I have always strongly advocated hiring a wedding planner, and my own planner, Kayla with Some Like It Classic, saved my sanity several times this year! But when it came to planning my honeymoon, I somehow imagined that it would be easy to do on my own. That the perfect tropical vacation would simply materialize without stress on my part or that of my fiancé -- haha! When I actually sat down to consider our honeymoon options, I was overwhelmed by all of the choices! Luckily, just when I was realizing the complexity of planning our honeymoon, I was rescued by Jacqueline with Ten Twenty Travel. She was knowledgeable and kind, and she DID make our honeymoon an incredible trip that came together with virtually no stress.
I think that a lot of couples might be in the same situation I was in, overwhelmed by honeymoon planning but not realizing there is another option. So I reached out to Jacqueline and asked her to share a little bit about what she does. Read Jacqueline's answers below (accompanied by iPhone shots of Bruce & me on our own honeymoon):
1 -- I loved that after answering just a few questions, I received 5 custom proposals from you to choose from. That made my life SO simple!! What kinds of questions do you ask your couples to find the choices that suit them?
The first two questions are the most important. What is their budget, and what is their schedule (how many days? What potential dates?). Without knowing these two factors it’s impossible to figure anything else out. From there, it’s all about getting to know the couple and their preferences. A few of the questions we ask are:
I think that a lot of couples might be in the same situation I was in, overwhelmed by honeymoon planning but not realizing there is another option. So I reached out to Jacqueline and asked her to share a little bit about what she does. Read Jacqueline's answers below (accompanied by iPhone shots of Bruce & me on our own honeymoon):
1 -- I loved that after answering just a few questions, I received 5 custom proposals from you to choose from. That made my life SO simple!! What kinds of questions do you ask your couples to find the choices that suit them?
The first two questions are the most important. What is their budget, and what is their schedule (how many days? What potential dates?). Without knowing these two factors it’s impossible to figure anything else out. From there, it’s all about getting to know the couple and their preferences. A few of the questions we ask are:
- Where have you each traveled before?
- What did you love/hate about those properties?
- Do you prefer a quiet resort where you can relax on the beach or a lively resort with lots of options for exploring and activities?
- Do you have any food sensitivities? (My husband has Celiacs so I fully understand the importance of making sure a resort can not only handle, but excel at accommodating any food sensitivity.)
- Would you prefer to put more money into a higher category room because you’d like to spend a lot of time there, or would you prefer to put more money towards a nicer resort with an entry level room?
- What level of staff service would you like? Would you prefer to be in a room with your own butler, or are you okay with general service around the resort?
2 -- How far in advance should couples contact you about planning their honeymoon?
It’s really up to the couple! Some couples like to plan it as soon as they get engaged, others plan it a few weeks out. I’ve found that availability and pricing will be best if you plan it 6 - 9 months ahead of when you’d like to go.
3 -- What is the #1 reason why couples should work with an experienced planner instead of trying to plan their honeymoon themselves?
Value. It may seem cliché to answer that way, but I really do believe it’s true and applies to a number of different aspects. Value for reducing the amount of time spent researching various destinations, flights, hotels, excursions, etc. Value in utilizing a planner with not only knowledge of the destination, but knowledge of the hotels, transfer companies, excursion companies, etc. Finally, value in the most influential aspect of travel, money. I am a part of the Virtuoso network which can provide extra amenities including discounts, resort and/or breakfast credits and upgrades they may not have received if they booked on their own. Sure, at face value, something may be cheaper via an online discount site, but what are you getting for your money and what could you get if you had enlisted a professional travel advisor? Often times, when you add in all of the inclusions we are able to provide, we are able to come in at or below the pricing of the online discount sites.
It’s really up to the couple! Some couples like to plan it as soon as they get engaged, others plan it a few weeks out. I’ve found that availability and pricing will be best if you plan it 6 - 9 months ahead of when you’d like to go.
3 -- What is the #1 reason why couples should work with an experienced planner instead of trying to plan their honeymoon themselves?
Value. It may seem cliché to answer that way, but I really do believe it’s true and applies to a number of different aspects. Value for reducing the amount of time spent researching various destinations, flights, hotels, excursions, etc. Value in utilizing a planner with not only knowledge of the destination, but knowledge of the hotels, transfer companies, excursion companies, etc. Finally, value in the most influential aspect of travel, money. I am a part of the Virtuoso network which can provide extra amenities including discounts, resort and/or breakfast credits and upgrades they may not have received if they booked on their own. Sure, at face value, something may be cheaper via an online discount site, but what are you getting for your money and what could you get if you had enlisted a professional travel advisor? Often times, when you add in all of the inclusions we are able to provide, we are able to come in at or below the pricing of the online discount sites.
4 -- What are the costs involved in hiring your services for honeymoon planning?
We offer a complimentary consultation with all of our couples. Usually this is done via telephone or Skype. During the consultation we learn a little about what the couple is looking for as well as explain how our services work. From there, we require a non-refundable booking fee of $200 for Honeymoons. We narrow down the best fit for the client and then book everything for the couple including flights, transfers, accommodations, spa/dinner reservations and any excursions or activities. We compose everything into a streamlined itinerary and mail all necessary documents directly to the couple. We reach out to the properties at the time of booking, and again one week prior to travel to ensure our couples receive VIP service. We remain available for the client through their travels in case any issues or changes come about.
(This was so clutch for us! We contacted Jacqueline halfway through our honeymoon because we were put in the wrong room, and our resort ended up having a HUGE seaweed problem that caused us to not be able to get into the ocean. She worked as an advocate on our behalf with the resort to get us compensated and ultimately helped us to move mid-week to a different resort with great beach access. We were SO thankful she was available to help!!)
We offer a complimentary consultation with all of our couples. Usually this is done via telephone or Skype. During the consultation we learn a little about what the couple is looking for as well as explain how our services work. From there, we require a non-refundable booking fee of $200 for Honeymoons. We narrow down the best fit for the client and then book everything for the couple including flights, transfers, accommodations, spa/dinner reservations and any excursions or activities. We compose everything into a streamlined itinerary and mail all necessary documents directly to the couple. We reach out to the properties at the time of booking, and again one week prior to travel to ensure our couples receive VIP service. We remain available for the client through their travels in case any issues or changes come about.
(This was so clutch for us! We contacted Jacqueline halfway through our honeymoon because we were put in the wrong room, and our resort ended up having a HUGE seaweed problem that caused us to not be able to get into the ocean. She worked as an advocate on our behalf with the resort to get us compensated and ultimately helped us to move mid-week to a different resort with great beach access. We were SO thankful she was available to help!!)
5 -- Honeymoon planning is such a cool specialization! What is your favorite part about it?
My favorite part about helping couples with their honeymooons is that it turns into so much more! From recommendations to their friends and family, to their own babymoons, anniversaries and eventually family vacations -- it’s a long-lasting relationship we are able to build with our clients!
Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us today, Jacqueline! Make sure you click over to the Ten Twenty Travel website to see more of what they do for their clients!
-----------> As you begin your wedding planning process, it's a great idea to start thinking about the timeline of your day! If you would like to have a timeline to start from delivered right to your inbox, click here to take a quick 2-question quiz, and we will email you back with an ideal preliminary timeline based on the sunset time on your wedding day as well as whether or not you would like to do a first look!
My favorite part about helping couples with their honeymooons is that it turns into so much more! From recommendations to their friends and family, to their own babymoons, anniversaries and eventually family vacations -- it’s a long-lasting relationship we are able to build with our clients!
Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us today, Jacqueline! Make sure you click over to the Ten Twenty Travel website to see more of what they do for their clients!
-----------> As you begin your wedding planning process, it's a great idea to start thinking about the timeline of your day! If you would like to have a timeline to start from delivered right to your inbox, click here to take a quick 2-question quiz, and we will email you back with an ideal preliminary timeline based on the sunset time on your wedding day as well as whether or not you would like to do a first look!
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