New Vendor - Destination Scout

[Destination Scout]

Hello again! I've been a member on the forum for a few months and have to say this is a terrific group of girls. The moderators do a great job of keeping this a positive site with upbeat feedback.

 

Currently I work as a corporate desk jockey who is quite good at my job. I've worked closely with our CFO and business management team for 10 years. If you need a database trolled, an analytical report created or a macro written, I'm your girl. Exciting huh?!? I love my team, and I love the challenges my job presents me, but it has always been just that - a job. It is a means of putting my two sons through school and allowing us to live comfortably. My goal has always been to get them through school and then to get a job that allows me to travel, either as an airline stewardess or college professor (Indiana Jones is my hero).

 

I was never able to find anyone to travel with, so I learned to travel by myself. As a single-traveler I've found wonderful ways to explore areas. I love traveling via bicycle or public trasit system and staying in hostels. I enjoy chatting it up with the local bartenders and wait staff. I have explored quite a few unique locations: Japan, South Korea, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Anguila, Hawaii, Guatemala, the Mojave desert, and Germany. I speak Japanese, Spanish, Sequel and VBA (it's a techie joke) and love learning about different cultures. I get a kick out of getting off the plane with only a Lonely Planet and a backpack to explore an area. My husband has learned that I don't take vacations, I go on adventures.

 

I found that this was the best way to plan my wedding. My husband's only request was to have our ceremony on a white sand beach out of the country. I required that it was a pristine beach. With 7 plane tickets to buy I quickly settled on Tulum, Mexico as our location. After months of frustrating internet search and only a florist and photographer hired, I delayed my wedding and bought a ticket to Cancun. I spent five days in Tulum and was able to find my ceremony location, a host for our reception, and confirm all arrangements with my vendors. I also met most of the hotel and private home owners in the area. I now have a slew of connections and understand the issues and work arounds for seemingly simple (but not due to logistical issues) requests such as bon fires, private catamaran cruises, and paying vendors in a foreign country.

 

Many of you have seen my wedding review of my in Tulum, Mexico, http://bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/t41016

It was a beautiful experience and a memory I will treasure forever. One of the best parts was hearing my husband announce that I should go into business as a wedding coordinator for poorly publicized areas. In the short time that I have been exploring this option, I find that this is a well received service by the local vendors. They appreciate my business management experience, and I am able to help them by acting as a cultural bridge between the small business owner and American brides.

 

I am excited to announce the official opening of the licensed Destination Scout, LLC. My website is Index.html

Currently my forte is Tulum weddings (although I have also helped with one in Germany). A number of girls are interested in 2010 weddings, and it will be quite easy for me to arrange these due to my frequent interaction with the vendors and trips to the area. I offer services ranging from vendor lists, to full vacation hosting. This includes me arriving on location to greet your guests and play host to them their entire vacation so that you can enjoy your vacation instead of worrying about logistics. I will be running semi-annual site inspection tours to the Tulum area. This will allow my clients an opportunity to take a girl's trip to see all of the different options and meet various vendors. I am also available for travel anywhere. I am excited by any opportunity to expand my portfolio.

[Sycamore Tree]

I came across Malisa on this very forum and was so impressed by her review of Tulum, that I gave her major koodos and went on a wedding scouting trip of my own (but I stayed at Dreams Tulum instead of the local hostels). If I hadn't found the forum, I would not have found the wedding location of my dreams - Milamores - and I would not have had the priviledge to work with Malisa. I hired Malisa as my WC, because she is a genuine traveler and she's a natural manager. I did not have much luck with other planners in Mexico as I realized, after speaking with them in person and over the phone, they already had their vision and did not listen very well to my opinions. Malisa listens and offers alternatives if something I have my heart set on may not be realistic, given the locale/vendors. Each week, Malisa and I run through her wedding planning tool and wedding checklist and make key decisions almost effortlessly. I am VERY PLEASED with her level of service and attention to detail and $$$. I am looking forward to the months ahead, planning with Malisa, and sharing my special day with her.

 

Marie

[Valenka_en_Mexico]

I would like to add how I feel about Malisa and Destination Scout. I have just recently found Malisa on the BDW forum and she has been absolutely helpful and amazing!! I just spent a long time with her on the phone last night and she was so nice, knowledgeable, and patient with all of my questions. I felt like I was speaking with a good girlfriend and a great professional all at once...I will be hiring her as my WC very soon and look forward to every minute of it!!!

Valenka

[boven]

I am so excited to hear that Malisa is providing full service wedding coordination and vacation planning, for she truly has a gift for it. Her own wedding planning experience in Tulum and subsequent review of Milamores ignited curiosity on this forum about this virtually unknown gem. Malisa has great relationships with many business owners in Tulum and is extremely efficient with getting things done. She has been essential for me and my FI in trying to coordinate logistics with reservations at Milamores in addition to negotiating other wedding features. When presented with a challenge, Malisa comes up with a resolution and implements it expediently. Most notable, Malisa developed a website on behalf of Milamores almost overnight as a means to resolve challenges with their website that was under construction. This has allowed our guests to make reservations directly through Malisa and has resulted in one VERY happy couple that's soon to be wed! In fact, several of our guests contacted us after speaking with Malisa just to let us know how impressed they were with her!

 

I cannot thank Malisa enough for her role on this forum, with other couples, and certainly her role with our wedding. She is truly wonderful to work with and I am thrilled with what she has to offer! Without a doubt, Malisa is a great choice for a wedding coordinator!

[Butterflyf369]

I was also excited to hear that Malisa is now a vendor on this forum. Her wedding review was out of this world and I wish I had read her review before I booked. I contacted her to ask a couple of questions about Tulum and she was not only helpful but really insightful.

 

Congratulations Malisa!!

[Destination Scout]

Thanks girls. I appreciate it. I'm super excited about the possibilities.

[aga images]

Malisa, that is such a cool service!!!

[dinogomez.com]

Looks like good project. Congrats.

[BN Fotografia]

I love your entrepreneurial spirit!! Good on you for finding a way to make a living doing what you love to do!

Watashi to nihongo wa hanasukoto ga dekimasu! Ichi nen gurai nihon ni sundeimashita. Ima wa Mexico ni sundeimasu! Ja mata ne!

[buckain]

so its been a few months... hows it going i hope well, what a cool service!