| Today Norm Goldman, Editor of & is pleased to | | | | lodge, tent, train, yacht, and other sometimes off- |
| have as a guest, Denise and Alan Fields, authors | | | | the- wall sites? (Perhaps you can add a few of |
| of BRIDAL BARGAINS and the BRIDAL | | | | your own.)Denise and Alan:Name a destination and |
| PASSPORT WEDDING PLANNER. Both are in | | | | you can get married there---ski buffs can take |
| bookstores nationwide or you can order online at | | | | their vows on a mountain top in Telluride, beach |
| The Fields have been featured on the TODAY | | | | fans on the white sands of Aruba and so on. The |
| SHOW, OPRAH and DATELINE NBC.Thanks | | | | key advantage of a destination wedding: you are |
| Denise and Alan for accepting our invitation to be | | | | already in the place where you will honeymoon. |
| interviewed.Norm:Please tell our readers how you | | | | That cuts down on the travel, as you just travel |
| started writing about weddings and why did you | | | | once to both the wedding and honeymoon.With all |
| want to write about this subject matter?Denise | | | | unique venues and destination weddings, the |
| and Alan:We began writing in 1989 as we were | | | | biggest trade-off is control. You will have to trust |
| planning our own wedding; yep, we are still | | | | a wedding planner at the venue to help coordinate |
| married today. As two starving college students in | | | | the details. And that means not being a control |
| Austin, Texas, we quickly realized planning a | | | | freak. Many tropical venues may offer a stunning |
| wedding was a darn expensive endeavour. We | | | | setting, but slim pickings when it comes to finding |
| wanted to know how to save money but still | | | | a photographer (there may just be one or two |
| have a nice wedding without getting ripped off. | | | | on an island). Ditto for other remote locales, like a |
| We heard the horror stories from our friends and | | | | ski resort.Norm:If you had to choose 5 ideal |
| decided the world needed a consumer's guide to | | | | geographic wedding destinations from the point of |
| tying the knot. Bridal Bargains, our first wedding | | | | view of ambiance, costs, etc, which ones would |
| book, was the result of that effort it was first | | | | you chose and why?Denise and Alan:Hawaii is |
| published in 1990 and now is in its 7th edition, with | | | | probably the best combo of both ambience and |
| 500,000 copies sold. Our latest book, the Bridal | | | | ease of use and no changing dollars into a foreign |
| Passport wedding planner (the Dollars & Sense | | | | currency, a very developed tourist biz and so on. |
| Guide to Planning a Wedding) was published in | | | | Specifically, we would recommend the north |
| December 2004.Norm:What in your opinion makes | | | | shore of Kauai in the summer; Maui or the Big |
| for a wonderful and unique wedding experience, | | | | Island in the winter.Mexico offers the best value |
| where everyone would be left with fond | | | | for the dollar. A falling dollar has made foreign |
| memories? As a follow up, do you have to spend | | | | travel pricey just about everywhere, but the |
| a great deal of money to have such a | | | | peso remains a relative bargain for Americans. |
| memorable experience?Denise and Alan:Think | | | | Resorts like Cabo, Cancun and Puerto Vallarta |
| about the best weddings you have ever attended | | | | offer that beach wedding (and Caribbean water) |
| and what made them so memorable? Chances | | | | at a discount price. Top pick: Cozumel, for its |
| are it was a FUN event first and foremost. That | | | | excellent snorkelling.Telluride is our favorite |
| might have been a combination of several | | | | mountain resort to tie the knot, summer or |
| factors, a unique setting, a great band, and so on. | | | | winter. Winter lets you enjoy a world-class ski |
| Focus on those factors when planning your own | | | | mountain; summer is hiking, white water rafting. A |
| wedding. Conversely, realize there are many parts | | | | selection of the top restaurants makes this a |
| of a wedding that are expensive, but contribute | | | | winner year around.Orlando is among the best |
| little to the fun aspect of a wedding flowers, for | | | | bargains going and most airlines offer deals on air |
| example.No, you don't have to go bankrupt to | | | | hotel packages here and the raft of |
| plan a memorable wedding! Yes, you may have to | | | | entertainment options is second to none. And its |
| make a series of trade-offs to pull it off, but you | | | | more than just Disney . . . you will find Universal, |
| can save and still have a fantastic wedding. | | | | Sea World and a plethora of water parks.Norm:Do |
| Example: instead of a fancy downtown hotel, you | | | | you have any tips as to how couples can get the |
| can rent a historic home that lets you bring in | | | | best value for their dollar when they are |
| your own caterer. That enables you to hold the | | | | honeymooning?Denise and Alan:Two words: |
| total cost down, way under what the hotel would | | | | shoulder season. The shoulder season is the space |
| charge. The key: you save money in ways your | | | | between high and low seasons. No, you probably |
| guests don't see. A bottle of house wine from a | | | | don't want to go to a tropical isle in August. How |
| hotel might be $50; that same bottle from a | | | | about April? In the Caribbean, you can find great |
| wholesale club like Sam's or Costco would run $10. | | | | deals in the shoulder season after Easter but |
| Do you guests know the difference? No.A | | | | before summer vacation times.Hawaii is cheapest |
| destination wedding is another great way to save | | | | rate after New Year's until mid March, when |
| and you have a special setting for your wedding, | | | | spring break crowds end deals. Deals also abound |
| without all the cost of a domestic | | | | in Hawaii in the fall, from Labor Day until just |
| affair.Norm:What tips would you have for | | | | before Christmas. Hence, November would be a |
| destination brides who plan to bring along a | | | | great time to go for a honeymoon.Fall is also a |
| wedding party? It's a growing trend for | | | | great time to visit the wine country of California |
| destination weddings to now have a fairly sizeable | | | | or the Rocky Mountains on a |
| wedding party sometimes about 50, so it would | | | | honeymoon.Norm:What are the 5 most important |
| be great to get their tips on group airline | | | | factors, cost-wise, a future bride and groom |
| discounts, hotel blocks.Denise and Alan:Good news: | | | | should bear in mind when planning their wedding |
| the travel biz has awakened to the | | | | and why?Denise and Alan:Location, guest count, |
| destination-wedding trend. As a result, many | | | | time of day and wedding style are the most |
| airlines and resorts have special discount packages | | | | important budget factors. Some thoughts:Location: |
| for those planning a wedding. Airlines, for example, | | | | Where do you envision the wedding? Reception? |
| are courting destination weddings with special | | | | The location will drive much of the cost. A hotel |
| group discounts. Many resorts now have on-staff | | | | reception is much more expensive than a home |
| wedding planners to ease planning; and special | | | | wedding, for example.Guest count. A no brainer |
| discount rates for blocks of rooms.The best | | | | this clearly impacts the budget!Time of day. A |
| advice: work with the airlines group booking | | | | 2pm wedding is much less expensive than an |
| department and/or the resort's meeting planners. | | | | evening affair, Why? Guests already have had |
| And always double check to make sure any | | | | lunch and are not expecting dinner! Brunch or lunch |
| special rate you get is really a deal and simply | | | | reception are also less expensive than |
| price the same stay or fare on a travel web site. | | | | dinner.Wedding style: Do you have envision a |
| Most travel companies honestly offer groups a | | | | garden wedding? A beach-side ceremony? Or a |
| better deal than regular travelers; but it always | | | | formal Catholic mass? The style of your wedding |
| makes sense to double check.Norm:Could you tell | | | | is a major driver of costs.Norm:How does one go |
| us something about the advantages and | | | | about finding out about the different marriage |
| disadvantages pertaining to different unique venue | | | | regulations around the world? |
| weddings as: beach, park, museum, mountain ski | | | | |