Wow, what a week we have had here at Del Sol Travel! I have been very busy rescheduling destination wedding guests. Thanks to a fog in St. Johns, Newfoundland, we had a dozen destination wedding guests have their flight cancelled to Montego Bay, Jamaica departing from St. Johns last weekend. Add to the problem by having the Juno Awards take place in St. Johns the same weekend, which resulted in most flights flying to the mainland being oversold. Then to complicate that situation further, Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull Volcano caused disruption of flights in Europe and travel websites and call centers throughout the Western Hemisphere were jammed causing a two to three hour wait to get through on the phone lines to rebook passengers. As I result, I decided to write about dealing with travel chaos when planning destination weddings.
See some spectacular photos of the Iceland volcanco here at http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/04/more_from_eyjafjallajokull.html.
When planning a destination wedding, realize that the unexpected can happen. The travel chaos caused by unexpected, natural events such as Iceland’s volcano, or Mexico’s H1N1 show why booking with a travel agent is the best way to book your travel to a destination wedding. Millions of people were stuck last week where they didn’t want to be , struggling to sort out their plans and trying to rearrange flights for their trip. Those with a travel agent were able to make one phone call and have their agent sort out everything for them. Those who booked on line had to struggle to rearrange their plans themselves and wished that someone else was taking the six to twelve hours on the internet and/ or the phone to do it for them.
There are a few ways that you can deal with the unexpected crisis or travel complication regarding your destination wedding.
First, be sure to allow enough time to make your connecting travel arrangements. If you are connecting with an early morning flight or cruise, you may want to arrive a day early just in case there is a problem with the weather or your plane has to be cancelled due to mechanical problems or late arrival. It might cost a bit more to stay in a hotel over night but you can save yourself from a lot of stress.
Second, plan your wedding later on in the week so that wedding guests who have delays will still have time to get to the wedding. Many countries have a residency requirement so as the bride and groom make sure that you leave yourself enough time to get to the resort.
Third, the unexpected does happen and be ready for it! Try to remain calm even though you are worried and upset. If you are having a destination wedding, you already know that you need to be flexible and that there are many things regarding the destination wedding which you have no control over. You can’t stop the plane’s mechanical problems, the bankruptcies, the natural disasters such as hurricanes, volcanoes, landslides, or even the weather. If your guests are going to be a day late for your destination wedding week, don’t let it upset your whole week. Don’t let the little things get in your way. Relish every single moment up to your wedding date and “don’t sweat the small stuff”.
Finally, use a destination wedding travel agent who can be your human contact on the other end of the phone when things do not go as planned. Give your agent a phone number where you can be reached 24 hours a day and keep that phone turned on day and night! If you book online, there is no one you can contact. We know what to do regarding travel arrangements and can contact the wedding planner at the resort to solve the problem. Remember, all you have to do is make that one call to your destination wedding agent and we will handle the rest.
If you are planning a destination wedding in the near future and need help with your planning, call Muriel at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca or info@delsoldestinationweddings.com to book your complementary consultation today. Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MurielMacRae.
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Muriel MacRae, owner of Del Sol Travel and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant who specializes in destination weddings and romantic getaways to tropical areas. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your destination wedding or romantic getaway, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca