Planning your wedding or honeymoon destination can be stressful. It doesn’t have to be with Honeymoons Inc.! Honeymoons Inc. takes all the unknowns away and provides you with a stress free planning process. Check out more common questions Linda with Honeymoons Inc. gets asked, hopefully it helps answers some of your questions too!
Why work with a honeymoon planner?
Linda: No two couples are the same. The worst mistake that happens is someone booking their friends honeymoon but hating it, regardless of the destination, it just wasn’t what they wanted. An experienced honeymoon planner knows how to speak to each couple to figure out what each party is looking for in their dream honeymoon; then making suggestions based on years of experience, time of year of travel, resort availability and other factors that come into play in the final booking process.
How is working with a honeymoon planner different than booking a trip on your own?
Linda: For most people booking a trip on their own, they look for price and availability for a set of dates for the destination they wish to travel. Rarely do they put a lot of thought into the entire feel of the trip. A honeymoon is a once in a lifetime experience for most people; whether they dream of a white sand beach or historical destination in Europe, the more complicated the trip, the more experience is needed to make sure all the logistics fit together perfectly. For example, things like time zone changes, legal connection times for flights, room categories required for honeymoon amenities, and so many details the average traveler doesn’t think about to save themselves stress and possibly ruining their entire vacation
Does a honeymoon planner charge a fee for booking your trip?
Linda: Good question! This depends upon the planner’s business model. I can only speak for myself, on average, I do not charge a planning fee or “plan to go” fee (as they are often referred to). I do reserve the right to charge a fee for my time if I am putting together components that normally do not pay travel professions any compensation. I cannot work for free (as most people cannot and do not either) and I do charge a cancellation fee should we get everything booked and confirmed and then clients cancel. The vendors that most planners work with do not pay any earned commission until have clients have traveled, again I can’t work for free.
What does a honeymoon planner handle for you?
Linda: Again, this varies by planner; usually, based on their level of experience. As for me, my clients are extremely busy, I handle everything that is need for their vacation; this includes, flights, transportation, accommodations, spa, tours, alerting the resort that my clients are celebrating their honeymoon, alerting of food allergies – pretty much anything that will save my clients stress. Especially when it comes to flights. As a former airline employee for many years, I make sure my clients are well informed in regards to flights and how airports work. For many honeymoon clients, this is their first flight and sometimes their first time out of the country AND newly married. Lots of added stress from the unknown!
Take us through the process from beginning to end of working with a honeymoon planner!
Linda: The emotions of getting engaged and starting the wedding planning process can be overwhelming. Usually you will visit several local bridal shows, gather collateral from different vendors along the way. When it is time to think about your honeymoon planning portion, check for online reviews. Those of us that have been doing this as a chosen career for a long time should have lots of reviews for you to read and get a feel for their past guest experiences. Reach out to the agent and see what their response time is like. If you ask for a phone call, are they available and when you do chat with them, did you feel a connection? Some agents are part-time, they have other careers and are only available at limited times. Those of us that are full-time travel professionals, we are pretty much always available to respond quickly and handle anything, even if we are traveling, we have a back up plan to provide service to our clients.
What are some unexpected services a honeymoon planner offers that others may not know about?
Linda: A honeymoon planner has great connections and relationships with preferred vendors, we love surprising our clients with personalized welcome amenities in their suite. We think about things like if clients are arriving late into destination and the restaurants are closed, we arrange for there to at least be a snack in the room so they do not go to bed hungry. Yes, our goal is to save our client money, but we also know about special things that can be arranged in different destinations and make those suggestions to our clients to enhance their experience, many times these can be added into their honeymoon registry to cover the cost. Many of these activities are capacity controlled and it is too late for them to arrange it once they arrive to their destination. My clients all have my personal cellphone number by the time they travel. They can call, text or WhatsApp me at anytime during their travel with problems or a general question.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about working with a honeymoon planner?
Linda: You should feel free to ask the agent you work with any question that comes to mind “the only silly question is the one not asked”. We are good, but not magicians – we can’t get you a week in an overwater bungalow for $3000 including flights. Balance your expectations with reality if you only have a $3000 budget, the agent will make the best suggestions, or possibly tell you they are not available to help you as some have a minimum dollar threshold for all clients. If someone is helping pay for your honeymoon, confirm what their budget is, and if your mind is set on something above their budget. Make sure you are prepared to cover the additional cost or be flexible and open minded to change your plans, shorten your stay or change destinations. Plan ahead, budget and be prepared to pay your final balance on time – the agent doesn’t make the rules for the vendors. It is your responsibility to make sure you have the proper travel documents your chosen destination requires, to verify the names on the booking matches your travel documents and that your dates are correct. Working as a team with an experience honeymoon planner will help you have the romantic vacation of a lifetime.
Thank you so much for the insight, Linda! Be sure to reach out to Linda to ensure you have a great experience when planning your honeymoon! Check out more information on Honeymoons Inc. here!
