Wedding Planner/travel Agent

[diadiamond]

Hi Everyone!

 

I know I've been posting a lot, but I just have so many questions.  I thought that planning a destination wedding would be a snap, but after reading the forum I learned that it's easier than a traditional wedding but presents its own challenges.

 

I was wondering if any brides had a wedding planner at home for their big day?  I've seen some sites like luxe weddings which offer planning packages.  Also what is the difference between a wedding planner and a travel agent in regards to a destination wedding?

 

What services do travel agents offer?  And how much do they charge?  And do they offer you any special deals.

 

Sorry guys, I know I'm throwing a lot of questions out there, but I'm so confused as to how to go about planning this wedding.  

 

- Dia.

[TammyWright]

Hi Dia,

 

Our agency does not charge a fee to help coordinate you and your guests travel arrangements.  We do not claim to be wedding coordinators but most of the larger resorts have event and wedding coordinators onsite.  We do work very closely with the resorts and intervene when issues arise.

 

You can read our reviews in the link in my siggy

[kellymiller]

I am using Wright Travel for my travel agency. So, far Patty has been very helpful answering all of my questions! Based on what Patty has told me Travel Agents help with all the travel arrangements and booking the resort. They can get you group rates which you wouldn't be able to get on your own. They also take the travel planning out of your hands so that is one less thing to worry about, or having people constantly asking you questions about!

 

Hope that helps!

[acw271011]

Hi. A piece of advice from an old lady... stop stressing! Planning a destination wedding really isn't all that difficult. You're in Toronto so I think it's a bit harder for Wright Travel to help you out since they are US based. If you want a name, I have 2 that I can give you both of which I've used. One for our wedding in Jamaica, and one for other travel but they're both great.

 

First of all, you've decided the where. That's step 1. You've also decided the when. That's pretty much step 2. What about your budget? I'm not sure where you are in Toronto but you need to get a travel agent to help you out with your trip details. It will take the stress off you when it comes to your guests planning their trip. They don't charge for their services. That would be your next step. But, I was just told yesterday for the date I'm looking at in October 2015 they don't even have rates yet and won't until this summer. So, since you still have a lot of time, there isn't much you can do in terms of getting your travel costs. Have you done a guest list? That would definitely be a good step to take. Figure that a lot of the people you invite won't make the trip so be prepared for that. Do you know what colours you want? Something else you can look at. Do you know who your attendants will be? Does your FI have his best man? How good are your DIY skills? There are tons of ideas on this site that you could look at and figure out if they interest you. And of course, there's your dress. Have you started looking through magazines or online to see what style you like? You could be looking at pictures of bouquets if you want and trying to figure out what you like. What about doing online research on your resort? Do you know what's in the area, or if you want to set up any kind of excursions for your guests?

 

If you're anxious to be doing something, there are lots of small things you could be doing just to put your mind at ease. But given how much time you still have, I would say the best thing is to relax!!! As Tammy said the wedding coordinators at the resorts know what they're doing and will help you put together a day that you'll remember for the rest of your life! And it will all be wonderful!

[diadiamond]

Thanks everyone!  I hope I haven't been a pain on the forum with my constant posting =p  You all have given me really good advice and I've learned so much.  So far we've already:  picked a venue, picked a date, made a guest list, thought about who we want our attendants to be, figured out our colours for the wedding, and tried on dresses.  

 

I'm still in the process of making a budget which is why I wanted to know about the rates of travel agents.  

 

This week's been my reading week so I figured I should at least start doing some planning as I probably won't have a chance to do any more planning until the end of the summer.

 

- Dia.

[acw271011]

Sounds like you're much more ahead of things than you thought! Good for you! If you want the names of agents to talk to, let me know. At least by talking to them you'll know where you're at and when you'll be able to discuss trip costs with them!

 

Have fun!