Destination Wedding – A Case Study

I met Sarah & James at a recent wedding show a few months after they had been engaged. They were both from big families and had done the sums of how expensive a wedding in Auckland was going to be.

They were getting really disillusioned as to how many people they would ‘have’ to invite; aunts and uncles they’d never met, cousins, work-mates etc etc. So, they decided to explore the idea of a Destination Wedding but really had no clue on what the cost would be.

They had been to Fiji before and stayed on Denarau on the mainland and found the people lovely. They both were keen to have a beach wedding and liked the idea of snorkelling.  They figured there were about 20 guests that would definitely come; of course you will only know true numbers when you ask for non-refundable deposits; you get true commitment when guests have to ‘put their money where their mouth is’!

After some research I offered them a couple of options and they decided on Treasure Island in Fiji.

Sarah & James loved the idea of having their nearest & dearest with them to celebrate at a relaxed, casual resort that wasn’t going to be too expensive for their guests. They were able to get a Wedding Package for around $NZD6500.   This included the services of the lovely wedding co-ordinator Lavenia who arranged the licence prior to their arrival; along with a Minister, chapel (venue) hire, flowers, a Fijian choir, Warrior escorts for the bride, 4 nights accommodation in a Beachfront Bure and a buffet dinner under the stars for 20 guests!

Really all they needed to pay extra for was airfares and transfers; hair & makeup, drinks and photography. They extended their stay and had about a week at Treasure Island followed by another couple of nights at a nearby resort for a secluded private honeymoon.

Sarah & James commented that what they had paid for their wedding was fantastic value- for- money and they “could never have achieved what they had in Fiji if they had held their wedding in Auckland”.

As a Wedding Travel Specialist this is ‘music to my ears’ – my job is to get the best value I can for my couples suited to their particular needs and in this case I can pat myself on the back and say “job well done!”

If you want me to do the same  for you contact me now.