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