Interview with Royalton Resorts Wedding Consultant, Randi Reshef

Ah, Royalton weddings. They are so amazing! But why? We recently sat down with Randi Reshef, Senior Wedding Consultant with Royalton Resorts, to chat about planning destination weddings. Read below and learn from the experts on planning your Royalton destination wedding.

​We understand the importance of partnering with wedding vendors that value service and quality as much as we do here at Romance Travel Group. We take the time to go meet the teams at each resort, video conference with the planning office, and continuously work on building partnerships with what we think are the best destination wedding resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean. We recently sat down with Randi Reshef, Senior Wedding Consultant with Royalton Resorts, to chat about planning destination weddings. Randi has been with Royalton 3.5 years with a focus on our St Lucia, Jamaica, Antigua and Costa Rica resorts. Randi loves bringing out the creative side of her wedding couples and working with them on creating the perfect, customized wedding. Her clients speak highly to her ability to ease their stress and come up with unique personal touches that they can incorporate into their destination wedding.             
 
What are a few of the most commonly asked questions you get from couples starting the destination wedding planning process?
 
“Our wedding couples are so excited about getting engaged and to be in the process of planning, that the most commonly asked questions we get are pertaining to floral and décor. Most of the time, wedding couples will have a general vision for their wedding day and are looking for cost on those items so that they can budget appropriately. In addition, couples love to know about services that we offer such as entertainment or food & beverage options.”

We know that couples today love to customize their wedding experience. What are some of the unique ways you see couples customizing their wedding events?  

“We know that every wedding couples’ vision is different and we love that Royalton weddings allow our couples to completely customize their experience. To name a few unique customizations, we have seen a pizza tower instead of wedding cake for a foodie couple, we have seen a completely sapphire themed wedding to replicate a brides engagement ring, we have seen an “On the Run” tour Beyoncé & Jay-Z themed wedding, and even a couple who sang themselves down the aisle. Anything is possible!”

Are there any trends you’ve been seeing for 2020 weddings?
 
“We have been seeing a lot of requests for Pampas Grass, which is perfect for a beachy Bohemian wedding. We have also seen a lot of couples bringing custom neon signs to hang above their head table. 2020 will also bring monochromatic bouquets, and couples who are looking into sustainable weddings. For example, clients are looking into sustainable travel, reducing food waste, and anything that will help impact the environmental aspect of their wedding.”

Cost is always a factor. Are there certain items couples can omit or change that help keep their budget in check?  

“I have always considered a dance floor a “luxury” purchase. If it’s within the budget, that’s great! If not, I think it’s something that can be skipped. Most of our couples who choose to have a destination wedding have always dreamed of dancing in the sand, and the other half of our couples are hosting their reception at a location that has tiled flooring. Dancefloors tend to run anywhere from $600-$1,500 USD (depending on size and type of dance floor), so that can be a big chunk of savings if they don’t rent this item!”

Are couples doing legal ceremonies, or symbolic? What do couples need to know to help them decide?  

“I would say this is a 60/40 split, with symbolic weddings being the more popular of the two ceremony types. Symbolic weddings are generally more flexible. For example, you can have your own officiant, customize the vows, and determine the overall feel of the ceremony. On the down side, a lot of couples do want their official wedding anniversary to be on the day that they host their ceremony. If you’re legally married before your symbolic ceremony, then technically your wedding anniversary would be on a different date. In some countries, you have to be legally married before hosting a symbolic ceremony, so the couple would need to be okay with being legally married at least two months before the wedding. With legal weddings, there will be paperwork involved. If a couple is already feeling stressed about planning, that extra step of getting their legal documents notarized might be a deal breaker. In addition, there is an added cost for hosting legal weddings which varies depending on the resort, and some countries to require bloodwork upon arrival in order to have a legal wedding.”

What are your most popular ceremony locations?  
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“Hands down, the most popular ceremony location that we have is the Sky Terrace! We don’t have the Sky Terrace at all of our Royalton properties, however the Royalton resorts that do have this private rooftop location are always booked first. Not only does the Sky Terrace offer additional privacy for wedding couples, they also have incredible unobstructed views of the ocean and a beautiful stone structure, so no additional décor is needed. There is an additional fee to host a ceremony on the Sky Terrace, but it’s well worth it for the views, privacy, and the included décor. For properties that don’t have a Sky Terrace, we still see a lot of Beach ceremonies. Many of our couples have always envisioned being married toes in the sand, and nothing can change their minds. Beach ceremonies allow for a lot of customization in terms of structures or chuppah’s, seating, and aisle décor!”
 
Like what you see? Romance Travel Group and Royalton Resorts are committed to planning the most incredible destination wedding with you. Ready to get started? Fill out our simple contact form and we will have one of our experience destination wedding specialists reach out right away. We can’t wait to work with you!

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