Weds & Hons: The benefits of recce trips
Thursday, March 18, 2010 A pre-wedding inspection visit to an overseas venue can help to reassure your clients – and earn you extra commission. Debbie Ward talks to suppliers offering this service.
Planning a wedding is a time-consuming process. There are numerous arrangements to be made regarding venues, menus, flowers, music and transport. Getting married abroad reduces this hassle, yet for some couples it also reduces their sense of choice and control, and for these clients an inspection visit may be the answer.  Inspecting the venuePlanet Holidays has been organising “Go-sees” for soon-to-be brides and grooms for years but, following increased demand, has highlighted them in its latest brochure. Some clients go to check out different ceremony or reception venues but many book first then head to Cyprus, the Greek islands or Malta to decide details. Managing director Mathilde Robert says: “I do at least three or four a month. A lot of our brides think: ‘It’s amazing; I don’t have to do anything’ and because they don’t have to do anything they start to panic. I think this makes them feel more relaxed. The wedding coordinator can show them the kinds of flowers, the photography and other extras. If they want a taverna reception the coordinator can arrange different tavernas to visit during their stay.” Robert is currently working on weddings with 40 and 80 guests. The shift to larger parties for overseas nuptials is partly behind the trend for couples to get more involved in the planning. Finalising the small details Travel agent Andrew Neophytou, retail and operations director of Travelmania in north London, organised an inspection visit to Cyprus last year for a tailor-made wedding with 35 guests. Originally he was to accompany his clients, but when they had childcare issues he went on their behalf. He met with the management of the Grand Hotel in Limassol and brought back menus, colour schemes and bouquet samples, leaflets and promotional CDs. In fact Neophytou, who was due to be sunning himself in Cyprus at the time of his clients’ wedding, became even more involved. “My ground agent who was handling the wedding had a heart attack and I ended up using my personal holidays to do all the preparations,” he says. He even organised the stag party, rectified a last-minute colour slip-up with the cake and received a glowing endorsement in the groom’s speech. Neophytou thinks agents should consider weddings as they would incentive groups. “If you’ve got a group of 50-60 people going out, the organiser wants to go and see the venue and what it’s all about. They want that reassurance. Obviously it depends on the distance; for short-haul it’s a very good idea.”  Calming pre-wedding nervesMiss Ellies Travel regularly organises such recces. “About 30-40% of our clients request an inspection visit. It gives them the opportunity to shop around,” says wedding specialist Janette Bell of the agency’s Essex branch. “The inspection takes all the things you’d be planning in the UK and puts them overseas. Clients want to taste the food, try the wine and meet the florist. It puts their mind at rest that they’re doing the right thing. Then they are more relaxed when they return for the wedding.” Bell says some clients have had a rethink when they realise their party of 30 will look lost in a reception venue seating up to 150. Others have satisfied themselves that their chosen location is suitable for frail relatives or children. Even couples not inviting guests have made a recce to ensure their big day will live up to their dreams. Bell says the agency can offer such visits because for weddings it works with a handful of hotels in Cyprus, Halkidiki and Crete with which it has built strong relationships. She says the service is a natural fit with her high-end clients and believes it better suits wedding specialists. It is possible however for agents to request an inspection for a client when booking a brochured wedding package as several operators will arrange this on request (see below). While the Mediterranean is naturally less costly to visit, longer-haul recces are possible. Somak has organised such a trip to Mombasa and Expressions Holidays books about two a year to Barbados. Pricing of recces The degree to which couples are accompanied during their visit varies, so too does pricing for the service. Some agents and operators book inspection visits like a standard short break, while Miss Ellies and Travelmania incorporate them into the overall price for a tailor-made wedding. Neophytou points out that some suppliers, including Cyprus Airways and selected hotels, will reduce or waive charges, anticipating a group booking as a result of the trip. Operator Just Sardinia arranges up to eight recces a year in conjunction with local firm Weddings in Sardinia. One bride-to-be who took up the option is Amanda Rubertazzi from Ayrshire who is marrying in August with 16 guests. She was initially concerned about the extra expense but says: “It’s not that much more if you go out of season and book a basic self-catering apartment.” Over two days last September, with the guidance of their wedding coordinator, she and her fiance viewed several hotel venues around Alghero, including one decorated for a reception, and even caught a wedding at the town hall. Rubertazzi believes the experience was definitely worth it: “What you see on the internet isn’t always what it’s going to be like. Also it’s good that we met the hotel manager and are in contact because we’re getting a first class service and we know they’re friendly and professional. We’ve built up a bit of a relationship.” Who offers what? Planet Holidays: arranges accompanied recces. Couples pay travel and accommodation only. www.planetweddings.co.uk Just Sardinia: arranges accompanied recces. Couples pay travel and accommodation plus €100-150. www.justsardinia.co.uk Kirker Holdiays: tailor-made recces at a special price for clients with existing wedding bookings. www.kirkerholidays.com Expressions Holidays: recces in Italy and Barbados. Couples usually pay travel and accommodation only. www.expressionsholidays.co.uk Classic Collection, TransIndus and Somak: on request with all or part of cost off any subsequent booking. www.classiccollection.co.uk, www.transindus.co.uk, www.somak.com Kuoni and Caribtours: will put clients visiting a destination in touch with a local wedding coordinator. www.caribtours.co.uk, www.kuoni.co.uk Weddings4u: offers the couple a two-night free stay in their chosen hotel (excluding flights). Couple must have booked a minimum of seven nights and their reception at the hotel. Offer valid for Cyprus, Italy and Malta. www.weddings4u.co.uk |
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