A seller on Etsy was recently venting on a Facebook Group page that she had set up a turn-key way for engaged couples to order wedding invitations online. Even though all they had to do was fill in a form with the line-by-line details of their event so she could in turn send them the final product, they weren’t doing that. They were asking her questions about customization or even worse, simply sending her their e-mail address so she could contact them to get their full vision for their invitations.
From the comments this Etsy seller was making about her customers (“Doesn’t anyone read instructions, what’s wrong with them?”) I would argue she didn’t have the spirit to serve anyone ever. In addition, she wasn’t realizing that brides and grooms want to customize. Engaged couples are courted by vendors as they taste wedding cakes, audition DJs and visit a variety of destinations and hotels to find the components that will comprise their dream ceremony. Why would they want to blindly order their invitations?
In this issue of Travel Agent, we survey travel advisor experts on best practices for selling destination weddings and honeymoons. The top tip? Mina Nguyen of Blissful Honeymoons & Destination Weddings advises how vital it is to ensure the comfort of the wedding guests or great memories will not be made, no matter how beautiful the backdrop.
For a truly fabulous honeymoon, consider the “trifecta” approach, says Ashley Lancer of Valerie Wilson Travel, who advises you determine what activities and experiences a couple wants to have during your initial conversation with them. Then, choose three destinations for them: A major city with culture, great food and nightlife; an off-the-beaten path for activities, and then a beach location for relaxation and pampering.
She’s keen on Shinta Mani Wild, a new resort in Cambodia, where guests zipline into the reception area.
Nguyen of Blissful Honeymoons says that resorts are getting used to the fact that engaged couples are all about planning their nuptials by looking at Pinterest boards and can respond in kind.
Successful travel advisors will realize, unlike the Etsy seller who didn’t want to hear a peep out of her customers, that brides want to share the excitement of their planning process. Melanie D’Souza of Divine Destination Weddings & Honeymoons suggests becoming your client’s “wedding BFF.”
My advice? If you don’t have time to play this role, find someone on your team who does. The more your agency communicates with your clients, the more intel they’ll garner so they can add important thoughtful touches to the wedding and the honeymoon. And the best part about this particular specialty niche is you’re sure to get plenty of referral business from the guests traveling to the destination wedding. This is your time to shine and invest in your own future, so grab it.
The destination wedding gets a lot of attention but don’t forget about the honeymoon, for this is where memories are made.
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