Sixth Annual Wedding Professionals Conference in Nassau, Bahamas

On November 1-5, 2010 I was pleased to attend the Sixth Annual Wedding Professionals Conference in Nassau, Bahamas as a wedding planner, and conference organizer. The week was filled with informative seminars presented by some of the best in the wedding industry. Guest speakers included Colin Cowie, Jung Lee & Josh Brooks & Mary Dann to name a few.

Colin Cowie is respected around the world as an aribiter of style and is widely known for designing and producing the most spectacular celebrations across the globe. With an international clientele that reads like the guest list at the Academy Awards, Colin Cowie has designed an produced celebrations for Oprah Winfrey, Eddie Murphy, Jerry Seinfeld, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise and many, many more.

Jung Lee has been featured on "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" and then her own show "Wedded to Perfection". Jung Lee is a co-founder of Fete Planning & Design along with Josh Brooks. The companies fresh approach and innovative design has made it one of the most sought after planning and design companies in the world.

Mary Dann is one of the most sought after coordinators in Southern California. Mary Dann -McNamee and her team of wedding and party coordinators have been responsible for detailed event planning and creative party consultation to many corporations and families around the country since 1991. They are known for their commitment to surpass their clients' expectations and have created intimate weddings and extravagant upscale affairs for a long list of clients, including many of Hollywood's elite.

The week started off with a welcome cocktail party hosted at Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in Bahamas. The decor was beyond amazing, food stations bordered the pool area and we were greeted by the Bahamas Tourism Board. This was also a chance for all attendees to meet & greet the conference speakers and take pictures with the celebrities. Each day, the conference was hosted at various resort properties throughout Nassau, Bahamas giving us the opportunity to view the properties for our destination wedding clients. We were hosted by Atlantis Resort, Breezes Bahamas and Wyndham Nassau.

The week continued with seminars each day outlining topics such as:

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  The Finer Details of Wedding Management
  


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  The Business Side of Weddings



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  Customer service in the Wedding Industry



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  Servicing Today's Personalized Bride
  


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  Facebook & Your Business



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  Finding Balance



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  Making Yourself a Media Source



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  Wedding Marketing



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  Destination Wedding Photography

In addition to the fantastic seminars, there was also a book-signing and vendor trade show highlighting products to share with our destination wedding clients. In addition to the above seminars, we also renewed our Sandals Specialist Certification course that brought us up to date on all the up & comings of the Sandals resort chain throughout the Caribbean.

The week ended with a farewell Gala hosted at the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort and included a plated meal, great music and fun, along with prize giveaways!

This conference was truly an amazing experience and having the ability to rub shoulders with some of the best in the industry , along with the fantastic networking amongst wedding professionals around the world, this made for a truly unforgettable experience!

Alternatives to A Cash Bar At Your Wedding

Today, more and more couples are choosing to have a cash bar for their wedding reception to reduce costs on their sometimes limited budget. Wedding etiquette clearly states that a cash bar is a big "No, No". Ask yourself this question... would you charge your friends and family for a glass of wine when they come over to your home for a dinner party? Of course not.... so then what makes it ok to do this at your wedding? Your guests will be travelling to celebrate your special day with you, they will be purchasing a wedding gift, possibly buying a new outfit along with the possibility of hiring childcare services if its an adult-only reception.... so they should not have to incur the cost of also purchasing their own alcohol at your wedding.

Here are some alternatives to a cash bar at your wedding:

• Have a smaller guest list



• Create a "signature drink" to offer your guests and serve that as your alcoholic beverage



• Choose a standard bar service instead of premium top-shelf alcohol



• Limit the hours of bar service



• Have your wedding on a Sunday afternoon as a brunch reception, and serve champagne mimosas



• Offer only beer and wine to your guests



• Have a unique themed bar instead of alcohol [such as a coffee & cappuccino or smoothie bar]



• Bring in your own alcohol and pay a per/person corkage fee instead
  


• Have an alcohol free wedding [Yes, this is ok!]

There seems to be a huge misconception that placing drinks tickets in a wedding invitation is acceptable. Again, this is a BIG wedding etiquette "No, No". If for example you were to place 2 drink tickets into a wedding invitation; this basically implies to your guest that they are only worthy of two drinks, but perhaps another guest may receive four drinks tickets. This is an offensive way to handle the cash bar situation with guests. You would be better off not placing any drink tickets in the invitation at all.

If any of the above suggested alternatives are not options for you; then please ensure that you list on the wedding invitation that it will be a cash bar so that your guests are informed and will bring cash with them to the wedding reception.

Things to Consider When Planning a Destination Wedding

RESEARCH - You must first determine the location of where you would like to host your destination wedding. It is important to do as much research as possible to determine the location that will best suit your overall needs and budget. Enlist the help of a destination wedding planner ot travel agent, specializing in destination weddings to assist you though this process.

BUDGET - This is the most important thing to consider when planning your destination wedding. Depending on the numbers of guests attending; you must consider travel costs, accomodation and what portion of the wedding you and your fiance will be paying for. [Rules of etiquette state that the couple should be paying for all members of the wedding party when choosing a destination for your wedding nuptials]

TIME OF YEAR - Just because you choose a tropical location doesn't mean that the weather will be perfect for your wedding date. You must take into consideration hurricaine season, as well as "off-season" for resorts as they may have less staff to serve customers.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: Depending on the country that you choose for your wedding nuptials, there may be certain residency requirements that you must meet. For example, In Jamaica... you must be on the island for a minimum of 48 hours before your wedding ceremony.

VALIDITY OF MARRIAGE IN YOUR HOME COUNTRY: The validity of your marriage is dependant upon the laws of the country where the marriage is performed. It is your responsibility to ensure you do your research ahead of time to determine whether you are responsible for submitting paperwork to the governing body of your country. You may also be responsible for translating the documents to the language of your country.

PROXIMITY TO THE AIRPORT: It is very important to research your location thoroughly. Some resorts may be up to 4 or more hours away from the airport which can be difficult for your guests as they may be travelling with children or elders with mobility issues.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS & DOCUMENT TRANSLATIONS: In some cases, depending on the country you choose to host your wedding, the wedding ceremony will be spoken in the language of the country as well as the documentation you will be signing. You need to be aware that you may not understand the language spoken at your wedding ceremony.

REQUIRED VACCINATIONS & BLOOD TESTS / X-RAYS: Depending on the country, blood tests and x-rays may be required to issue a marriage certificate. In Mexico for example, the bride is also required to take a pregnancy test.

ALLOW YOUR GUESTS ENOUGH NOTICE TO ATTEND: When inviting guests to your destination wedding, ensure that you provide enough notice for them to take time off of work, prepare a budget for the trip as well as enough time to prepare passports and visas that may be required for travel.

FIND OUT WHAT IS INCLUDED: Many resorts will offer all-inclusive options for you and your wedding guests. This is a great way to ensre your guests can plan ahead with their budget. You will also want to inquire what wedding packages they have available on-site instead of having to contact individual vendors for all aspects of your wedding planning.