ANN RUPPENSTEIN

cover photo courtesy Nicole Gerhardt Photography

Looking at Taiya Colonello’s picture-perfect destination wedding photos on an idyllic beach in Costa Rica, it’s hard to imagine that a mere month before the big day her best-laid plans were in jeopardy.

“Exactly one month prior to the group’s departure for Costa Rica, I received a message from my contact at the tour company, a message no travel agent ever wants to receive: The flights were cancelled and there were no alternate flights offered or available for their travel dates,” travel agent Pamela Walker of Weddings by Escapes, tells Travel Courier. “I sat there, stunned, as I read and reread the words on the screen in front of me. Is this real? Am I being punked? After recovering (somewhat) from the shock, I kicked it into high gear – I must find a solution. This is what I do. This is where I must call on my superhero powers and save the day.”

More than a year earlier, in February of 2018, Taiya and her now husband Jordan first reached out to Walker to start planning a destination wedding for the spring of 2019 in an accessible yet unique and off-the-beaten-path destination. After locking in on the plans with confirmed travel bookings in place by last summer, no one could have predicted the last-minute turn of events.

“The next week was a whirlwind – many, many emails and calls were made as I scrambled to work with Taiya and Jordan and find an acceptable solution for their group – obviously cancelling the wedding was not an option,” she recalls. “To make matters a little more complicated for myself, I was on a personal vacation in Phoenix and in the midst of adopting a senior pup and dealing with all the arrangements that go along with that as well. Fast forward two weeks and incredibly everything had been rearranged: New flights were booked with an alternate airline, the private airport transfers were confirmed, and the hotel stays were adjusted to match the new flight dates.”

The following week the wedding group was on their way to RIU Palace Costa Rica and on April 9 the newlyweds tied the knot surrounded by their closest friends and family.

“Throughout the imposing disaster, Taiya and Jordan were every travel agent’s dream clients. They were able to suppress the panic I am sure they were feeling and put their trust and confidence in me to essentially fix this. Our end game was to get the two of them and all their guests down to their wedding. No matter what,” she says. “If this isn’t a fairy tale ending, I don’t know what is.”

While most destination weddings certainly aren’t this dramatic, they typically result in clients and their families making special memories in a scenic location.

Here’s an inside look at some real agent-booked destination weddings, including Taiya and Jordan’s happy ending.

Taiya and Jordan

• The couple: Taiya and Jordan
• The location: RIU Palace Costa Rica
• The wedding date: April 9, 2019
• Size of the wedding group: 30
• The agent: Pamela Walker, Weddings by Escapes, www.idoweddingsaway.ca 
• Photographer: Mariana Baisotti/Sharing Life Photography, www.sharinglifephotography.com 
• From the bride: “The RIU Palace was beautiful. All of our family could not stop talking about how great it was. With all the chaos with the flights, it ended up working out as Jordan and I were able to get a little bit of colour for the wedding! Pamela eased the process for us and Jordan and I have said multiple times that we do not know what we would have done without her. We are so grateful for all her support. All this being said, our family even now cannot stop talking about what a great vacation it was and how they are looking forward to our renewal of our vows!”

Kara and Troy

• The couple: Kara and Troy Robinson
• The location: Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Mexico
• The wedding date: December 5, 2018
• Size of the wedding group: 32
• The agent: Tammy Prost, Tropical Escapes Destination Weddings & Travel Inc., WOW Specialist, www.tropicalescapes.ca
• Photographer: Nicole Gerhardt Photography, www.ngphoto.ca
• Wedding planner in Miami: Ana Roqué
• Onsite wedding coordinator: Aranza Arvizu
• Tell us about the booking: “Their ceremony was held on the Arpa Inlet beach with the beautiful Colin Cowie designed Driftwood Romance wedding package. They partied the night away on the Heaven Terrace. AIC Hotel Group for all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotels in Mexico and DR.”
• From the couple: “Our wedding week celebration was at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Mexico along with our 32 closest family and friends. We had lots of humidity, rain and sun throughout the day but we wouldn’t change a thing. It was beautiful and everything we dreamed of our day being. Tammy from Tropical Escapes started helping us plan our wedding about 18 months prior.  We went through many different resort options and she helped us narrow down which would be the best fit for us. She was great to work with through all the wedding preparations and our day would not have been what it was without her.”

Heather and Corey

• The couple: Heather Donaldson and Corey Dunham
• The location: Barcelo Maya Grand, Mexico
• The wedding date: March 9, 2019
• Size of the wedding group: 30
• The agent: Pauline Blacoe Shine Travel, shinetravel.ca
• Photographer: BiCoastal Images, www.bicoastalimages.com
• Tell us about the booking: “It was an absolute dream to work with Heather and Corey, they were one of the most laid back destination wedding couples that I’ve worked with in the past 17 years. For this particular booking we used WestJet Vacations because the group had multiple gateways and it was much easier to coordinate that through WJV. And the photographers they chose, in my professional opinion, are the best in Mexico.”

Natasha and Kirk

• The couple: Natasha and Kirk
• The location: Coral Seas Cliff, Jamaica
• The wedding date: May 2, 2018
• Size of the wedding group: 40
• The agent: Cindy Almond, Romance and Foodie Travel, www.romanceandfoodietravel.ca
• Photographer: Denise Mason Photography https://www.denisemasonphotography.com/
• From the bride: “Cindy Almond was amazing, when I first contacted her, we discussed what I was looking for: location, price range, services etc, and within a couple of days she provided me with all the options available with all the pros and cons, so therefore I was able to make a very enlightened decision. Then moving forward, she was able to answer all my questions and concerns in a timely manner, and trust me I always had questions, all my guests had access to her, she explained everything and provided service in both French and English, I truly couldn’t have asked for a better travel agent for my wedding group, she knows her products, is very knowledgeable about the airline companies and the hotels. My wedding was in Negril Jamaica, my wedding group was set up at the RIU Negril, the hotel gave nice perks for myself and my group thanks to Cindy.”

Zofia and Blazej

• The couple: Zofia and Blazej
• The location: The Fives Azul Beach Resort by Karisma, Riviera Maya, Mexico
• The wedding date: January 8, 2019
• Size of the wedding group: 40
• The agent: Pamela Walker, Weddings by Escapes, www.idoweddingsaway.ca
• Photographer: Sweet Fire Photography, www.sweetfirephotography.com
• Tell us about the booking: “Zofia and Blazej came to me as a referral from Zofia’s sister, whose destination wedding I had assisted with two years earlier. Right from the get-go, we connected and it didn’t take long for me to know that The Fives Azul Beach Resort would be the perfect resort to host their wedding day and their special guests for the week. I introduced them to their dedicated wedding coordinator at the resort, and the wedding day planning began in earnest. Zofia repeatedly expressed how easy the planning process went, prior to arriving at the resort and once onsite as well. Congrats to the newlyweds and all the best in your future together!”
• From the bride: “I’m so happy Pamela recommended this resort. We loved it. The ceremony went very smoothly, everything was coordinated perfectly and the officiate was great. It felt like everything came together flawlessly and I didn’t need to worry at all. I truly could not be happier with the wedding day!”