Destination Wedding Tips | Q&A with JOANN DELGIN

Destination Wedding Tips | Q&A with JOANN DELGIN

Director of Romance, Sandals Resorts International

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Q. Tell us a little about yourself and your job at Sandals Resorts.

I have been in the wedding and honeymoon business for over 20 years, and now serve as the Director of Romance for Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. I love my job at Sandals Resorts because I get to be involved in one of the most important days of anyone’s life. My job is about keeping everyone focused on our main objective and what our founder and chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart originally set out to accomplish – he wanted to provide the best possible vacation experience for two people in love – so weddings and honeymoons have always been the cornerstone of our business.

Q. Why do you think destination weddings are catching on as much as they are?

I think based on the economy, people are trying to get as much value as possible for their money on any major purchase and they also want to spend more time with the people that are most important to them. A destination wedding provides an excellent solution for both of these priorities.

Q. What sets Sandals Martha Stewart – inspired themes above the industry’s standards?

Martha Stewart has been a wedding icon for 15 years and is known for her attention to detail. To be able to have a wedding theme created planned by Martha Stewart herself and get married in the beautiful Caribbean is any bride’s dream.

Choose an exclusive Martha Stewart signature wedding package at Sandals Resorts

Q. What do you see as most brides’ biggest misconception about destination weddings?

Many brides think they have to pay for their guests to attend. However, most guests are happy to use this trip as their vacation time to celebrate this very special event with you.

Q. What should a destination bride bring along that local brides wouldn’t?

At Sandals Resorts, all you need is sunscreen and a bathing suit! What might she often forget? Traditional wedding items; things like something borrowed, something blue.

Q. Do you need to plan a destination wedding more in advance than a traditional wedding at home?

No! In fact, you need less time. An average destination wedding is planned six months to one year prior, but it can be planned in as little as 60 days to two months if needed.

Q. Destination wedding specialists or coordinators usually step in and help a couple plan their destination wedding. What are some common challenges associated with destination weddings and how does wedding coordinators at Sandals help?

Getting married in a foreign country can be challenging if you don’t know about the laws and local culture. We are a Caribbean-based company – so we know all the ins and outs of the countries in which we do business. Our wedding coordinators are trained to take care of any of those challenges for brides and ensure that all they have to focus on is celebrating their special day.

Q. What about guest lists for a destination wedding, should they be kept smaller?

The rule of thumb for any wedding should be to invite people that you have had contact with in the past year or that have played a major part in your life. Because of the cost incurred by these guest to travel for the big day, the guest list for destination weddings usually finds its own level.

Q. How can the couple book a wedding at Sandals?

All they have to do is call 1-877 Sandals or go to sandals.com and we will take care of the rest!

Q. Are there any interesting anecdotes about destination weddings that you might want to share with our readers?

A wedding in the Caribbean is meant to be stress-free so that brides can take time to enjoy their marriage. We take care of everything, so that the bride and groom can enjoy each other.

Joann Delgin is the Director of Romance for Sandals Resorts, a critical role she has held since 2004 in a company legendary for providing two people in love with the most romantic experience in the Caribbean.

Delgin is responsible for capturing the imagination of soon-to-be brides and grooms around the world with innovative destination wedding and honeymoon programs at the company’s resorts throughout the Caribbean.

A veteran travel marketer with nearly 35 years of experience, Delgin has been an integral player in the unprecedented growth of the destination weddings market.  It was a trend she monitored while at the Walt Disney Company and that resulted in her co-founding Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons.

At Sandals Resorts, her success over the last three years has also been unquestionable.  “Joann has been an asset on every level,” says Sandals Resorts chairman and founder, Gordon  ‘Butch’ Stewart.  “She has brought a level of professionalism and world-class partnerships that have elevated our wedding and honeymoon offerings.  She is able to anticipate trends and develop programs that appeal to today’s sophisticated bride.”

Those programs include exciting new on-island options for photography and videography, and exclusive partnerships orchestrated by Delgin that have literally resulted in a Sandals Resorts wedding “Dream Team.”  She is most proud of the recently announced partnership with the internationally celebrated Martha Stewart Weddings, bringing six uniquely elegant wedding themes to all brides and grooms experiencing a destination wedding at any of the 18 Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts locations throughout the Caribbean.

“With the explosion of the destination wedding industry, Joann’s creativity, business savvy and ahead-of-the curve thinking make her the perfect fit as director of romance for Sandals Resorts,” says Millie Martini Bratten, editor in chief of BRIDES magazine. “Sandals Resorts has been at the forefront of the destination wedding trend, offering value, variety and service to engaged couples. As more couples embrace the allure and ease of this type of celebration, I cannot think of a better person to lead the charge in taking destination weddings to a new level, than Joann.”