Destination Wedding Tips

Planning a Destination Wedding? Here are some tips!!

1. Get a local wedding planner who knows the area and has great reviews. There are so many variables that go into traveling for your big day that a planner is the best money you can spend. You want an experienced professional who can guide you through the process and provide valuable advice about local vendors, expected costs and potential pitfalls.

2. Do your research. There are many things to take into consideration when planning a wedding in a faraway location. You want to keep in mind major things like the weather, availability of accommodations, local holidays, passport issues, different marriage license requirements, etc. There are many reasons why you should get married in an exotic destination, but if the costs or headaches outweigh the benefits, it is best to know before you send out your invites.

3. Keep in mind that a wedding cost is a per person cost, so the more people you invite, the more people you will need to host. Couples tend to think that not as many people will travel for their wedding, but these days destination weddings are so common that guest counts are likely to be higher than expected. So, keep that in mind when creating your invitation list.

4. Have a wedding website. Wedding guests who are traveling to be with you on your big day are going to have a lot of questions on where to stay, how to get places and what to do once they are there. Help them out by creating a website where they can access this information anytime they are ready to book their travel arrangements.

5. Always send a Save the Date for a destination wedding. You should give your guests 9 to 12 months to plan for your wedding out-of-state. That way they can find affordable flights and accommodations as well as make time on their calendars.

6. Provide multiple opportunities for your guests to get together with each other. One of the best things about a destination wedding is the amount of time that you get to spend with your guests. To maximize this time and to make your guests more comfortable on vacation, create times and locations beforehand where everyone can meet up outside of the wedding day. You don’t need to host all of these events, but making time for welcome cocktails, activities, and a day-after brunch will really create a memorable destination event.

Call us today and let us tell you about the great opportunities. 

We are your “window to the world”, offering consulting and personalize travel planning so you can make the best buying decision for your vacation

FROM NAPLES TO SANDALS RESORTS

FROM NAPLES TO SANDALS RESORTS
http://videos.sandals.com/
Italian Chef Sings the Praises of the Perfect Pizza
“We know agents want to communicate with their clients in the freshest, most relevant ways and currently video is that tool,” says Kevin Froemming, President of Unique Vacations, Inc., an affiliate of the worldwide representatives of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. “Our new webisodes allow agents to share elements of Sandals and Beaches’ Luxury Included® difference, from the authenticity of our cuisine to the work we do in the Caribbean through the Sandals Foundation, with media that is rich, robust and engaging.”

The webisodes will feature a variety of interesting topics, from a sneak peek at destination wedding planning and the best places to dive in the Caribbean, to the perks of having a personal butler and the Sandals Foundation’s fascinating work of making life better for Caribbean citizens.

The first webisode, “From Naples to Sandals Resorts,” highlights Sandals’ commitment to serving only the most authentic global cuisine as part of its Discovery Dining program and takes viewers through the process of creating the perfect pizza. Equipped with the freshest ingredients, a Wood Stone oven and a native Italian chef, Sandals Resorts takes viewers into the kitchen and serves up the Caribbean’s best pizzas in true Italian tradition. 

Fall is in the Air!

Here in Alabama, it is starting to feel a lot like fall. Crisp air, the leaves are falling, and the all the beautiful colors are coming in. 

This means Christmas is even closer. Scary to think about, huh? 

Christmas is always the perfect time to travel. Whether it is to see family and loved ones or just to get away for awhile. 

It is time to start planning those Christmas Vacations. NOW! 

Call us at Travel Planners today and we can get you on the road to those perfect holiday getaways!

 New York

 Paris 

 London

Germany

Croatia

 The tiled roofs of Dubrovnik

Note the different color roof tiles...the newer brighter red and the older darker tiles? The newer ones are the ones that had to be replaced after the war with the Serbs.

Croatia, a new and different view of Europe...

I was reading an article the other day online from the San Diego Reader. It was talking about walking the walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia. How beautiful!

          "You’ll never forget walking the walls of Dubrovnik. Put this on your bucket list now!

          Climb the ancient stairs of this walled city and take your first look at centuries of history. The tile roofs         tell its story — some roofs are aged, multicolored brick, and have survived centuries of invading powers. Amazing.

Dubrovnik sits at a strategic spot at the entrance to the Adriatic. For centuries, this was the most desirable position to control the merchant traffic to and from Venice. The ancient walls were built in the 7th Century to protect against barbarian invasions. The Venetians, the Austrians and the French, among others, have controlled Dubrovnik. Each conqueror left an architectural mark.

Today, visitors marvel at this “pedestrian-only” town with white Italian marble streets and baroque buildings. Yes, there are no cars within the walls and the streets are white marble! At night, the moon and street lights glisten on the marble streets.

Walking the narrow streets and walls of Dubrovnik, it’s hard to imagine that in 1607 an earthquake crumbled this town. There’s so much history here. As recently as 1991, Dubrovnik was attacked by the Serbo-Montenegrin army.

Today, Dubrovnik is a safe and fascinating town. It’s the most popular tourist destination in Croatia, and the rooftops tell the whole story.

Walk the walls. You’ll never forget it.

Read more: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/may/15/travel-walking-walls-dubrovnik-croatia/#ixzz2fAl9jsHy

By Jo Ann Askey

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011/may/15/travel-walking-walls-dubrovnik-croatia/ "

Wedding+Honeymoon

The stress of planning a wedding AND a honeymoon can drive any bride crazy. The details and bookings for catering, flowers, transportation, and so forth can make you wish to elope and just be with your honey!

Why not have a wedding and honeymoon together...a WeddingMoon!

At Travel Planners, we can point you in the right direction of where to start. 

Robin Lazarus, on of our wonderful agents at Travel Planners, helped Alex and Amanda Cloke whisk away to Couples Swept Away in Negril. They had a marvelous time and a gorgeous wedding...AND honeymoon!

"Robin,

We had a blast, it couldn't have been any better. I can't wait to go back. 

Thanks for all your help."

-Alex and Amanda Cloke

Honeymoon Happy Hour

If you are recently engaged come out to Aloft SoHo Square in Birmingham, Alabama for a wonderful event.

Birmingham's top honeymoon specialists will be there to discuss your options on where to travel for your perfect vacation. 

You don't make your own wedding cake or arrange our own flowers, why would you plan your honeymoon? Let Travel Planners, Inc. help you!!

Come and enjoy snacks and a beer or glass of wine on us!

6:30-8:00 PM! Hope to see you there!

Spring Break

Spring Break is that time of year we all look forward to. That week where beaches and exotic vacations  appeal to us. Why am I talking about Spring Break in the middle of September? Spring Break is one of the most busy time of the year for travelers. It is not too soon to start thinking of where you want to go and book that ideal trip you have been talking about since last March!

Where to go? How about Europe?

Or maybe somewhere in the Caribbean?

Or a safari through Africa?

Possibly a lavish trip to India?

Wherever your heart tells you to go, we can get you there. Booking Spring Break early gets your great rates and saves the stress of last minute planning. 

Call us today! 205.870.3031

Sandals Night!!

Come out to Aloft SoHo Square in Birmingham, AL on September 10, 2013! Event starts at 6:30! It is time to plan your honeymoon, vacation, or destination wedding at Sandals resorts. Or maybe you want to do a family trip to Beaches? Come and hear all about these resorts and take advantage of a great booking incentive for attending. No charge for admission. Snacks and drinks will be provided!

Fall Wedding Colors

Get inspired for your fall wedding by perusing our fall-color bridal bouquets, invitations, centerpieces, and more. These photos display the perfect combinations of red, orange, brown, deep purple, and other seasonal hues to give your fall wedding the look you want.

Sandals Emerald Bay: Cuisine

Let’s be honest, one of the most important parts of your vacation is the food you eat and when staying at an all inclusive resort you want to make sure that you have plenty of choices.   

During my recent trip to Sandals Emerald Bay resort, I tried all the dining options and the food was excellent!

I met with the resort’s Food and Beverage manager during my stay. He is quite a hand’s on  kind of guy. He knows exactly what’s coming out of his kitchens and how guests are being served every day. The service standards and food offerings reflect his diligence! The dinings options at this resort all were outstanding!

The resort has only 2 restaurants that require reservations.

Il Cielo features, with wonderful Italian cuisine. This restaurant has soaring ceilings, one wall of glass(the entire wall can be open to connect to the terrace(I could just see a wedding dinner being held here)and a dessert bar, where chefs create your desserts and gelatos right before your eyes.

La Parisienne is their French restaurant. Charcoal gray walls  create a lovely intimate setting indoors, or you can dine outside on la Terrasse. Both of these restaurants require long pants and collared shirts for men, slacks or causal dress for women. Il Cielo also offers a la carte breakfast..

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Barefoot by the Sea, is open for lunch and dinner. As the name implies, the tables are in the sand with views of the sea and yes if you want to be barefoot, you can! For lunch it offers Bahamian Conch dishes, sandwiches, salads and other typical lunch fare. At night, it becomes a seafood restaurant, with lobster on the menu when in season.

The Drunken Duck Pub is another place not only to eat but to hangout.  Featuring  pub grub like fish and ships, Lancashire hot pot and  Shepherd’s pie, you can catch some games on TV, get in on Karaoke later at night, or just have a drink with friends.

Dino’s Pizzeria has a  genuine wood –fired pizza oven. Open from 10-6 daily, it features a variety of hand tossed pizzas that are not to be missed. Dine on their patio or have one brought to you at poolside or in your room by your butler!

Café De Paris is one of the most places at the resort and it’s no wonder… Ice creams,Crepes, fresh baked cookies and Pastries, specialty coffees and lattes… and if you want something for later they will wrap it up for you take back to your room.

Bahama Bay offers buffet breakfast daily with cooked to order Eggs and omelets as well as a smoothie machine.

It also offers a lunch buffet, with a different theme each day.At night this restaurant still allows casual attire but it is a la carte dining.

And if this isn’t enough to blow your diet, you have room service, the Bahamian beach party Friday Night with all kinds of Caribbean specialties, the chocolate buffet on Tuesday night and Miss Valerie’s fresh Bahamian bread every day. Baked twice a day on the beach in one of the last Bahamian ovens still in existence, she makes homemade bread filled with fruits or  herbs or chesses. And once you taste it, no wonder she runs out quickly.