Did you know you can fully customize your wedding and still have a 100% stress-free experience?  With a destination wedding, every detail is handled for you from research through return. You will have both a professional wedding planner and travel consultant!  Your travel advisor help you narrow down resort and location based on your personal needs. She’ll negotiate the best group contract and promotion options for your party.  Your resort wedding planner will assist you with every onsite wedding event detail.
 
Once your location is decided and confirmed, your destination wedding travel consultant will connect you with the resort’s professional wedding planners. While you seamlessly coordinate the perfect wedding, your travel consultant will be connecting with your guests and assisting them with each of their travel needs.  She can provide your guests with an initial destination wedding announcement as well as provide them with secure booking and payment links. She’s available to you and your guests to answer all resort and destination questions.  Coordinating group travel can be a big job, and using a professional travel planner saves the bride and groom a lot of headache.
 
From color schemes to cake flavors, cocktail and reception menu items, entertainment choices and more; the choice is yours. Be it a beachfront gazebo, rooftop sky deck or over the water pier, you pick the locations – and there are so many gorgeous ones to choose from. There are top rated spas, where you and your bridal party can get your hair and nails done, and do a mock run!  Like the idea of a signature cocktail? Done! Everything part of the customary wedding rituals done at home, can be done at a destination wedding, only better! You pick it all with a dedicated and professional wedding team assigned to help you every step of the way.
 
Imagine traveling like royalty to and from the airport in a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce; your guests participating in an abundance of land and water sports; international al a carte dining experiences; and celebrating each evening with a wide variety of nightly entertainment. On top of it all, how about a free honeymoon or private event?!
 
If you have guests coming from different locations to help you celebrate your wedding, seriously consider a destination wedding. Not only will you have a stress-free wedding to remember, you will give your guests an unforgettable reunion and vacation. Everyone will have the time of their lives and be talking about it for years to come!
 
From the cosmopolitan shores of Barcelona to the warm hospitality in the Caribbean, there is an luxury cruise or all-inclusive resort with firsthand access to manicured gardens, white sand beaches, stunning turquoise water, exceptional beauty and sophisticated elegance – just perfect for hosting you and your guests.

For more about destination weddings and to start planning yours, contact me.
 
Christine Rakes
Destination Wedding & Honeymoon Specialist
....and Luxury Cruise, All Inclusive Expert.
919.589.2437 / crakes@totalexperiencetravel.com
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Airports can test the nerves of even the most well-balanced traveler. There are places, however, where calm and tranquility reign – where a comfortable seat is always available, fresh coffee and snacks await, and a glass of prosecco can be had a moments’ notice. We are talking, of course, about airport lounges. Rack up several hundred thousand air miles on the same airline, and you’re sure to get an invitation to join the club. For these rest of us, there are other options, and given the benefits, they’re worth exploring.

1. Join a Lounge Network
Depending on how often and where you fly, joining a lounge network such as Priority Pass might be your best option. Priority Pass offers access to over 1,000 worldwide lounges for an annual fee of $99 with a per visit fee of $27 (alternatively, an annual fee of $399 gets you unlimited access).

2. Buy a Day Pass
Have you ever been stuck at an airport for hours on end? Next time, a day pass to a lounge might be your saving grace. Prices vary considerably between airlines, but for around $50 you can have a day’s worth of food and drink, free Wi-Fi, and a quiet little corner to call your own.

3. Use Your Credit Card
Several credit cards, including the American Express Platinum card and the United MileagePlus Explorer card, offer free or reduced-cost lounge access. The drawback is that these cards often come with higher annual fees, but added benefits such as travel insurance, priority boarding and free checked bags might make the upfront payout worthwhile.
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4. Upgrade Your Ticket
Buy an international business or a first-class ticket and more than likely you’ll also receive complimentary lounge access. This can be a particularly nice perk on long haul flights, as most international airport lounges have private shower rooms where you can freshen up after your flight.

​ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com

After all the hard work and emotions that go into planning a wedding, you are ready for that glass of champagne at the reception -- and a fabulous dose of R&R when it’s all over!  Whether you’re hitting the beach in the Caribbean, hiking a volcano in Costa Rica, or feasting your way through Italy, it’s time to unwind with your spouse and let the reality sink in: You’re married! Like all things “wedding,” your honeymoon comes with its share of questions.

When should we go on our honeymoon?
Traditionally, the newlyweds would depart on their honeymoon right away – the bride often changing into one of her trousseau outfits and heading to the airport straight from the reception, suitcases in tow. However, today’s couples know that having a wedding is exhausting. I recommend delaying departure 1-3 days so that you have a little time to wind down, get things organized and time to pack.

Who plans it?
The honeymoon used to be planned entirely by the groom and kept a secret from the bride until she arrived. But it’s stressful packing for a mystery trip, only to arrive and realize once at destination, there’s an outfit or two you really wish you’d brought! With today’s couples, more often than not the groom still takes the lead, but the bride is kept in the loop.  Smart grooms pull in a honeymoon specialist to help them decipher best options for their interests. It’s a collaboration with the travel pro doing the majority of the work related to the research and booking in general.  She'll also make sure their itinerary includes a little something for each of them.  Hoping to keep that surprise alive? That’s still an options but much safer bet when working with an experienced honeymoon specialist.  

I am out of vacation time, what should I do?
Take a mini-moon! And, delay your big trip until you’ve got more time off.  If you have to wait for the big honeymoon, take a long weekend immediately after your wedding to unwind from the excitement. Go somewhere completely relaxing for a night or two. Sleep in, get massages, and scroll through your hashtags to relive all those fun memories. Taking that big trip several weeks or months after the big day, will give you something exciting to look forward to once your wedding has come and gone!

What if I have a food allergy or dietary restrictions?
Even if you are going on a cruise or to an all inclusive resort, this doesn’t have to be a problem.  Your honeymoon specialist can connect you to the resorts and cruise lines that do best in accommodating your need.  Once at destination you will be connected with the head chef or dining department to discuss your  restrictions and lay out a plan to accommodate it in the most satisfying manner.  The best properties will easily be able to work with your needs, as well as recommend menu items you will truly enjoy. For a honeymoon in a major city, read restaurants’ menus and reviews, and google search, for example “gluten free in Paris.”  If traveling to a destination where they don’t speak English, be prepared to explain your restrictions in the local language.  Write it down in advance, if that helps. Wherever you go and whatever kind of cuisine you are looking for, don’t forget to ask the locals’ for some suggestions. No one knows the local cuisine and what’s best better than them!

If we can’t afford an extravagant trip, should we still go?
Of course! There are many affordable ways to totally relax and enjoy your honeymoon. All-inclusive resorts and cruises are a great place to start and offer the best value since there are few expenses beyond what you pay to book the trip. You know upfront the cost of the trip before you get there. If you are looking for culture and art, and more exploration on foot, there are options for guided tours that offer exceptional value, over do it yourself options.  Don’t forget honeymoon funds are also available and no different than a gift registry.  Already have a coffee pot? Ask for an excursion instead!  The honeymoon is a trip of a lifetime and the thing you will remember most from this time in your life – don’t skimp or forgo it.

For the best value and experience work with a travel professional and honeymoon specialist. It's the same price as you doing all the work yourself and it will give you better peace of mind and experience overall. ChrisRakes@totalexperiencetravel.com