Check the best time of day to get married. In the Indian Ocean
or Caribbean it will be too hot for the couple to get married at
midday. “In a hot climate we always recommend a 4.30pm
wedding,” said Virgin Holidays’ Mitchell. - Advise clients to arrange vaccinations early. “The bride
won’t want a swollen arm on her wedding day because of a
yellow fever injection,” said Journeys à la
Carte’s May. - Suggest the couple book someone to video the wedding for
friends and family who can’t attend. Resorts such as
Amaryllis Beach Resort in Barbados offer live webcam broadcasts of
the ceremony. “It’s a good way of appeasing friends and
family who can’t go,” said Kuoni’s Boswell. - Tell the couple to befriend the local wedding co-ordinator at
the destination. “The co-ordinator will go out of their way
to help them. Clients should think of them as a surrogate
mother,” said Kuoni’s Boswell. - Check clients have the right insurance. Europ Assistance deputy
director of travel and leisure Fiona McDonald said: “A
standard policy is unlikely to give enough cover to replace a lost
or delayed wedding dress. Encourage customers to buy a wedding
insurance upgrade that provides cover for lost or delayed baggage,
lost wedding rings or damaged photos.” - Be prepared for a lenthy process in booking arrangements.
“People tend not to walk in and book there and then; it takes
time to plan,” said Thomas Cook’s Antill. - Pick a trusted operator – you’ll need all the
support and expertise you can get.~
