Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need a wedding planner, the hotel already has an onsite coordinator?
The role of a wedding planner significantly differs from that of a hotel’s onsite coordinator. The hotel’s coordinator is responsible for ensuring that your day goes seamlessly but from the point of view of the hotel. They make sure that your meals are what they should be, that your services booked with the hotel are correct and are on time etc. Their focus is the delivery of your services from the hotel. Your wedding planner is someone who works for and with you to create, design and execute every element of your day as you imagine it. Your planner will make all recommendations on venue, time of year that is good to book based on your destination, which vendors to book, assist in creating your design, make recommendations to complete your design and be onsite to execute it to your specification as it has been meticulously discussed and planned over the months to the wedding day. In a word, your planner is your wedding day bestie and you definitely want her by your side on wedding day!
Why should I book The Destination Collective?
Why? Because we a fabulous ofcourse! Seriously we are but also here are a few other really good reasons too. We provide complete wedding planning services including travel. This is super important if you are doing a destination wedding. You would want everything to be done through the same company under one roof as a complete service so that you can at all times be updated and stay on top of all pertinent details. What’s more important other than flawless planning….the comfort of your friends and loved ones who will travel to share your day in paradise.
Another really great reason is that our lead planner and designer, Ophellia is Jamaican and spent the first half of her life there and her first few years as a wedding planner. She then spent the next two decades in Toronto but worked as a destination wedding specialist to Jamaica. Who would you want coordinating your Jamaica wedding, a Jamaican born planner who knows every nook and cranny of her island home and has two decades of North American experience or…?
At TDC, you really do get the BEST of both worlds!
How do I confirm my wedding date with you?
Once your date is available, we will have a meeting to discuss moving forward details and we will prepare a contract of services for you. Once you have had a chance to review and are ready, we both sign the contract and you pay your non refundable retainer of $1000 to hold your date and we are all set to start your planning journey.
What methods of payment do you accept?
We accept wire transfers, credit cards and direct deposit payments to our account.
Can I see a copy of your contract for your services before I book?
Absolutely…as a matter of fact we insist on it! We will not take your money until you have read, reviewed and are comfortable with our contract and send us a signed copy back for our files. It is for both our protection. We strongly believe in transparency in our dealings with our valued clients.
If I book with you, do we only deal with your team or do we get to book and choose our own vendors?
Based on our experience and my 17 years of Jamaica wedding industry knowledge, we have put together the most professional and amazing team of vendors to work with. That is why we are called a Collective ;). We welcome other vendor choices for your wedding however we require the option to have you deal directly with any vendor that does not meet the standard we have set for our company and our clients. I am happy to discuss our concerns with you and why that vendor may or may not be a vendor that we think will work well for your execution however we reserve the right to have a hands off approach with any vendor we deem unacceptable.
Do you have a preferred vendors list?
You can find preferred members of The Destination Collective right here.
www.merrickcousley.com
www.visual-embrace.com
www.joelfinnigen.com
www.dmarevents.com
www.zedojevents.com
www.weddingdjinja.com
www.gourmetmakeup.com
What other services do you provide?
We provide welcome bags to welcome your guests to destination and thank them for joining you. We are currently updating that part of our site so it is more efficient for you to place your order with us however please send us a quick note to welcomebags@thedestinationcollective.com and we will be happy to send you our current list of offerings.
We are also happy to assist you with all your land transfers and excursions while you are in destination. We have curated many tours for our groups and are happy to discuss what we do with you or customize something just for your group.