Harden Holidays manager Tim Harden received an enquiry for a four-person flight-only booking, which the agency usually doesn’t offer.
"We could easily have dismissed the initial enquiry," he told TTG. "But by giving them the time to open up and share their plans and frustrations, we were able to guide them to an alternative that has strong benefits to them."
Harden was approached by the group last month, who were interested in booking a trip to Jamaica, where two of the four were getting married, in July 2023.
After informing them the agency didn’t offer just flights by themselves, Harden asked what their plans were and why they were travelling.
"They described how they were planning a wedding in Jamaica as the bride’s family were based out there, but they had been having trouble with the venue they had booked, the costs were spiralling and it was becoming quite a headache for them to put together," he described.
"So, we suggested having a destination wedding organised within a resort, described to them how different brands could help relieve some of their stress and prove more economical than organising the trip in separate parts.
"We discussed Iberostar, Palladium and Sandals resorts before they settled on the Sandals brand as it allowed them to have a greater proportion of guests who were non-resident attend the wedding."
According to Harden, the decision to host the wedding at a Sandals property in Negril proved to be "financially beneficial", as the "essential wedding costs" are included in the price.
"Importantly though, they now have us to help organise the travel arrangements for their whole group, and a weddings team to help guide them through all the planning and logistics of the day itself," Harden added.
"The bride and groom have been so appreciative for the service they have received from us and Sandals; it’s really alleviated their stress and enabled them to relax into enjoying their big day.
"We were naturally very pleased, but it wasn’t about the scale of the booking financially, we felt very proud to organise such an important part of their life."
