Say ‘I Do’ in Paradise
Engagement season is here and that means wedding plans will soon be underway. Does the idea of getting married seem expensive and daunting? Did you know that you can trade this stress and say your vows on a beach with your closest friends and family members? Sounds amazing right? If you agree, a destination wedding should be on your radar and I am here to help!
Engagement season is here and that means wedding plans will soon be underway. Does the idea of getting married seem expensive and daunting? Did you know that you can trade this stress and say your vows on a beach with your closest friends and family members? Sounds amazing right? If you agree, a destination wedding should be on your radar and I am here to help!
What is a Destination Wedding?
A Destination Wedding is exactly what it sounds like. The bride and groom trade in the traditional wedding and reception which can easily cost upwards of $20,000 for a small wedding and over $50,000 for a bigger wedding, for a wedding weekend at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico or the Caribbean with their closest friends and family. These weddings often cost much less, with some wedding packages included for free. Hard Rock Resorts offers a free wedding for up to 32 people! It’s truly free! Destination weddings are on the rise because the bride and groom are realizing how much easier it is to get married with the help of others in beautiful locations! It’s minimal stress for everyone involved and the couple can look back and remember their wedding fondly for years to come! jamie@MagicalWishesTravel.com
Who Comes to a Destination Wedding?
The bride and groom still get to choose who attends their wedding when it’s a destination wedding. Instead of heading to a church, those attending fly to the destination for the wedding weekend at the resort of the bride and groom’s choice. Now with family members all over the country, it is easier than ever to convince family members to fly to paradise instead of the city where the wedding would have taken place. They were already going to pay for airfare and a hotel … why not make it to Caribbean instead? Trust me, your guests will agree. Plus, it becomes a small vacation for those attending!
Who Plans a Destination Wedding?
The beautiful thing about planning a destination wedding is that the bride and groom are not in charge of every detail. A travel advisor should be your first contact when planning your destination wedding. The travel advisor knows the resorts well and can help guide you to the resort that is right for your personality and needs. The travel advisor will know the wedding team on site and help the couple start the initial conversations with that team. The travel advisor will handle all of the hotel reservations for every family member so that the bride and groom do not have to worry about it. They will answer any questions a family member might have about the destination, how to get there, and more. The travel advisor is your main point of contact for your destination wedding, so it is important to find an advisor who is certified in destination weddings and knows the all-inclusive resort industry well.
What Kind of Wedding Can I Have?
There is a destination wedding for everyone and all faiths. Many of the resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean are equipped to handle all types of faith ceremonies including Christian ceremonies, Catholic ceremonies, Jewish ceremonies, South Asian ceremonies, and even non-religious ceremonies.
Time to Plan Your Destination Wedding
Now that you know what a destination wedding involves, it’s time to plan! This past year, I have spent a great deal in training for destination weddings as a travel advisor. I have visited many resorts throughout the Caribbean, including Hard Rock Resorts and Sandals and Beaches Resorts. These are two of the top resort companies in the world and they do impeccable weddings. To cap off a year of intense training, I recently became a certified destination wedding specialist. You can trust me to help you plan your destination wedding with every detail in place. I will ensure that you have the most memorable wedding experience possible!
Let’s start planning today! Reach out at Jamie@MagicalWishesTravel.com
Jamie Agamalian has been an active travel advisor for over 10 years and has been named a top seller of travel for Magical Wishes Travel for the past five years straight. She has planned thousands of vacations for families and couples including all-inclusive travel, cruises, European tour travel, river cruises, domestic travel, and of course - theme park travel! As a certified destination wedding specialist, Jamie helps couples so “I Do” in the backdrop of paradise. She also loves sending couples on honeymoons and special anniversary trips. Jamie also specializes in group travel and family reunions. She has a passion for the travel industry and travels multiple times throughout the year for on-site inspections and familiarization travel trips. As a top producer in the industry, she knows what it means to provide quality service and develops trusting relationships with her clients.
Contact Jamie Agamalian at Jamie@MagicalWishesTravel.com!
Group Travel is the New Way to See the World:
Want to see the world with your family and friends? Plan a group trip!
Group travel is a great way to experience a vacation with your family and friends and it’s very popular right now! There is no limit to the type of group you can have - girls' weekends, neighbors, high school or college friend reunions, family reunions, book clubs, church groups, etc. Even your Pickleball team can bring their paddles along and play Pickleball at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean! We can make anything happen and it can be a great time for everyone!
Want to see the world with your family and friends? Plan a group trip!
Group travel is a great way to experience a vacation with your family and friends and it’s very popular right now! There is no limit to the type of group you can have - girls' weekends, neighbors, high school or college friend reunions, family reunions, book clubs, church groups, etc. Even your Pickleball team can bring their paddles along and play Pickleball at an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean! We can make anything happen and it can be a great time for everyone!
Group planning can be a big undertaking, so it’s important to ask a professional travel advisor for help! I specialize in group travel and have planned many group trips on cruises, all-inclusive resorts, Alaska travel, domestic travel to cities, and even Disney vacations! Again, the possibilities are endless and I’m here to help! Let’s dive into some options for group travel!
1. Cruises
Cruises are often the easiest way to travel. Depending on your itinerary, you can visit multiple ports and countries along your sailing. It’s a great way to island-hop in the Caribbean! It’s also a great way to see Alaska, cruise around Hawaii, or take a trip up to Eastern Canada.
In Europe, cruising can allow you to visit Greece, Croatia, Italy, France, and Spain ALL in one trip! Talk about country hopping! The options are phenomenal! If you want a more intimate experience on a small vessel, river cruising is an excellent option in Europe. You can check out castles, step back in time to storybook villages, and visit wineries … all while drifting down a European river.
Cruise groups often come with added benefits for each cabin. Some come with additional onboard credit that you can put toward purchases while on board. Some groups get excursions that are tailored specifically to your group. Others can get complimentary cocktail parties, special dining options, and more! If you think a group cruise sounds great, you’re right! It’s an amazing way to sail the seas!
2. The Caribbean
All-inclusive resorts are king in the Caribbean and they offer excellent group packages. Group rates can often be discounted or include a free room after meeting a certain number of booked rooms. They also offer cocktail parties, special group excursions, special dining options, and more!
Like to play Pickleball … why not play Pickleball in paradise? Sandals Resorts has special group packages for their adult-only resorts where you can play on their new Pickleball courts. Imagine playing Pickleball in the morning, relaxing on the beach in the afternoon, and then enjoying a five-star dining experience at night. Or maybe you can Pickleball in the morning with an afternoon catamaran cruise sailing around the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean! Pickleball is taking the Caribbean by storm!
Want to get married in the Caribbean with your family and friends in attendance? It’s easier to do than you might think! As a Destination Wedding Specialist, I can help plan your small intimate weddings under 10 people to big groups of 100 or more! Together, we can plan your special day under the sway of palm trees with your toes in the sand! Destination weddings are some of my favorite groups to plan!
3. Alaska
Alaska isn’t just for cruising! There is so much to explore in Alaska on land. Trek up to Denali National Park, go whale watching in Whittier, take a trip on the Alaska railroad, go dog-sledding, etc. There is so much to see and do and doing it with a group of your friends creates such amazing and lasting memories. Exclusive group tours can be booked that are catered to your party’s likes and interests. An Alaskan land tour is truly a bucket list destination.
4. Weekend in the City
Group trips do not have to be big international trips, they can include domestic travel as well to some of our top cities in the country. New York City, Miami, Nashville, Los Angeles, Las Vegas …. all of these locations are excellent places to plan a long weekend with your group. From Broadway shows to Miami Beach, the Vegas Strip, or a honky-tonk bar in Nashville - there are so many great ways to spend time with a group in our great cities across the US! Group rates are often available for hotels and entertainment!
5. DISNEY!
There might not be a more MAGICAL place than Walt Disney World and Disneyland to travel with a group. Multi-generational family trips, bachelorette parties, senior trips, special anniversaries, and more are very special when paired with the Magic of Disney. When planning group travel to Disney, we can create special meals together, special activities such as VIP tours and fireworks cruises, and even special dessert parties for the fireworks in Epcot. There are many possibilities for creating a memorable trip to Disney with a group!
Now that you have an idea of where to go on your group trip, let’s start planning! No group is too big or too small! With over 10 years of travel planning experience, you can trust your trip with Jamie!
Contact Jamie Agamalian at Jamie@MagicalWishesTravel.com!
Contact Jamie Agamalian at Jamie@MagicalWishesTravel.com!
Vacationing with a Purpose
There is a new type of travel on the rise and it’s catching on quickly. Voluntourism is the act of giving back to the local community while you are traveling. It can be as simple as heading to a city in the US and spending a day of the trip volunteering or traveling to a foreign country and connecting with the local area. Voluntourism is a great way to truly experience the country, its culture, and its people which you wouldn’t quite get unless you were immersed in the destination.
Let’s look at some of the most popular avenues for volunteering while you are on vacation and some of the brands that make it happen.
There is a new type of travel on the rise and it’s catching on quickly. Voluntourism is the act of giving back to the local community while you are traveling. It can be as simple as heading to a city in the US and spending a day of the trip volunteering or traveling to a foreign country and connecting with the local area. Voluntourism is a great way to truly experience the country, its culture, and its people which you wouldn’t quite get unless you were immersed in the destination.
Let’s look at some of the most popular avenues for volunteering while you are on vacation and some of the brands that make it happen.
1. Sandals/Beaches Resorts in the Caribbean
The Sandals Foundation offers support to the local education system by partnering with the local government to build schools and better the lives of those living in the communities that the resorts serve. One way to connect to the community as a resort guest is to coordinate a reading day with the local school. Guests can take a morning trip to a school and read books with the local schoolchildren. This opportunity can be done through the help of your travel advisor. The Sandals Foundation also collects school supplies throughout the year. Consider packing an extra five pounds of supplies (notebooks, pencils, glue sticks, pens, scissors, and backpacks) and drop them off at the front desk of the hotel upon arrival. The children will be so happy with the new school supplies. We all remember that feeling of getting a new box of crayons when we were younger! This is a great way to spread that love.
2. Hawaii
Hawaii might be considered the birthplace of Voluntourism. There are so many ways to give back to this amazing island chain while you visit and it will help connect you not only to the people (your new Ohana) but it will connect you to the land. From helping clean nature preserves, planting trees, beach cleanup, and participating in a sewing circle, to helping with the animals, there is so much to see and do by volunteering. Visit GoHawaii.com/voluntourism for more information or contact your travel advisor.
3. Find a Local Animal Shelter
Did you know that many local animal shelters will allow you to take dogs out for a day? That’s right, many no-kill shelters have day trip programs, even internationally. You can take it on a hike with you, head out to the local breweries, and explore the outdoors, all while taking along a furry companion to stay by your side. Who knows, maybe you’ll come home with a furry souvenir from your trip after your day of bonding.
4. Ask your Travel Advisor
Fall Break Getaway- You Deserve a Break!
Fall Break Getaways - You Deserve a Break!
School may have just started in our area, but Fall Break is right around the corner! Do you have plans? Many of us will have the weekend of Oct 11th to 14th off on the school calendar and it is an excellent long weekend to take a weekend getaway. Here are a few of my favorite options to fill that weekend!
All-Inclusive Resorts
I am ALL about the all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. These resorts are ideal when you simply want to get away and be pampered. Located throughout the Caribbean, many of these islands have direct flight options from the Philadelphia area. Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic, and even Mexico are no more than 3-4 hours away. You can take an early morning flight and be on the beach sipping your drink by 1 pm! Many resorts offer 24-hour room service, top-shelf liquors, gourmet dining, nightly entertainment, and beautiful beaches and ocean. You can choose from adult-only to family-friendly resorts! With so many all-inclusive resorts to choose from, I can help you narrow down the resort to the one perfect for your needs. My favorite brands are Sandals and Beaches, Hard Rock Resorts, and Playa Resorts. These three brands have amazing customer-focused service, excellent food options, and amazing resort facilities! They are among the top brands in the industry and for good reason!
3-Night Cruise
If you want to sail away from it all, a 3-night cruise is the perfect way to fill your weekend. My two favorite cruise lines with dedicated weekend cruises are Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean. These family-friendly cruises are perfect for the family who doesn’t like to sit around on the beach all day. They offer endless entertainment, amazing food, stops at their private islands in The Bahamas, and ocean views that will stay with you even after you go home!
These cruise lines are sailing two of their newest ships as well! Disney Cruise Line’s Wish and Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas both sail out of Port Canaveral, which is a short 90-minute drive from Orlando’s International Airport. As a bonus, Disney’s Wish will be celebrating Halloween on the High Seas, which is an excellent way to celebrate Halloween Disney-style with costume nights (for kids and adults) special trick-or-treating, and more! I do advise my clients to fly in the night before a cruise in case of a flight delay. So this weekend getaway will start Thursday night and you’ll be back home on Monday!
Universal Orlando Resort - Halloween Horror Nights
I love Universal Orlando’s theme parks! It’s a great weekend destination and during the fall they pull out all the stops for Halloween Horror Nights. If you’re a fan of haunted houses and jump
Summer isn’t quite over yet!
Summer isn’t quite over yet!
Summer isn’t quite over yet! While the store shelves are filled with back-to-school shopping and fall decorations, we still have 31 days until Labor Day weekend! That’s 31 possible vacation days. If you’re not a planner, that’s okay, I happen to be one professionally and can get an amazing trip planned for you in no time. There are a lot of great options for last-minute travel. Let’s dive into a few options!
1. Florida Beaches
The Sunshine State has many resorts dotting its coastline from the Gulf to the Atlantic. A few of my favorite spots in Florida include Marco Island, Siesta Key, Vero Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and of course, the Keys! The best part about a last-minute trip to Florida is that no passport is required. Flights are relatively cheap, so you can do a long weekend away with minimal costs!
2. Caribbean All-Inclusives
I am a sucker for an all-inclusive resort. Unlimited food and beverages, room service, daily turndown service - it’s the perfect pampering vacation. You can spend your days alternating between napping poolside or beachside. It’s your choice. There is a good mix of family-friendly resorts and adult-only resorts. I am a specialist in Caribbean Destinations and can help narrow down the resort that is best suited for your personality. My favorite family-friendly resorts are Beaches Resorts in Turks and Caicos and Jamaica and Hard Rock Resorts found in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. For adult-only trips, I prefer Sandals Resorts, Unico 20’84’, Le Blanc, and Secrets Resorts.
The photos for this month are from my recent trip to Sandals Royal Curacao, which is a new adult-only resort. It’s a fabulous spot for a romantic getaway or even a girls’ trip! There is a soothing spa, amazing food, fantastic rooms, and a great atmosphere. The best part is that Curacao is under the hurricane belt, so the probability of a summer hurricane is minimal!
3. London Baby!
If you want to cross the pond for vacation, I suggest London. There are many great hotels with availability and London is a very easy vacation spot. There is so much to see and do within London, as well as many easy to get to sites outside of the city. We can set up day tours out to the English Countryside with a private driver for the ultimate luxury trip!
4. Walt Disney World
It’s no secret, I’m a huge fan of Disney and especially Walt Disney World. August is a great time to visit as crowds are lower (southern schools are back in session already), park hours are still long, and discounts are plentiful on rooms. Plus during August, the fan-favorite Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party debuts on the 9th, and Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival kicks off on the 29th. Be among one of the first to see these awesome events. You don’t have to have kids to enjoy the magic of Walt Disney World. If it’s been a while since you went or you’re a regular just yearning to go back, we can set up an amazing getaway!
Reach out today and let’s plan your vacation! You deserve to get away before the business of fall takes over!
