Palace Resorts in Mexico

On June 14-18/2010, I was asked by WPIC [Wedding Planners Institute of Canada] to accompany them on a FAM [Familiarization] trip to teach & certify 26 Palace Resorts wedding coordinators.

The 26 wedding coordinators that attended the 3-day training program came from all across Mexico to the host resort: Moon Palace in Cancun, Mexico http://palaceresorts.com/

The training emphasized expectations of North American clientele so that the Palace onsite wedding coordinators could better understand the North American market. Topic also included bride & groom psychology, the various roles of wedding planning, how to increase wedding & special events revenue, marketing as well as extensive discussions on how to attract the destination wedding market. [Along with many, many other wedding related topics]

The experience was very imformative not only for my students, but for myself as well as I was able to learn more about Mexican culture and traditions. In addition, I was also surprised to learn about the marriage requirements in Mexico. Some interesting facts I came across are:

1. You must be a resident of Mexico for at least 3 dayd before a civil or religious ceremony. [This is important to consider especially when making wedding plans as you will not necessarily be able to have the wedding on the date you were hoping, based on how long you have been in Mexico.]


2. You are required to take a blood test to determine blood type and test for HIV, Syphillis & Gonorrhea


3. If you have been divorced for less than 1 year and you are planning to re-marry in Mexico, you will be required to take a pregnancy test. If the pregnancy test comes back positive, you will be unable to marry.
   

As I taught the 3 day course to the wonderful staff at Palace Resorts, I learned one thing... that regardless of location, culture, traditions...etc - ultimately as a wedding coordinator we all strive to make the couple's wedding day the most memorable and spectacular day possible.

The wedding coordinators at Palace Resort are all very talented individuals sometimes handling up to 5 weddings per day. They are very skilled in their professions and the wedding packages offered at Palace resorts are second to none! I would highly recommend Palace Resorts for your destination wedding.

For more information on Palace Resorts wedding packages, please visit their website at http://www.palaceresortsweddings.com/

Planning your Destination Wedding?

Aisle Plan Your Day has had the opportunity to travel extensively within the Carribean to meet with numerous resort chains & their onsite wedding coordinators at the destination wedding locations/resorts.

We would be pleased to offer our services on destination wedding planning packages as well as group reservations & management services.

Although a destination wedding sounds care-free and glamourous... its also requires a lot of research and time to plan. The key to planning a destination wedding is to start planning as early as possible.

With destination weddings, there are many more factors to consider when having your nuptials away from your home town or further than a 100 mile radius [which classifies the wedding as a "destination" wedding.

When planning for your destination wedding, there are many factors to consider such as:

• Wedding Budget


• Guest list


• Travel & Accomodation


• Attire


• Location


• Time of year


• Legal requirements of marriage


• Translation Requirements of documents


• Vendor research


• Resort wedding packages


• Itinerary planning


• Guest planning & events


• Theme Development

Destination weddings are quite different from regular weddings and even honeymoons; and therefore they require the assistance and planning from a certified destination wedding coordinator.

For inquiries on our destination wedding packages, please visit our website at http://www.aisleplanyourday.com/ and we would be pleased to sit down and discuss your wedding vision and see how we can help!

Monica Hill awarded position of Intructor with the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada

I am excited to share news that as of October 2009 - I have taken on a position to be an instructor for the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada. [www.wpic.ca] to teach and certify new & up and coming wedding planners within the industry.

The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada is the only regulated wedding coordinator certification course available in Canada. Classes are taught in -class at all major universities across Canada so please check the schedule on-line [www.wpic.ca] if you are interested in taking the course. We will teach you about planning and coordination of a wedding and so much more.

It has been my pleasure to travel across Canada and Internationally to certify new wedding planners. The upcoming year includes a lot of travels and I look forward to keeping you posted about exciting new trends and wedding topics.

Aisle Plan Your Day is a Sandals Certified Specialist!

I had the pleasure of attending a trip to Jamaica with WPIC [Wedding Planners Institute of Canada] hosted by Sandals Resorts to learn more about destination wedding packages.

Our journey started off in Montego Bay where we arrived into Jamaica. Upon arrival in the airport, we were directed to the Sandals Lounge where we were offered refreshments & snacks while waiting for our bus to transport us to the hotel.From there, we had a 2 hour bus ride to Ocho Rios where we were provided with our own suites on the Manor Section of the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios resorts.

Day 1

We started off the day with a course and were given an assignment to create an on-site wedding at the resort and of course, come up with some signature cocktails! This gave us a chance to view the various wedding locations around the resort and learn about the different wedding packages available to our clients. Upon completion of the assignment, we were then advised there was a huge surprise in store for us! Adam Stewert, CEO of Sandals Resorts came in to talk with us about Sandals resorts! This was a huge honor to have Adam Stewert come & speak to our group... and of course we were all very much "star-struck!"

In the evening, we were invited to attend a hosted dinner sponsored by Sandals Dunn's River resort. The dinner was located pool-side and was decorated as a mock-wedding so that we could experience what our clients would receive with their wedding package.

Day 2

Today we started off the day taking a full tour of the Sandals Grande Ocho Rios resort, complete with tours of each room category. This resort is Sandals largest resort and is divided into 2 sections [Riveria & Manor]. From here, we were then taken by bus to Beaches Boscabel for a site tour. Once we were done the site tour,we were treated to a roof-top lunch complete with appetizers, cocktails and private massages. This was a phenomenal surprise for all of us! From here, we were then escorted to a private lunch where the chef had prepared a special menu for our group! The meal and their hospitality was second to none!

From the Beaches Boscabel Resort, we then proceeded to Sandals Ocho Rios Golf Course. The green fees for golf are included in the Ultra-All inclusive package when booking with the Sandals Dunns River or Sandals Grande Ocho Rios resort. Upon arrival at the course, we were offered golf carts as we took a tour along the entire layout of the course. The views were absolutely breathtaking! Upon completion of the tour, the GM of the course provided a demonstration on golf for us with a PGA pro. This was a wonderful afternoon!

From the Sandals Ocho Rios Golf Course, we then proceeded to Rio Chico. Rio Chico is a $10,000 per night villa. The villa we toured belonged to Butch Stewert [Owner and chairman of Sandals resort], so along the tour, we were fortunate enough to get a glimpse into their family life with family pictures lining the walls throughout the villa. This property boasted phenomenal views, its own private beachfront, luxurious interior and several pools. We were then treated to cocktails and appetizers provided by the staff at Rio Chico.

Day 3
Today we had our Sandals CSS training in the ballroom at the resort! Our course has been completed and I am now officially a Sandals Certified Specialist! This was a wonderful day and everyone was excited about sharing our knowledge with our destination wedding clients! There are so many beautiful spots within the resorts to hold your destination wedding. See below for some pictures of my favorite locations:

This evening was a formal gala for our group, again sponsored by Sandals Grande Ocho Rios. The gala was held on the Grand Promenade [the boardwalk right along the ocean]. As I walked down the promenade, I could hear the calypso band playing songs of Jamaica, I could see the candlelight glowing from the tables... it looked perfect! We were treated to a 5-course meal, white glove service. After dinner, we enjoyed the music and danced alongside the ocean! It was a perfect way to conclude our stay at this resort!
Day 4

Today we checked out of the resort at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios and will be doing a couple more site tours and then checking into Sandals Montego Bay resort. Our first tour was of Sandals Dunns River. This resort had such old-world charm and beautiful suites throughout. From this resort,we were then taken by bus to Sandals Royal Plantation resort where we received a full tour. This resort even boasts its own private island [a perfect wedding location!] For lunch, we were taken by boat to the private island where we enjoyed an authentic Jamaician lunch. After a late lunch, we then proceeded to Sandals Montego Bay and got checked in!

Day 5

Today we did a complete tour of the Sandals Montego Bay resort. This resort has the highest return rate for guests than any of the other resorts. It had such a good vibe and I would recommend this place to a couple who wanted a lively atmosphere! That evening, we were invited to a beach party hosted by Sandals Montego Bay. When I arrived to the beach, I was thrilled to see that the tables were set-up right in the sand while gorgeous floral centerpieces adorned the tables, a calypso band was playing music right beside the ocean and we had a fabulous buffet set up right on the beach for us to enjoy! I couldn't possibly think of a better way to end the trip!

I am now officially a Sandals Certified Specialist and would love the opportunity to provide a quote for your vacation, honeymoon or destination wedding!

Welcome to the Aisle Plan Your Day Blog!

I am thrilled to announce the launch of our new re-designed website and blog!

We have so many exciting things in store for 2010 and I can’t wait to get started on what promises to be a fabulous year!

In celebration of our “revamped website” launch, I am offering couples a $75.00 credit towards any wedding consulting or coordination services booked on or before February 28/2010.

Be sure to check back here often for exciting news and updates on wedding trends, Wedding FAQ’s and so much more!