Honeymoon Guru

Well the Honeymoon Guru is very honored to have a testimonial like this sent to me.  I really don’t know what to say, besides Thank You to both Lisa & Thomas for letting me help plan all the travel for their friends & family to Azul Sensatori resort to do a destination wedding and having the trust in me that my recommendations were correct for what they wanted.   Thanks again and congrats to my new friends, Lisa & Thomas Rigia.

My new husband, Thomas, and I just had our dream wedding and it was all because of Skip! I didn’t grow up daydreaming about that Cinderella wedding I would one day have….maybe because I knew I needed my Prince Charming first. That being said…I found my Prince Charming…all I needed were the Honeymoon Guru’s themselves, Skip & Amy Neal!  It wasn’t until I talked to Skip that my idea of the perfect wedding began to become a reality.  I knew after a ten minute conversation that I picked a great company to team up with.  Why?  My husband and I have crazy schedules that keep us at the office up to 12 hrs a day.  We needed someone we could depend on and trust.  What ever time I called Skip…he was there…and if he wasn’t in he did his best to get back to me ASAP!  Why be mad at the man who made our dream wedding a reality?  Things are going to go wrong on everyone’s wedding day…so why not do your best to enjoy the process of planning it?  You’re talking to the bride who’s family was 30 min late to the wedding(I thought the “destination” part of the wedding would get them there on time but no) and it rained…even though it was sunny Mexico…and I had a really bad lip wax/scab over my lip that was getting worse by the second!  All I could do was laugh at all of these things and be happy our wedding was great just the way it was.  Skip made the process easy for me…from the awesome hotel “Azul Sensatori” he recommended, to the great wedding planner he connected me with-Great!  Since meeting Skip, I’ve already referred him to two people!  One of my good friends is actually using him to plan her Mexico wedding in January.  I could go on and on about how easy it was to work with Skip and Amy…their warm “Hello” when they answer the phone makes you just smile.  My guests loved speaking with Skip and they couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have worked with him!  So Thank You Skip and Amy for the wonderful service you provided us…and to the brides planning a destination wedding…enjoy your day, it passes by so fast but the friends you meet in the process are forever.  Thomas and I are lucky to call Skip and Amy our friends forever.  Lisa Rigia

As the Honeymoon Guru, most of the questions I get are about where are the best beaches, what resorts have no kids or I want to go somewhere exotic, but more and more often I get this question: What if I have a medical emergency abroad?  Guess what, there is an app for that!!!

mPassport App Picture Example

Anyone who travels frequently can attest: finding medical assistance while traveling in a strange city—especially in a foreign country, where language barriers can easily work against you—can be quite the challenge. But thankfully we live in an age chock full of so much convenient technology, that obstacle is becoming less of an issue.

I recently learned about an iPhone app called mPassport. It’s a handy piece of software that is a wealth of information for anyone needing medical attention while away, whether it’s routine or emergency service. What exactly can you do with the program?

Doctors & Dentists: Using GPS, the program will display a list of the closest offices. Not only that, but you can read up on the doctors’ board certification, languages spoken (everyone included in the software’s database speaks English), education, and training. Oh, and did I mention? You can actually book appointments with any of the doctors in the database.

Pharmacies: You can see the address, hours of operation, which credit cards are accepted, and connect to their website (if one is available).

Emergency Services: Connect immediately to the emergency service you need (ambulance, police, or fire department) via the foreign equivalent of 911. You can also browse a directory of the closest hospitals with 24/7 emergency rooms.

Drug Equivalency Guide: Not every country uses the same name for medicines, so with this feature, you can browse (alphabetically or via search) a huge database of drugs, see the generic name, and see what they’re called in the country you’re visiting. The app also lists the dosage(s) available and what forms it comes in (pill, cream, etc.).

Hospitals: You can view all the nearby hospitals, what types of services and facilities they offer, whether there’s a 24-hour emergency room, the hours, website, and even the number of beds.

Another really cool feature of the phone? If you’re in a non-English-speaking country, there’s a bonus section with medical phrases and terms. Medical phrases topics range from allergies and symptoms, to everyday necessities like food and drink, to inquiring about restrooms. And to help with the potential language barrier problem, with the touch of a button, the app will teach you how to pronounce the local name, with a sound bite.

I should also mention that all of the offices and emergency destinations can be pulled up on a map—the green pin is your location, the red pin is the office/hospital.

So as much as we all hope that we don’t have any medical emergencies—while on vacation or otherwise—this is a fantastic app to have on hand, just in case.

Current destinations offered: Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, Florence, London, Madrid, Paris, Prague, Rome, Vienna, Cape Town, Nairobi, Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Quito, Bermuda, Nassau, Beijing, Hong Kong.

Upcoming destinations: Tokyo, Shanghai, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Istanbul, Dubai, Moscow, and Athens.

Oh, and I almost forgot the best part! These apps are completely free.

Well, I spent today traveling to Montego Bay.  I am spending the week here in Jamaica updating my property list, taking new pictures, videos etc.  I got in late this afternoon to Montego Bay and then arrived here at one of my favorite properties in Jamaica and that is Royal Plantation in Ocho Rios.  I arrived about 5:30 and it was raining and I had to do a dinner with the sales people and other travel consultants this evening.  I will be taking most of my pictures and making notes on new things tomorrow, so I will have more to add come Tuesday.   Stay tuned for more great info…

I have clients, wedding coordinators, and friends seem to be asking me lately do I have any tips or ideas to offer on planning a honeymoon.  After hearing these request lately, I thought it might be a good idea if I took the time to post some ideas the Honeymoon Guru has on planning a great honeymoon.  Hope this will be helpful and please feel free to submit any ideas or tips you may have as well.  Happy Honeymoon planning.

Planning a wedding and all aspects involved with it, can be a lot of work and stress trying to get everything done, but I truly believe and I may be biased, but I really believe working with a Certified Honeymoons & Destination Wedding Specialist means one less thing to worry about.

• Start early and share the planning. To ensure that both parties enjoy the honeymoon, couples should consider making all the decisions together.
• Define “Desireable.” If just one person will be doing the planning, he or she shouldn’t assume that because they have always dreamt of honeymooning in a tropical paradise their soon-to-be-spouse shares that dream. Consider these questions as soon as honeymoon talks begin:
  • What is most important? Suntan lotion, sand and surf or the privacy and seclusion a cozy mountain retreat?
  • Are you looking to experience new cultures or do you just want to get away from it all?
  • Are you more interested in going around the corner or around the world?
  • Do you want to spend more on the wedding or the honeymoon?
  • What sounds better: a cruise, a package vacation or an all-inclusive resort, something tailored just for you?
• Pick what you want, not what is in the paper. When it comes to honeymoon planning, most couples try to select the destination first, yet I always suggest a different approach: Unless the dream destination has already been set in stone, couples should first decide what type of vacation (all-inclusive resort, cruise, adventure vacation, cultural trip) they want and then narrow down their list of destinations accordingly.
• Make time to relax. Pad the honeymoon schedule with generous amounts of free time. A rushed and overly organized honeymoon might feel too much like the wedding. Instead, plan a few enjoyable activities and leave lots of opportunities to just enjoy each other’s company.
• Set a tentative budget. Talk about expectations and priorities from the very beginning and decide what you might splurge on and where you might cut corners.
• Splurge on living quarters. No matter what type of vacation package a couple chooses, most clients will spend an enormous amount of time in their room or cabin. This is not a place to cut corners.
• Brides-use your maiden name. Unless a couple is planning on taking a delayed honeymoon, the bride won’t have time to change the name on her passport and driver’s license. She should use her maiden name on visas, airline tickets, etc., so they match as it appears on official documents.  I always triple check this, as I don’t wont to have a couple show up at the airport and not be able to board the plane, because of this very issue.  Trust me, I have witnessed it in person.
• Leave it to a professional consultant. After “I do,” a couple’s two favorite words will be “stress free,” if they opt to work with a honeymoon expert, such as myself  who specializes in planning honeymoons. For stress-free travel plans–especially those with multiple steps like a honeymoon–seek out the expert advice of a honeymoon travel consultant.  A good honeymoon travel consultant can save money as well as time, two enormous factors for a couple trying to plan a wedding and a honeymoon simultaneously.

Thanks to Kristina & Laura with ASTA for the help with additional tips.

Happy Couple who planned a "stress free" wedding and honeymoon

Thanks to Clark & Jessa for the kind words about their honeymoon prepared especially by the honeymoon guru.  Glad you guys enjoyed El Dorado Maroma so much.  It is definitely one of mine and clients favorites.

Skip, Amy

I had intended to get back to y’all much sooner but life after honeymoon/vacation/El Dorado Maroma is much more hectic and a bummer. Jessa and I wanted to express our deepest appreciation for all of your help in planning the perfect honeymoon. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and can’t thank you enough. The best descriptor we have for the entire week is “perfect”. (I have provided your contact information and a good word to two work buddies who are in need of the same services). Attached are just a few of a few hundred photos we took. If you need any recommendation letters or anything, please let us know. Thanks again.

Regards,

Clark and Jessa Brashears

Thank you to Meghan & Steven for the great comments about their honeymoon.  It was a pleasure helping them with their honeymoon planning to Aruba.  Thanks so much guys and congrats again on everything.

Skip and Amy,

I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you! I found your letter the other day as I was reorganizing and wanted to respond to your letter. I just wanted to thank you so much for helping Steven and me with our honeymoon plans in October 2009 to Aruba. There are not even words to describe how amazing Aruba is! Our room at the RIU was wonderful and we had a great view of the gorgeous ocean. This was the second time we have stayed at an RIU hotel for vacation and we would definitely recommend them again! The thing I would recommend most was scuba diving. We went through a PADI certified place called Unique Sports of Aruba for our dive and were very impressed with how helpful and caring everyone was throughout the entire dive experience. We also went to two restaurants that we would highly recommend. The Argentinian steakhouse was called El Gaucho and I would go there again. Our favorite restaurant was The Flying Fishbone. The tables were actually set up on the beach and our feet were in the water while we were eating. The food and the atmosphere were great and we would visit here again also. I attached some pictures that were my favorites of our trip.
We are also planning to take a second honeymoon in October of this year and were looking at a few places and wanted to run them by ya’ll and see if you could give us some insights! We have looked at Turks and Cacos, the Bahamas and also the Dominican.  We know we want an all-inclusive regardless of where we go.  The main things we are concerned with are price, hotel quality, beaches, activities (especially scuba diving) and safety.

Sorry for the novel that I sent you but we just kinda wanted to get our foot in the door of what was out there and ya’lls opinions/advice. Thank you so much for making out honeymoon a memorable experience. We will definitely be booking with ya’ll again not only for our vacation in October but many vacations after that!

Thanks again!
Meghan & Steven Ponder

Well, myself the Honeymoon Guru and one of my good wedding vendor friends, destination wedding photographer, Eric Hegwer were just recently highlighted as two Austin wedding vendors highlighted for the Zimmerman wedding in Riviera Maya Mexico.

Please check out this link to the NEAWP blog to read more about this spotlight on Eric & I.

Nupital Essentials Association of Wedding Professionals

Last week I drove down to Houston for a day to attend a Tahiti Tourisme workshop I was invited to.  I was excited to go and learn the new updates on what is taking place in such a beautiful area, but I will admit that attending a workshop at the Marriott in the Galleria is nice, but doesn’t quite have the same pleasure as being in an overwater bungalow on Bora Bora, but for last week, it was the best I could do.

In 5 years, I have only had about 4 couples who have honeymooned in Tahiti, due to the expense and long flight from LA, but with the economy like it is, I was amazed to learn how good the rates are now not only for the limited resorts there, but also on the air.

Many people ask me, what are some unique things you can tell me about Tahiti and her islands, so I can look forward to going one day, in case it doesn’t work out for the honeymoon.  Well, after attending the updated workshop, here are a few interesting points about Tahiti I think some will find exciting:

1.  Tahiti has the same number of tourist in a year that Hawaii gets every 12 days

2.  There are less hotel rooms in the French Polynesia than that of just the MGM Grand in Las Vegas

3.  An overwater bungalow offers visibility in the water up to 150 feet

4.  Approximately 80 degrees all year

5.  November -March is Summertime “Low Season”

6.  April -October is Wintertime “High Season”

7.  Tahiti is the same time zone as Hawaii

8.  The languages for the islands are French, Tahitian and English

9.  Weddings in the islands of Tahiti are now legally binding for non-French nationals

10.  Last but not least, if you stay in overwater bungalow, you can have breakfast delivered to your room by a canoe.

If you want to learn more about Tahtiti and her islands, feel free to contact me or check out one of my favorite education websites for Tahiti Education

Well, I just got info in today that the Government of Jamaica signed legislation to officially approve casino gaming for the first time in the country’s history.  The Jamaican government expects that the first casino will be open by mid 2011.  There should only be about 3 to 5 resorts that will be able to operate the casinos, due to the fact that the resort must guarantee an investment of $1.5 billion dollars and must have at least 150 to 200 rooms.

I think this will be a good thing for a few resorts to have in Jamaica and may open up some new business for my honeymooners that are wanting to have a casino option and don’t want to do Aruba or Vegas for example, but I really hope it doesn’t take away from the true Jamaican experience.  I really enjoy going to Jamaica and exploring the island and interacting with the people and their culture.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.  I will be traveling to Jamaica in June, so hopefully I will get some additional details.

Dunn's Rivers Falls in Jamaica

Dora & Dominic were honeymoon clients of mine last year and were so great to work with.  They are loyal clients and came back to me to help them and their friends do a trip to Los Cabos Mexico staying at the Pueblo Bonito Rose, which now includes an all-inclusive option at the resort.  Thanks guys so much for the kind words and the great pictures.

Hi Skip!

Cabo was great as usual! We had a blast and really enjoyed Pueblo Bonito Rose….the food was so yummy and the 24hr room service was excellent! Here as a couple of pics from our trip
Dora