destination weddings feature

Caribbean & Mexico Weddings & Honeymoons

ANN RUPPENSTEIN

It may be the couple’s big day,

but a growing number of des-

tination weddings are going

beyond focusing solely on

the bride and groom. From

a private catamaran cruise to a spa day full of

pampering, soon-to-be newlyweds are pro-

viding family and friends with special outings

and extra things to see and do.

“More and more couples look to include

additional events for the group, as a whole

aside from just the ceremony and reception,”

Rachel Goldrick, of Sunwing Travel Group,

told Canadian Travel Press. “Welcome parties

are increasingly common along with off -site

events and even day-long excursions and sight-

seeing tours for the wedding party.”

Similarly at Sandals Resorts, director of

romance Marsha-Ann Brown says extra

excursions and activities are not only becom-

ing more common, but they serve as a way for

couples to show their appreciation.

“We’ve started to see that our brides and

grooms are hosting special thank-you activ-

ities as a way of expressing their gratitude to

guests who have purchased trips and travelled

to the Caribbean for their wedding,” she says.

Although WeddingMoons, Sandals’ destin-

ation weddings and honeymoons programs,

continue to grow year aft er year, especially

from the Canadian market, more recent

bookings indicate a rise in larger group

weddings.

“Couples are inviting their family and friends

to share in their special day and turn it into a

week-long celebration,” she says.

For nuptials held at Karisma Hotels &

Resorts, weddings/romance spokesperson

Brigitte Castro says typical

welcome events for guests

include private cocktail par-

ties or themed dinners like an

all-white party.

“A lot of our weddings also

include bonfi res on the beach as either a pre-

or post-wedding event,” she says. “We have

found that destination weddings are celebra-

tions that last for days.”

Many couples are also opting for a special

turn-down service to be delivered to guests’

rooms at the end of the wedding night,

which can include a wide range of sweets

such as chocolate-covered strawberries or

cake pops.

“It includes a nice or witty note thanking

them for coming to their wedding,” she says.

Taking advantage of what the destination

has to off er and incorporating local elements

into the wedding theme is a notable wedding

trend among those who book with Sunwing.

Celebrations can last for daysWedding parties go way beyond the ceremony

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“We’re seeing more local bands being hired

to form part of the entertainment, along with

regional dishes being chosen as part of the

wedding menu, along with accents of tropical

colours in the bridal cortège,” Goldrick says.

November, January and May remain the

most popular months for a destination wed-

ding, as most Canadians prefer to travel to sun

destinations in the winter, she says.

“Th ese months typically have better rates for

group bookings, as they are out of the March

Break period,” she adds.

Meanwhile Tara Soloway, co-founder of

LUXE Destination Weddings, the wedding

retail arm of Sunwing Travel Group, has

noticed an increase in group sizes, particularly

with South Asian weddings in the Caribbean.

As for the most popular locations, she says the

Riviera Maya continues to dominate, as well as

Punta Cana and Jamaica.

“Destination weddings continue to grow in

popularity, which shows how lucrative they are

in the group travel market,” she says.

Her clients tend to go one of two ways with

a destination wedding – a simple aff ordable

aff air, or a wedding fi lled with all the details

of a regular wedding. For the latter bride,

she says creative ideas are endless through

Pinterest and Instagram, and can be easily

transferred on-site to the destination.

“Resorts are catering to the sophisticated

requests of couples, allowing them to host

parties similar to ones you can host at home,”

she says. “From better fl oral, photography and

decor options, it makes the overall experience

very attractive for couples to be.”

Th e Canadian market is also showing

growth for Destination Weddings Travel

Group, which has more than 200 certifi ed

destination-wedding specialists in Canada and

the US. Megan Velez, vice-president of prod-

uct, says the company is nearly 50% ahead in

terms of bookings in comparison to this time

last year. In addition to larger wedding parties,

she’s noticed higher budgets.

“We’re seeing a trend toward more personal-

ized details and couples are willing to spend

a bit more to ensure their big day refl ects

their personalities,” she says. “Some are now

also increasing their budget in certain areas

to allow for the cost of bringing along their

favourite vendors to the selected destination.”

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Extended stays tend to be the norm for

Canadian travellers, with most wedding

reservations being booked for at least seven

nights. She says couples are also booking

further out to take advantage of bonuses

and payment plans.

Another growing segment in the destina-

tion wedding market is Hindu weddings, as a

growing number of resorts off er customized

packages to suit specifi c requirements.

“Th ese weddings are multi-day celebrations

and oft en boast the same intricate details

and rich palettes as Hindu weddings hosted

locally,” she says. “We’re seeing Mehndi artists

being brought on-site, as well as couples

collaborating with resorts featuring chefs that

specialize in authentic Indian cuisine.”

Liz Moore, CEO of Vancouver-based Liz

Moore Destination Weddings, has also

noticed a niche in the destination weddings

market for Indian weddings. Instead of hous-

ing a wedding at home with 600-700 guests,

a growing number of clients are looking to

save money by having smaller parties abroad.

“Th e average party size is between 80-120

guests, which is signifi cantly smaller,” she

says. “Because they have a lot of pre-wedding

gatherings and traditions, they look at how

much bang they can get for their buck and also

specifi cally what properties in destination can

off er them their cultural activities and festiv-

ities before the wedding.”

Another niche market that’s increasing for

the company is LGBT weddings.

“In Mexico, they’ve become legal, and that’s

been phenomenal for us and we’ve been

able to open up a lot of property options for

couples,” she says.

Signalling a trend to more couples saying “I

do” while on a cruise, Yanelis Abella-Taylee,

manager, on-board revenue-weddings, at

Royal Caribbean International, says the

company has had a 100% increase in sales

since 2011. With the addition of new vessels

and venues on Quantum of the Seas and

Anthem of the Seas, as well as venues for the

adventurous type such as the North Star, she

says the company projects a 35% growth for

2015/2016.

“We’re bringing the high standards of land-

based weddings to our cruise ships,” she says.

“We off er embarkation day weddings and

destination weddings, but our most popular

package is our weddings at sea.”

As customization becomes increasingly

popular, she says Royal Caribbean will be

restructuring packages towards the end of this

year to allow customers to customize every

aspect of a wedding.

“We are changing with the demands of a

market,” she says. “For those brides who no

longer want a limited selection of packages, we

off er customized services and even cultural

weddings. Our personal wedding planners

will work with our couples to off er an intimate

wedding or an upscale production.”

Although she says most on-board ceremon-

ies are symbolic, there’s a misconception that

it’s diffi cult to get married at sea.

“Th ere are certainly very doable opportun-

ities for weddings at sea, either in port or at

embarkation,” she says. “We off er legal wed-

dings in US ports, certain Caribbean destina-

tions, and at sea.”

Tiff any Bell, program manager for the

Norwegian Wedding Program at Royal Ocean

Events (Norwegian Cruise Line’s wedding plan-

ning partners) says the company has also noticed

an increase in bookings from this year to last.

“We have increased services by off ering

the Legal At Sea packages on certain ships

(Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway

and Norwegian Epic, ceremonies performed

by the ship’s captain) and now have opened up

legal ceremonies in Europe where we have not

been able to do so,” she says.

While the busiest destination ports are

Nassau and Bermuda, Norwegian will

start cruising into Australia and Asia in

2016/2017.

“Th is means we will defi nitely be accommo-

dating to all types of cruisers,” she says.

As a tip to travel agents, Brown (Sandals’

director of romance) says clients who are inter-

ested in a destination wedding are looking for

a once-in-a-lifetime dream trip.

“Agents have a unique opportunity to sell up,

especially when it comes to accommodation

options,” she says.

Instead of leading with the price, she

suggests focusing on inclusions for diff erent

room categories and painting the picture of

the types of experiences newlyweds will be

able to enjoy.

“Th e higher room category translates into a

higher commission for the agent,” she says.

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AUGUST 31, 2015• CANADIAN TRAVEL PRESS • 15


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