p15 Q&A 17/9/09 14:22 Page 15
in the hot seat Weddings & Honeymoons
Q&A
Helen Doyle
Helen Doyle, managing director of Perfect Weddings &
Honeymoons, has been arranging overseas weddings
for many years. Last year Helen and business partner
Danny Waine won TTG’s Big Idea competition to secure
a £100,000 investment to expand their business
WHICH DESTINATIONS ARE SELLING WELL?. WHAT ARE THE EMERGING TRENDS FOR.
As ever, Cyprus and Greece are selling well
WEDDING AND HONEYMOON PACKAGES?.
for younger couples looking for an affordable Destinations such as New York, Las Vegas,
destination where family and friends can join Malta, Prague and Iceland where weddings can
them. We are also seeing requests from couples be conducted within just a few days are all
who are looking to do something different selling well.
so Italy, Turkey and Iceland are popular Some couples are opting to save money by
destinations. Long-haul destinations such as holding the ceremony in a town hall rather
Mauritius and the Caribbean are popular too. than in a hotel which charges for the venue.
We have been trying to address this by working
WHAT ACCOMMODATION STYLES ARE POPULAR?.
with hoteliers to reduce venue costs and offer
This year we are noticing that most couples are couples incentives to marry in the hotel.
favouring all-inclusive accommodation, giving
them a known cost for the entire celebration.
WHAT NEW PRODUCTS ARE YOU LAUNCHING?.
Many of the all-inclusive hotels offer free Following our success in TTG’s Big Idea we
wedding packages and this is making them have launched our “wedding only” packages
appealing for couples on a budget. to the trade. Agents are booking these and
Also for cost purposes, couples are choosing dynamically packaging flights to provide the
four-star accommodation more frequently – most competitive prices without compromising
in the past more couples chose five-star hotels. on service. As group bookings are often price
Villa accommodation is increasingly popular driven, it can be difficult to offer the best
CV Helen Doyle
too, particularly where there are several wedding service combined with the best price.
families all wishing to share the cost. In the coming months we intend to launch ■ Helen began her career arranging
“civil partnership only” packages to the trade weddings and events at a London
HOW HAS THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
– destinations will include Canada, Vermont, hotel. She was also operations
AFFECTED YOUR BUSINESS?.
New Zealand and South Africa. manager for a luxury coach operator
We are fortunate to be in one of the few areas before concentrating on retail travel.
of the industry that has been unaffected by the
WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO AGENTS WHO.
■ During a career break to start a
downturn. Weddings abroad are now a common
HAVE NOT SOLD MANY WEDDINGS?.
family, Helen became a homeworker
choice, especially when you think that an Emphasise that you will offer a personal service and in 2005 she started her own
average UK wedding costs around £20,000 and and guide them through their plans – many specialist weddings abroad travel
you can go abroad for a fraction of the cost – couples worry about the process of marrying agency, Perfect Weddings &
and have much better weather! The weddings abroad and really appreciate someone offering Honeymoons. The business has
abroad market is buoyant and it is a good to “hold their hand” throughout. You must do expanded steadily and now has five
opportunity for agents to secure high value your research because having good knowledge members of staff and a network of
group bookings, and often up to 18 months of destinations and being able to recommend specialist homeworkers.
in advance. the best venue for a couple’s needs is essential.
TTG Knowledge – September 2009
15
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