Destination Weddings – Travel Agent's and Wedding Planner's Interview
• N.B: Do you find most brides have already selected their venue or the area for their wedding when they contact you? D.R:Future-brides-to be or future couples which contact me mostly have already idea where they would like their venue to be (which area) and some of them they have it booked. But happens that the idea is not enough, or they need suggestion of it on the basis of their needs and expectations. In that case I am presenting few options to choose it from and couple is deciding, of course sometimes with my help, but not necessary. I do respect every choice they made. • N.B: Do you suggest other venues in the area if you think it matches their wedding dream? D.R: Obviously! Any Wedding Planner when it comes to venue need to have few options to choose from. Of course we can only suggest and explain negatives and positives points of the place. At the end the choice stays on the side of the couple since this is their wedding day. We should remember it, but some of the Wedding Planners forgeting it. Many times I used to say that we are the best friend of the couple during the preparations and ceremony (sometimes after wedding too) but we need to respect their decisions even if we do not agree. Why? Because out of being their friends, we are professionals. • N.B: Do you help your couples with the marriage requirements? D.R: Yes, I do and my work including it. Of course, since I am not bride-to-be, sometimes I need written permission from the couple to do it so in their behalf which is requested by some offices. Please bare in mind, that in dependance of the country, happens that papers for marriage need to be presented by couple herself. Every country have different legal requirements which needs to be met but this is valuated on the base of the country chosen.
• N.B: Do you provide a timeline for your couples? D.R:Timeline is necessary since without it we can not go ahead with next step, which means supliers. Need to be respected by both sides – if couple do not respect my timeline I can not preserve for them some supliers on which they are interested in since I can not book them for their wedding day. From my side, timeline is requested to be sure that everything is going smooth and is also included in contract with couple. There is written which is approx.timeline for any suplier that is working on their wedding, so the couple knows everything from the start. • N.B: What is your preferred way of communicating? D.R: I am available by mobile phone, email or social portals such Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. My preffered method of communication if there is not possible to do it personally, is Skype – this way I can speak eye-to-eye with my couple, we can meet in some way and without any discomfort or measure of time running. They can ask me what they would like to know and clarify their doubts and I can meet their expectatives easier. Since I am an International Wedding Planner working with all the world, this way of communicating is necessary. • N.B: What languages do you speak? I know this can be very helpful when planning a destination wedding. D.R: I am polish native, I speak fluently in english and italian, basicaly in german, russian and spanish. Let me tell you one thing. It is true, without foreign languages you can not go far in Destination Weddings, especially if your couple is bilingual or parents of couple are foreigners. This helping a lot and of course puts you in a better place as profesionalist in what you are doing. I am an International and Destination Wedding Planner since 2006; I am certified in Italy where
I was Wedding Planner for over 3 years (from 2009 I am based in Poland) and I can say that without good base of italian and english language for sure will not be able to achieve my experiences and knowledge.
• N.B: Are you able to receive items that the bride would like to ship in advance such as gift bags? D.R: Of course. Since I am working very close with the couple and some of them are from different country than place of the wedding, shipping can be done to my office. Here all the items can wait in all safety for their use, since I am presented during all preparations and ceremony - without any problem I can delivery them directly to the couple. Of course if the couple is from the same country, we can receive all items for them if they are wishing so. • N.B: Can you help with the international customs requirements? D.R: Unfortunately, in case of international customs requirements Wedding Planner can not help a lot. We can try but from my experience I know that in this case, even if we have permission to represent our couple, mostly they are requested to be presented personaly. • N.B: Are you able to meet the couple in advance if they come out to look at venues? D.R: Of course. I am in direct contact with couple from the beginning. In most cases I assist them and if they are going to see venues proposed by myself I am always present. Obviously in case if the couple have chosen venue by themselfs I am going to check it with them too. That is why because I need to know every detail about venue for future wedding – for ex. if there are special permissions met or if the kitchen is ready for the quantity of the guests invited for the
wedding. • N.B: How many weddings a week do you plan? D.R: Since for me was always more important quality, than quantity, I prefer to concentrate on every wedding with max.cure. Mostly I plan weddings not a week but a month – normally I have 25/30 a year including half of it as Destination Weddings. I am working on wedding industry since 2006 so this is very nice calculation. There was a time that I was working over the world for Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines and there I did even one couple every 10/12 days which is normal in the maritime sistem. My Destination Weddings experience is also recognized by Wedding Industry Experts where on 2012 and 2013 was voted as The Best Wedding Planner Poland. Besides of it my knowledge of international wedding industry is recognized by AFWPI which nominated me on 2012 as Executive Director for AFWPI Poland.
** Nancy Briscoe - licensed as a travel agent in California. She have been working with brides helping them organize and book their groups destination wedding travel since 1999. (More info at www.romanticgetaways.travel) ** Dorota A.Radziszewicz - International Wedding Planner, certified in Italy. Working with Destination Weddings since 2006. Awarded as The Best Wedding Planner Poland 2012 and 2013 voted on Wedding Industry Experts website. (More info at www.cplanner.eu)