TLC's Say Yes to the Dress' Randy Fenoli emceed the event
Agents munching on their hat box lunches
Coastal Communications' Joan Haines, DestinationWeddings.com's Ed Cotton
& Air Canada Vacations' Zeina Gedeon
Sandals' Chairman, Gordon "Butch" Stewart, emcee Randy Fenoli & Sandals' CEO,
Adam Stewart
Sandals' Marcia McLaughlin,
Karlene Angus Smith & Antoinette Larman
Brides-to-be have daunting decisions to make from the moment they say “Yes, I’ll marry you,” to the moment they say, “I do.” Nowadays, weddings cost a pretty penny and wedding planning can be overwhelming. Trust me. As a bride-to- be myself, I know all about it. Excited to jumpstart the planning process, I splurged on $50 worth of the latest wedding magazines the day after my fiancé proposed. After 5 minutes of flipping through the glossy pages, I found myself reaching for a paper bag.
Perhaps that’s why more-and-more couples are choosing to elope and why destination weddings are a growing market. I’ve always thought that eloping would be more convenient and cost effective (for the couple at least, and their parents). But with a destination wedding, the idea of giving away all control of the planning process and having to choose from a resort’s pre-packaged wedding theme, with my type-A personality... watch out for Bridezilla!
That’s why Sandals Resorts’ new online wedding planning tool, Sandals Destination Wedding Designer, is allowing brides like me to customize every last detail of their nuptials without the headache, hassle and hyperventilating.
Sandals celebrated the program’s launch in NYC. “Here we are in Grand Central Station, where destination travel starts. This is the perfect venue for the launch of Sandals’ Destination Wedding Designer,” said emcee, Randy Fenoli, TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” bridal gown guru. “Every bride wants to look different from other brides she’s seen. And Sandals is right on point with the customizable wedding, where they have literally unpackaged it for people to design themselves.”
Brides (and maybe the grooms) start off the process by selecting their desired destination: Jamaica; Bahamas; Antigua or St. Lucia. Then it’s all about “Your Wedding, Your Style.” The interactive website allows couples to choose the colour palettes and themes that suit their vision. From there, they have countless options to personalize their special day, including bouquets and floral arrangements, ceremony set up, reception linens and accessories, cake design, photography and more.
Approximately 160 agents attended the event along with Sandals’ tour operator partners such as Air Canada Vacations and DestinationWeddings.com. Guests were served a “hat box” lunch with wine or sapphire blue margaritas, and were treated to a colourful fashion show by designer, Rubin Singer. Of course, the Chairman, Gordon “Butch” Stewart, was present, as well as his son, Sandals’ CEO, Adam Stewart, and the rest of the brand’s management team.
“All brides share one common emotion,” Fenoli said. “Anxiety.” Having already spent a couple hours playing with the Sandals Destination Wedding Designer, I’d say that the company may have found the answer to this ailment. Sandals has changed destination weddings as we know them. So say goodbye to Bridezilla and embrace the wedding planning process, “Your Wedding, Your Style.”
