WPIC

Sandals unveils new "Island Routes" at Chairman's Dinner

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

Last night, Sandals Founder and Chairman, Butch Stewart held a Chairman's dinner here in Toronto at the Delta Chelsea Hotel. Sandals CEO, Adam Stewart, was also in attendance along with top Sandals Executives, distinguished guests from the Jamaican Government, representatives from various Tourism Boards, Tour Operators, many Travel Agents and of course yours truly, WPIC President, Danielle Andrews Sunkel, and WPIC Vice President, Tracey Manailescu.

WPIC Vice President, Tracey Manailescu, Sandals Chairman and Founder Butch Stewart and WPIC President, Danielle Andrews Sunkel 

WPIC President Danielle Andrews Sunkel, CEO of Sandals International Adam Stewart and WPIC Vice President Tracey Manailescu

The night started with a cocktail reception and trade show, where guests could speak with Tour Operators and Representatives from the various Tourism Boards and Sandals staff representing each of the properties and products.  We then gathered in the Ballroom for sit-down dinner and presentations.

The Mr. Stewarts, who spent the night decked out in Team Canada Hockey Jerseys, delivered updates about Sandals International, the Sandals Foundation and introduced their newest product, Island Routes.

 

Island Routes is their new line of adventure tours that promises to show you the islands as you've never seen them before.  How about 4 x 4ing through the Blue Mountains? Swimming the ocean, on horseback.  Making Rum at the Appleton Estates!  Floating down the rapids in inner tubes! Swimming with sharks. Being up close and personal with aligators as you ride a pontoon down the river.  Eco-tours and Safaris.  Bobsledding or zip-lining through the jungle.  Romantic Bamboo River Rafting with your significant other.  Or have you ever fantasized about being stranded on a deserted island with your honey?  Your wish can be granted for an afternoon in the Exumas. 

Thanks to Sandals' newest venture, and 120 tour offerings, you can do it all.

 

As WPIC Certified Sandals Specialists, we are so happy and excited that Sandals is now offering Island Adventure Tours!  It is difficult to know who to trust when you travel to other countries.  You worry about the safety and upkeep of the vehicles, the knowledge of the staff, impact on the local environment, insurance and so many other elements when considering a tour.  

With Sandals at the helm, you can be confident that any tour they offer will be a superior experience, they will have the best insurance coverage and operator training, the safest vehicles and of course everything they do is environmentally-friendly and socially responsible.  I know this is going to change the way I travel!

 

Your WPIC Certified Sandals Specialist can help you choose the best tours for you and can book your tour at the same time they book your Sandals, Royal Plantation, Grand Pineapple or Beaches Wedding and/or Honeymoon.

 
  

Your WPIC Sandals Certified Representative can provide you with more details and brochures.

WPIC- 2009 Year in Review

A note from WPIC Founders, Tracey Manailescu and Danielle Andrews Sunkel:

Wow, what a year we have had!

The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada and its Association WPICAlumni is over 500 people stronger this year.  Alumni have travelled from Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Japan, China and Hong Kong to take our course in 2009.

Over 130 of our Alumni have had the opportunity to experience Wedding Destinations such as Jamaica, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos and the Philippines this year.  Some were even treated to Private Plane transportation!

WPIC certified all the Jamaican Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple staff.

We established and grew our partnerships with our fantastic travel partners:  Sandals and the lovely, Gina Tsirmpas; SuperClubs and the wonderful, Steve Koth; Air Canada Vacations and the darling, Debbie Cotton-Burinski; and The Bahamas Tourism Board and the fantastic, Vinincia Strachan, WPICC.  We owe so much to our amazing contacts at each of these companies!

 

(Click image to watch)

The media has referred to us on many occasions, we have been interviewed on Canada AM twice this year, On the Line twice, Entertainment Tonight Canada and in Today’s Bride, Chatelaine, The National Post (multiple times), The Globe & Mail (multiple), and every single city newspaper in the Sun Media Group (multiple times) as well as many other publications in print and on-line.

Our President and Vice President spoke at the Wedding MBA in Las Vegas in September and Instructor, Tara Murney, spoke to AfWPI members in California.

We’ve “Trashed the Dress” in Jamaica, The Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, the Philippines and of course, Toronto.

We just got back from our best conference to date, the 5^th Annual Wedding Professionals Conference held at the fabulous Beaches Turks & Caicos.  We had Sasha Souza, Joanne Brown, Andy Ebon and Simon & Ciara Daykin speak to us there.

Our Alumni have grown their businesses leaps and bounds, have received several top Industry Awards, been appointed the executive of Industry Associations and interviewed, quoted and featured in many Wedding and mass media publications.  We couldn’t be prouder of all our “Wedding Superstars”!

Year-end is a time to re-evaluate and set newer and bigger goals and we definitely have. 

Some the things on WPIC’s 2010 Agenda include trips to Ireland, The Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico and Barbados.  We will continue to offer the Annual Wedding Professionals Conference in a sunny locale.  We have started a new partnership with a very large travel company and will be certifying over 400 of their agents as Destination Wedding Specialists.  Most importantly, we will continue to produce the best educated, informed and ethical Certified Professional Wedding Coordinators.

Thank you for our best year to date and we look forward to the exciting years ahead!

Sincerely,

Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu
Founders of The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada Inc.

5th Annual Wedding Conference in Turks & Caicos

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu, Producers  www.weddingconf.com

Wow!  What an amazing conference, even if we do say so ourselves!  This was indeed the best conference we've held to date.  

 

Photo courtesy of Rhonda Lam, Devoted to You

Attendees were met at the airport and whisked off to our host resort, the 6-star, Beaches Turks & Caicos, where they were greeted by the Conference Producers, Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu, and Sandals Promotions Manager, Gina Tsirmpas, a chilled towel and a rum cocktail. 

Later that evening Beaches held a Welcome Cocktail Party, complete with a live performer, cocktails and hot and cold canapes.  Attendees got to hobnob with the Speakers and were encouraged to visit the Wedding Office where the new Martha Stewart Sandals Wedding Collection was being previewed on the Plasma screens.  Cakes and accessories from the collection were also on display.

  

The next day seminars began at 8:30am.  The speakers were amazing and spoke to both our beginner attendees as well as our seasoned pros, everyone was able to take away valuable info and tips from each seminar. Andy Ebon reminded everyone why they got in to the business and brought everyone to tears with his letter to Wedding Coordinators, Ciara Daykin taught everyone to find their "flavour" of client, speak directly to them when marketing and realize their full potential as RockStar Wedding Planners.  Jo-Anne Brown delighted everyone with her experience and tips from over 2000 weddings in the Caribbean.  She included tips and directives about working with local sources, importing, transport and international Customs and Tariffs. Attendees were able to enjoy everything the resort and island had to offer after 1:30pm, and enjoy they did!

  

Photo courtesy of Sheila Baragianis, Pink Ribbon Weddings

Day 2 started with a RockStar Design seminar from award-winner, Simon Daykin, followed by an educational seminar on planning Destination Weddings from the Producers, Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu.  Our special guest and Keynote Speaker, Sasha Souza, wound up Day 2 with a fantastic seminar.  She included tips about business, the right client for you, working with Colour and Inspiration Boards.  She also gave us previews from her new book, "Signature Sasha Souza", due out January 2010.

That afternoon, delegates donned Wedding Dresses and took part in the largest known Trash the Dress Photo Shoot.  We had 12 professional photographers and about 50 amateurs on the beach snapping away like a wall of paparazzi.  What a great time we all had jumping off piers, racing down waterslides, floating in a lazy river, swimming in the ocean and splashing through fountains all while wearing our wedding dresses!

Day 3 was Sandals/Beaches Day where every attendee got the chance to become Sandals Certified.  Our training was interupted by some furry monsters, Cookie Monster, The Count and Elmo to name names. All of the attendees had a great time getting their photos with the characters and we've already seen a bunch of Facebook Profiles updated with the pictures.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Thompson Events

That evening Beaches treated our group like royalty!  The delegates and speakers went on a Catamaran Cruise for cocktails and hors d'eourves, then met their travel companions and were treated to a gorgeous Gala set up beside the French Village Pool.  The night included tons of food stations, beautiful floral and feather centrepieces, live entertainment, awards to Top Sandals Sellers, raffles from over 22 sponsors with a Grand Prize of 5days/4nights at any Sandals or Beaches Resort!  Lucky Lady, Sandra Aaron, was the winner.

Many new friends were created and several relationships were made stronger.  Each Conference delegate and Speaker got to see how much can be accomplished, shared and learned when people put aside their egos and help improve eachother.  We are all better Wedding Professionals for it.

A HUGE thank you to our host resort Beaches Turks & Caicos and especially Sandals Poromotion Manager, Gina Tsirmpas.  This was by far the easiest Conference we have ever put together and considering this conference was 1,600 miles from our hometown, that says A LOT!

Steppin' Out: A Guide to the Perfect Wedding Shoes for Outdoor Weddings

by Danielle Andrews Sunkel

When planning an outdoor wedding you have unique challenges and need to consider a lot of details, including shoes.  High heels and grass or sand, just don't mix.  Below we will have a look at some appropriate footwear for your big day.

Beach Wedding

If you are planning to get married on the beach, why not go barefoot and decorate your tootsies instead? Pedicure is a must! ;)

Find Bridal Foot Jewelry at www.ladybead.com or one of our WPIC Certified Custom Jewellers would be able to design something for you: www.manydesigns-manycolours.com , www.jenniferborghevents.com

Bridal Flips Flops are another great item for your Beach Wedding. 

 

These ones are from www.weddingfactorydirect.com

Outdoor Wedding

Heels tend to sink in to the grass, so unless you want your bridesmaids to look like the Tower of Pisa, incorporate Wedges or Espadrilles.

Or get SoleMates.  These little do-dads slip on to the heel and increase the circumference of the stiletto heel, so there is no sinking!

Our Wedding Professionals Conference, Beaches Turks & Caicos Nov 14-18/09

The 5th Annual Wedding Professionals Conference is being held at the glorious, 6-star Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and Spa!

The theme of this confernce is "Destination Weddings", the Wedding Industry's biggest trend.  Over 20% of all weddings each year are Destination Weddings.

There will also be a healthy dose of Wedding Marketing at the Conference.  This conference is open to anyone in the Wedding Industry.

Speakers include:  Master of Caribbean Weddings, JoAnne Brown; Rockstar Wedding Planner, Ciara Daykin; Wedding Marketing Guru, Andy Ebon; Gutsy Groom Stylist & Rockstar Decorator, Simon Daykin, to name a few.

Cost of the Conference is $330 USD.

We have secured the unheard of rate of $400 USD for 5 days/4 nights of Luxury Included Accommodations at the 6-start Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and Spa (based on double occupancy). Luxury Included means, luxury accommodations, all food, all premium alcohol, watersports, entertainment, etc, etc and best of all NO TIPPING!

For more details and to register visit the website: www.weddingconf.com

Sandals Makes Planning Your Wedding Easy

By Guest Blogger: Monica Hill, WPICC, DWC, CSS of Aisle Plan Your Day

Recently, WPIC has had the pleasure of attending FAM trips to the different Sandals properties across Jamaica to learn more about their resorts and the wedding packages that we can offer our clients.  

It’s no surprise that Sandals has been voted the “Worlds Best” over and over again at the World Travel awards… The level of luxury and the feeling of romance as you enter each resort have truly set apart this Ultra-All Inclusive Hotel chain from so many others. 

Each resort has their own style and “vibe” but what doesn’t change is the outstanding level of service, luxury and quality that each resort provides. The Sandals resorts in Jamaica offer the perfect backdrop for your upcoming nuptials or vow renewals. 

It’s so easy to book your wedding or vow renewal at Sandals. As the leader in destination weddings, Sandals will ensure that your wedding will be as special as your love for each other. Once you’ve decided to tie the knot, the rest is pretty easy and can be handled by your Sandals Certified Specialist. 

The documents process is handled by Sandals document specialists and they will ensure the process will be simple for you and as stress-free as possible.  You will have an onsite wedding coordinator that will correspond with you until arrival at the resort. Upon arrival, you will have an appointment with your wedding coordinator where you will finalize all of the details for your special day such as choosing your wedding location, wedding cake, floral arrangements and confirm any additional options.

* FYI – you need to reside on the island for a minimum of 48 hours before your nuptials, so its necessary to plan accordingly based on these guidelines. 

  

As we toured the resorts, I was amazed by how many different picturesque locations there are to hold your wedding ceremony and reception.  In reality, choosing your perfect location will be the hardest part of planning your wedding with Sandals since there are so many breath-taking locations to choose from. 

 

One thing I feel that really sets Sandals apart from any other destination wedding resort location is their Signature Wedding Packages, that can be added onto your wedding package. A partnership between Martha Stewart Weddings and Sandals was announced yesterday.  After October 2009, you can book one of the Martha Stewart Wedding Packages for your 2010 wedding.  These packages have been designed to enhance your special wedding day and depending on your personality, style or theme of the wedding – these packages are sure to please! 

 

In addition to the fabulous Martha Stewart Wedding collections offered by Sandals, they also offer their clients custom enhancements to add that special touch to their big day. Extra options include things such as music & entertainment packages [ex. photography and videography options, bridal dresses, dining options, Red Lane Spa services and wedding accessories, along  with much more. You can even reserve a personal dressing assistant for the bride on the big day if she chooses that option!

There are so many special touches that Sandals offers their clients to feel completely relaxed and pampered on their wedding day. At Sandals, the staff will look after everything for you! 

Choosing that perfect resort for wedding nuptials can be a challenge… a challenge because each resort boasts such defined beauty and an unparalleled standard of luxury. Based on my recent FAM tour through Jamaica to view the different Sandals properties for destination wedding locations, I personally had some favorite resort choices: 

At Sandals Montego Bay, the convenience of the airport was certainly an added bonus. Upon speaking to guests at this resort, I found time and time again that most guests were “returning” guests and this was their 5th, 10th and sometimes even 20+ times at the resort. To me, that speaks volumes. This resort has Jamaica’s largest private beach and is the only Sandals resort to have an indoor wedding chapel for intimate, traditional style weddings. 

Another resort that really picqued my interest was Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort, which also boasts a private off-shore island where wedding receptions can be held. The Sandals Royal Caribbean resort is designed like a noble British Manor House with an exceptional level of sophistication throughout. Guests can take a 5-minute Dragon boat ride to the private island [Sandals Cay] and upon arrival will be amazed by the lush beauty of this island. I think this truly is a perfect place to host a wedding reception for friends and family.

At Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort, the options for weddinf locations are endless.  This resort is set across over 100 acres where one half of the resort is beachside and the other half is located in lush, tropical gardens.  This resort is true paradise and will have something to offer for everyone. You can choose to get married on the beach, on the Grande Promenade overlooking the sea, under an arbour with panoramic views... or in one of their many, many locations throughout the property.  This resort is truly exceptional and ideal for people who love to golf as the Sandals Golf & Country Club is only minutes away.

At Sandals Dunn’s River Villagio Golf Resort & Spa, the essence of old-world Italian charm mixed with the breezes of the Caribbean ocean, this resort is sure to please. As you enter the resort, you can feel the romance in the air making this an ideal location for a wedding and/or vow renewal. In addition to a short ride to the Sandals Golf & Country Club [which is included in the All- Inclusive package], this resort also has a “Pitch-n-Putt” onsite for their guests to enjoy. After wrapping up from an afternoon of golf [or in my case, relaxation by one of their two pools], you can relax for a drink in their “Tree Bar”… which is literally a tree inside the bar. A great meeting spot for guests to enjoy the evening listening to great music and enjoying the ambiance of the Caribbean mixed with Italian charm.

The hardest part of planning your wedding at Sandals will be choosing your location. There are so many great resorts to choose from, it’s just a matter of matching the resort that best suits your style! Sandals makes planning your destination wedding a breeze!  

WPIC Loves Sandals

By: Tracey ManailescuOn March 30-April 5^th, 2009 and April 24^th-30^th, 2009, WPIC certified the onsite Wedding Coordinators from each Sandals, Grand Pineapple, and Beaches luxury resorts in Jamaica.

We were able to bring 50 WPIC graduates from across Canada with us (25 each time) to stay and view the properties.

 

*A HUGE thank you to the amazing Gina Tsirmpas, Senior Business Development & Promotions Manager for arranging and pulling strings to make all of this happen. J   

 

A gigantic thank you to the General Managers, Managers and staff at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios, Sandals Montego Bay, and Sandals Whitehouse for hosting our groups.  (Danielle was so impressed, she brought her family down for an extra week and stayed at Beaches Boscobel, one of Sandals' Family Resorts.)      

                                      

We got to know each Jamaican “luxury included” resort and their distinct personalities.  (No two resorts are the same). 

Some things that were the same: the wonderful choice of restaurants; top shelf wine and alcohol; beautiful beachfront properties; tasteful décor; mind blowing midnight chocolate buffets; Red Lane Spas where you can get a wrap or a massage  (Danielle and I had the “West Indian Massage” at Grande Ocho Rios, courtesy of some of the graduates that came with us, thanks again ladies!)   

Did you know that most resorts even have in room safe’s that fit a laptop? No tipping is another phenomenal addition to the list of wonderful things about Sandals. 

 

By far, what stood out the most to me was the staff.   Never have I seen such kind and helpful people who seem to truly enjoy their jobs.  I had so many conversations with staff and I asked them what they liked best about working for Sandals.  The answers were fairly consistent; they are treated well and with respect.  Top Managers know them by name (Did you know Sandals has 10,000 employees?)  An example of the staff going all out was one night we had a private dinner at the stunning “Royal Plantation”.   One of the people in our group, made a comment about the flavoured butter to the waiter, a few minutes later he came back with a hand-written recipe from the Chef!

I only have so much room to write this so I will move along…

I woke up extra early a few mornings and took my coffee down to the beach.  This is where I met some wonderful couples that were on return visits to Sandals.  One couple was there for their 11^th time, and they were vacationing with friends who were on their 4^th trip to Sandals.  I asked them if they travelled a lot, and they said “Only to Sandals. We have been to other places, but we always come home!”

  

At the end of June, I will be celebrating my 11^th Wedding Anniversary, and have chosen to spend it at Sandals Royal Bahamian in the Bahamas.  Danielle and I were there for the 2008 Sandals Travel Agent Recognition Awards, I fell in love, and decided right then and there, that this was the place to celebrate our anniversary! 

Of course, I will share my experiences when I get back J

 

**Ready to take your Sandals Luxury Included vacation? Keep in mind: If you need help planning with your Destination Wedding or Honeymoon, over 100 of our Canada-wide WPIC Graduates are Certified Sandals Specialist.**