Beyond Vows and Veils: The Luxury Wedding Experience

The Global "I Do": Stanley Alexander with DestinationPick on Destination Wedding Experiences

• Brittany Ellis • Season 1 • Episode 14

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Dreaming of saying "I do" in an exotic locale? Look no further! In this episode of Beyond Vows & Veils, we're thrilled to welcome Stanley Alexander, the visionary founder of DestinationPick, to unveil the secrets of crafting the perfect destination wedding.

Stanley, with a rich background in travel and hospitality, shares the genesis of DestinationPick, a premier concierge service tailored exclusively for couples envisioning their special day amidst stunning landscapes and vibrant cultures. From the shores of Tulum to the palaces of Jaipur, DestinationPick transforms dreams into reality, offering a seamless, one-stop-shop experience.

Join us as Stanley delves into the intricate art of orchestrating unforgettable ceremonies, from coordinating commercial flights to securing enchanting resorts and orchestrating immersive local experiences. Discover why collaboration with seasoned wedding planners is paramount, ensuring every detail is meticulously executed to perfection.

Worried about breaking the bank? Fear not! Stanley reassures us that utilizing DestinationPick's services won't inflate your budget. With commissions sourced from resorts and vendors, couples can rest assured their dream wedding remains within reach.

But it's not just about the logistics—Stanley illuminates the magic of customization, from breathtaking fireworks displays to captivating cultural performances, ensuring each celebration is as unique as the love it commemorates.

Yet, as with any grand adventure, challenges abound. Stanley offers sage advice on navigating budget constraints, weather uncertainties, and ensuring accessibility for all guests. Learn why trending destinations like Guatemala, Mexico City, and beyond are stealing the hearts of adventurous couples seeking unparalleled romance.

In a world where personalization reigns supreme, Stanley emphasizes the importance of tailored, negotiated, and guaranteed services, all underscored by the invaluable currency of relationships within the wedding industry.

So, if you've ever dreamed of exchanging vows beneath a canopy of stars or dancing into the sunset on a far-flung shore, tune in to Beyond Vows & Veils, and let Stanley Alexander be your guide to crafting the destination wedding of your dreams.


For more Beyond Vows & Veils or Eventrics Indian Weddings, follow along at:

Instagram: @eventricsw
TikTok: @eventricsweddings
YouTube: @EventricsWeddings

ABOUT EVENTRICS INDIAN WEDDINGS

Eventrics Indian Weddings is an award-winning team of experienced wedding planning and management experts, specializing in large-scale Indian Weddings & Fusion Weddings in Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach, and destinations worldwide.

The Eventrics Indian Weddings team offers complete and partial planning services with a personal and hands-on approach. We believe each couple deserves a fully invested wedding planner to be engaged throughout the entire process to ensure no detail is missed or overlooked!

Brittany (00:00.635)
All right everyone, welcome back to another episode of Beyond Vows and Veils. I am super excited to have Stanley Alexander with us with Destination Pick. He is a total guru when it comes to destination and travel experiences and their team really provides a curated concierge level of service for anyone looking to host a celebration in a very unique and fun location. So welcome Stanley, thank you so much for joining us.

Stanley Alexander (00:09.07)
Thank you.

Stanley Alexander (00:26.222)
Thank you so much. I did congratulate you when you started this podcast. What a great initiative and thank you for this opportunity and I really, really appreciate telling those stories and hearing those through your podcast and actually being a student for life. A lot of things that I've learned and I'm hearing through your podcast. So commendable job.

I want to congratulate you again. Thank you so much for having us over here.

Brittany (00:54.939)
Thank you.

Absolutely, it's a pleasure. We honestly had so much fun with your crew for those tuning in. We went on a fam trip with Stanley and his crew to Cabo, Los Cabos in Mexico and we had a fabulous time. It was us and a bunch of top other wedding professionals in the industry and they rolled out the red carpet for us. It definitely wasn't just like exploring different properties. Of course there was that, but they layered in so many fun elements and I really got a

Stanley Alexander (01:02.862)
Thank you.

Brittany (01:26.877)
of a wholesome view of everything that you can provide. Stanley, before we kind of dive in, maybe you can just share with those who are tuning in. This episode obviously is curated for newly engaged couples that are considering hosting their wedding somewhere maybe they've never even been before or somewhere they certainly haven't hosted an event before. Maybe you can tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into the world of this curated service.

Stanley Alexander (01:31.052)
Thank you.

Stanley Alexander (01:47.852)
Right.

Stanley Alexander (01:54.572)
Sure. So it's been just over two decades that I've been traveling in hospitality and so don't judge me by my age, but still look young. I hope so. And I have started my journey working in this. My experience varies from in India, then I moved to Dubai and then I moved to London, then New York and now based out of headquarters based out of Dallas.

Texas and so just started with working in a just a travel agency per se Started to book, you know are the company that I'm looking for issuing tickets people traveling globally for outside India to across the globe and then of course I work for a multinational company based out of UK supporting their leisure customers traveling for vacation out of

London all across the globe. And then of course moved from the sales to customer service, worked for a few of the companies based again here in the US, but supporting them back in India such as Travelocity, lastminute .com and few of the other companies. But there was always something which I was wanted to be part of, one of the most important, the sales and business development. So to get

Back to that particular experience, I then again moved back to the sales, worked for a couple of other travel management company in the corporate, which is the MICE meeting incentive conference and events, then moved to Dubai to start a project for one of the existing travel companies, which successfully I worked for almost about six to seven months.

Then I got the opportunity to move to London. I got my permit to work there, so work for a hotel. So then I had experience from travel management companies, travel agencies, then to hotels. I wanted to pursue my masters, did my MSc in international business management, completed there. Again, got back to the hotel industry, then moved again back to Dubai to work for a destination management company.

Stanley Alexander (04:13.961)
offering some great opportunity to be there, then finally moving back to the US. So having worked in multiple roles that is varying from sales, business development, operations, finance, and then one startup in Dubai, where the investor appointed me to do from HR, contracting, hiring, everything from A to Z.

and then also moving to Dallas to do another startup. Again, we had an investor and then I had to facilitate all of those components to be able to establish up until we did few millions in revenue. And then of course, in 2018 is the inception, the baby was born, Destination Pick So that is me, a brief summary, having worked in travel agencies, travel companies,

destination management companies, hotel, and know -how about knowledge about the airline industry as well because we work on the global distribution system, which is a company such as the Amadeus and Sabre where we can book live tickets for any of the clients globally traveling anywhere. So that's a nutshell about all the different profiles and different companies within the travel and hospitality industry.

that I'm working on, of course, wanted to bring the experience, my knowledge, my contacts, the industry partners, the travel partners to bring into that, into this brand and kind of facilitate who we are as a travel and destination management concierge.

Brittany (06:03.035)
Yeah, I mean, that's fabulous, Stanley. Thank you so much for that. You've got a lot of background. That's

Stanley Alexander (06:05.382)
Thank you.

Thank you.

Brittany (06:09.435)
You know, I don't even think I realized that. And for anyone that's listening, I mean, when you're working with someone that's going to support you with hosting a once in a lifetime event in a destination location, having someone that has your type of background is almost a necessity. You have to have that because knowing the hotel aspect of things, not just the travel experience element for guests, but understanding, like, I mean, even Stanley, you understand from even a planner's perspective,

Stanley Alexander (06:26.374)
Yes.

Brittany (06:39.341)
I know that they're going to need this much space for this type of event. I know they're going to need this much access for this type of event. Oh, they might, what's the cuisine that they offer at that particular resort? Is that going to be in alignment with this, you know, this couple's choosing? And so I think that that's incredible. And anyone that's vetting, you know, someone that's going to be involved with supporting them through that journey, maybe those are some questions that they should be asking is like, what is their background and history when it comes to the hospitality industry in general?

Stanley Alexander (06:43.717)
Correct.

Stanley Alexander (07:02.789)
Yes.

Yes.

Brittany (07:09.197)
because you know Stanley obviously we were talking offline but you know you're obviously not a travel agent you're so much more than that and I know that the travel agent kind of gives us the X and that's not really what you do so how what do you feel that destination pick does specifically for couples when they're coming to you that might be different from some of the other you know companies out there?

Stanley Alexander (07:09.829)
Yes.

Stanley Alexander (07:15.621)
Yes.

Stanley Alexander (07:21.156)
Yes. Yes.

Stanley Alexander (07:35.204)
Absolutely, yeah. Happy to share that. And one of the fun, you know, I want to just tag along to the previous question, you know, in terms of the hospitality element, which in Hindi is, as in, which is a visitor. So a host at a newer place, a newer destination, wherever they are traveling. So it was in my blood, in my, you know,

in me to be able to be hospitable and that comes from my grandparents because they lived in a very hilly area and whenever she was cooking her breakfast and lunch or whatever it was she would see some people you know farmers and walking by laborers walking by doing their chores and so on and so forth going to work and she would just invite them over to be able to feed them and so on so looking at those instances made me really feel

you know, that sense of hospitality, which kind of emulated in my parents and they have served thousands of people, though he's not a travel agent or anything, but we had so many people coming over our home across the globe to be able to, you know, facilitate and travel, you know, where they were placed back in India. So just wanted to put that as well, how I kind of came into the travel and hospitality industry.

And then to the couples in terms of your question that you had asked me Is the the four major components that we assist? You know, and then of course, there's a lot of questions that we asked to the couple is where Where is that there? So your question was in terms of am I telling all the you want to cut stop there or?

Brittany (09:27.547)
No, no, I'll edit this, don't worry. Really what I want to get at is when a couple comes to you and you're looking to start the journey, what specifically does your company offer that you feel is kind of unique and different outside of some of the other companies out there?

Stanley Alexander (09:44.481)
Right, as a one -stop shop, we offer the four major components that we assist is basically how to reach their dream destination for their wedding, which is the commercial flight. So if you want to do group contracting, we're able to get across to the airlines and get you a group contract. And there's a lot of terms and conditions in terms of, but there is a lot of.

flexibility in there versus booking up on a online portal, which I can just quickly brief and tell you is you can just pay a deposit of $100 per person now for a travel, which is one year later on and the airlines would not need the names up until 45 days prior. So you take a flight, the outbound flight to a destination and then an inbound flight and you just pay a very small deposit versus an online

Brittany (10:32.219)
alone.

Stanley Alexander (10:41.12)
company that you may go, I'm not taking any of the names, is you've got to have to pay for it immediately. And today the price would be X, the airfare would be X, tomorrow will be Y, and it just keeps increasing, you know, daily basis where this is a static rate airfare versus a dynamic. So we help with commercial group contracting with airlines, any airlines, you name it, international, be it American, to Emirates, to Qatar.

or Singapore globally traveling anywhere. Then also we have contracted with charter companies for larger groups which could be anywhere from 7 ,500 onwards to 300 capacity charter flights and also private jets as well. It's just the bride and groom and immediate the folks, parents and siblings want to go on a private jet from any city across the US to any part of the world.

Brittany (11:34.619)
you

Stanley Alexander (11:38.72)
we could do that. So that's one, which is the airline. And then the second component is the resort contracting. Any resort across the globe, be it a budgeted property, be it a budgeted to premium property, a premium property to a luxury, to an ultra luxury. To name all the brands you would know, of course, we have a preferred collection of resorts that we have, but outside that as well, we're able to source for lodging,

event space and then of course there are a lot of questions that the couples would ask you know in terms of family friendly adults only and then you know spa the activities that they have you know and general ideas if you know spaces where you have a gazebo or a green lawn area and so on and so forth not only that we're also we're able to source out outside venues.

which in nowadays a lot of couples are interested not to do just all the events within the resort, but outside as well. So we're able to reach out and suggest our couples and our planners that we have been there, we've experienced, we have done events there to be able to source that as well. The third component is transportation. We have never and we have never left any guests stranded at the airport.

Brittany (12:56.155)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (13:06.016)
It could be 50, it could be 100, it could be 300 guests from any from US to across globally. We want to make sure a swift and robust and seamless transfer of every single guest arriving at the airport to their respective resort, hotel and back as well. So and I can share the detailing why this particular transportation ABC versus

What are the criteria that we work with? The fourth component that we believe for a destination wedding is to have a destination immersive experience. I believe it's as much as the bride and groom is VVIP and the parents and the siblings, I believe there's a family of four or five who want to take a vacation, turn this into a wedding vacation experience.

So they're going to a destination for the first time or maybe second time. What can you do? So we're able to tell them you can do a zip lining there. You can do a catamaran. You can do yacht. You can do just a go to a brewery or you can do there are some activities, water park, amusement park. You can go to some historic place downtown and so on and so forth. So it is a destination

vacation experience is what we say. Families are meeting after maybe six months or a year and so on and so forth. So we want to make sure that we go out together and have fun pre or maybe during the wedding days or post as well. And we do kind of do that as we escort the group as well. So basically airlines, resorts or outside venues, transportation, tours and activities.

And just in general, you know, out of the box that a lot of activities that we do, you know, clients want to book a helicopter to land on the resort, we could do that. If somebody wants a yacht to be docked at the resort, we could do that. And also, not to mention as well for specifically for Christian weddings, if you're looking for church, we're able to kind of assist with that as well. And then the transportation component comes in there.

Brittany (15:27.835)
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I love that Stanley. I, you know, I think that even through your conversation, I've even learned some of the elements that you're able to support with, which is fantastic. And, you know, for any couples that are looking to host an event, I love what you said about your inspiration really coming from even your childhood with your grandmother, because a lot of the couples that we work with, especially, you know, primarily South Asian clientele, you know, they really are the epitome of hospitality. And it's very important to them to

Stanley Alexander (15:56.665)
Yes.

Brittany (15:57.789)
to have an experience where their guests can come and not feel sort of intimidated by the experience of coming somewhere that they've never traveled before. The couple's like, are we really gonna get the level of service that we're looking for? So I love what you said about your company not only will make recommendations on potential venues to host their celebrations at and to house all of their guests, but also getting them off property. I mean, you've gone to this really cool destination location for a reason. So enhancing that

Stanley Alexander (16:22.744)
Yes.

Brittany (16:27.709)
weekend through, you know, other excursions or different locations. I know specifically when we were with you in Cabo together, you know, you had all sorts of like fun, like activities and like different things that were surprises for the group, which were fantastic. And it really showcased the ability of, you know, keeping it really consistent, making sure that everyone felt comfortable. There was a very clear itinerary. So, you know, Stanley, obviously a lot of these couples that, you know, probably come to you,

Stanley Alexander (16:49.528)
Yes.

Stanley Alexander (16:53.24)
Yes.

Brittany (16:57.629)
How do you work in tandem with planners? How does that work? Because obviously a lot of couples say will be like well, my planner is going to help me find the property and they're going to you know, do this and what have you and I always say listen, we're here. We're full service. We're going to support you with vetting properties. But as opposed to me wasting your planning time and spending hours in terms of research and vetting because can we do that? Sure. Why would we not partner with a professional like yourself that already just knows

Stanley Alexander (17:13.432)
Right.

Brittany (17:27.549)
the area, you've been there personally, you've tasted the food, you're on flights all the time, you and your partner and I feel like you know firsthand what that experience is like and I think we can just kind of move through that stage a lot quicker. How do you sort of partner with planners? How does that work?

Stanley Alexander (17:43.512)
Sure, a lot of planners that we have partnered with and who reach out to us. So we did a research before like 2018 when we commenced this brand, you know, at least about eight to 10 months, we started asking a lot of questions to these planners. What are the challenges? What are the concerns? What are the difficulties? Where are you being rejected? What are the difficulties that you all are facing?

The reason I wanted to do this we wanted to be the solution makers. We wanted to get all the problems and then find a centralized place where we can be as much as possible, avoid those ambiguities, those discrepancies and create a seamless channel working with our partners. So just giving an example, like one of the weddings that one of the planners before partnering with us said her room was not booked and she's the wedding planner.

If the wedding planner is not there, how would the show go? How would the event proceed? That was, you know, that just really made me worried. She has to be there. He has to be there. And so her team has to be there as well. So we kind of jumped onto it and we kind of reached out to all our partners, be the hotel, you know, our supplies and vendors as well. So basically the event planners that we have, you know, partnered with, we would...

tell them exactly what our services are. As much as we are their preferred vendors, such as the videographer, the photographer, the DJ, the makeup, the decor, the design, we are again part of that core team to be able to, and we are actually the ones after the wedding planner, they reach out to us as in terms of the venue sourcing or the destination sourcing component. So.

So they would reach out to us, either the wedding planner would sign our contract. And most of the time that is the case to be able to say the wedding planner would stand as our ambassador to say destination pick is our preferred travel and destination management concierge. And the components that they will take care of is the flights, the hotel sourcing, the transportation, tours and excursions, and so on and so forth.

Brittany (19:40.539)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (20:04.312)
while the production is managed by the wedding planner. So we definitely don't step into the wedding planner shoes and neither they don't step into our shoes, but we work collaboratively. There's a lot of questions that they would ask us and they're bypassed. They're asking a lot of questions and we have to answer them and vice versa as well. So it's a collaborated effort. It takes a whole village, specifically as you know, you do a lot of South Asian Indian weddings as well.

It is an army of people behind it and you certainly need to fill in that travel and lodging component to work with the wedding planner and the team. So once our contract is signed, we will take off from that day onwards, from the day one that the wedding planner signs our contract. We start the wedding process in terms of, you know, all the resorts and so on and so forth. And we have a comparison sheet.

We present to the client that day until the checkout of the group. We are the point of contact for the wedding planner and or say, and the couple as well. Any questions pertaining to these components, components that I've mentioned should not be reached to the wedding planner. Instead, it should be the travel management company. The goal was to

take the burden off the shoulders about these components from the wedding planner and not the client is saying, can I get a baby cot in my room to the wedding planner where he or she is focused on how to have an amazing, you know, amazing production out there, which is, and a million things which fall under your parameters in your domain of work as well. So it was us to take,

any sort of questions pertaining to those components and be able to facilitate that. And it is not only the Brighton group. All and every single guest part of the group should be able to reach out to us. And we are accessible anytime day one up until the guest checks out. And also we have direct customers, couples who reach out to us, who refer on stuff like that. And in that case, we would refer. We highly recommend.

Stanley Alexander (22:28.047)
to partner with our wedding planners to be able to facilitate as we facilitate the travel component, the wedding planners would facilitate the wedding production component. And it's, I really feel that is a having a timeline is the key and having a wedding planner who knows the expert and the experience working together with us. So it's a hand in hand and collaborated effort, which brings out.

a wedding experience to be the celebration that second to none for a the big day for a couple.

Brittany (23:05.467)
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Stanley, that's such a supportive answer. And I think that really gives couples an understanding that you don't have to pick one or the other.

Stanley Alexander (23:15.854)
Yes.

Brittany (23:16.443)
And you shouldn't pick one or the other because I don't know about you Stanley I don't think that you're gonna be there cueing the music's and then bride down the aisle, you know, I mean maybe maybe But but again, it's like there are certain elements from a planner's perspective that just makes sense to partner with someone to support them with those elements because we definitely Do not do that in our office, right? So if I have someone that's full service with me, I'm not gonna be booking flights for your guests

Stanley Alexander (23:32.334)
Yes.

Brittany (23:46.349)
Yes, at the venue, especially here in the States, if we need to create a room block, certainly we can create a room block, but I think it's just there's an extra layer of complexity added when you're going to a select destination that just requires you to have a little bit more hands -on. Because I know even navigating the local professionals, finding the right vendors, I think having someone like your team to be able to say, hey, Stanley, I've been doing some research. Here's some local vendors.

Stanley Alexander (23:51.629)
Yes.

Brittany (24:16.205)
local designers I found, have you worked with them before, what's been your experience? And then you can even share, oh, it was a great experience, or you should really consider XYZ. And I think that's where it becomes collaborative. So to avoid confusion for couples, because I get this question a lot, saying, well, we're paying for the planning services, are we then going to have to pay on top of that for this travel experience and support? So the answer is, of course, there's a financial investment, but from what I've seen, any person

Stanley Alexander (24:17.836)
Yes.

Yes.

Stanley Alexander (24:43.883)
Yes.

Brittany (24:46.061)
property destination wise that our team has vetted, they already have built in just so everyone's clear, they built in a commission because they expect you to work with a travel agent or someone to support you with your room block. So it's kind of a use it or lose it structure. They've already built it in and it's going to be so you're either going to, you know, use that and it's going to be a huge benefit to you, or you're not going to use it and you're going to end up paying it regardless. It's just kind of built into the price. Is that sort of how that

Stanley Alexander (24:49.291)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (24:57.164)
Yes.

Brittany (25:15.965)
work Stanley just to avoid that confusion.

Stanley Alexander (25:18.507)
You've actually nailed it and you've answered that, but I just want to elaborate as a travel management company, regardless, for example, your budget for your room rate in, for example, if you're doing in Jamaica or Costa Rica, or even the fact you want to do in Dubai, or you want to go across in Europe, your budget for a room for an all inclusive is 150 per person per night. We still get incentivized.

for that room rate and that is our bread and butter or that's our compensation or that's our professional fees. If it's the room rate is $200 per person per night, we still get compensated. Even if it's a resort which is ultra luxury, which is, you know, some of them just $600 per person per night, or it could be ultra luxury like one and only, or it could be the auberge, which is $600, $800 plus plus.

we still get compensated. Using our services will not inflate the rate. We have a venue scouting professional fees, a flat fee that we charge in order to secure the client, which is very minimalistic. And of course, when clients reach out and for them, that is not even a point to consider, they would immediately sign it. So our compensation is we're compensated after the event is over.

And that's how globally meeting planners, meeting brokers, travel agents, travel companies get compensated. So again, just wanted to reiterate that using our services will not inflate the rate. We absolutely work in alignment to very paying heed and listening to the customer as to what their budgets are. And of course, there'll be questions which you'll be asking about price parity.

competitiveness and so on. So we want to be very, very accurate in terms of their budgets are concerned, be it the rooms, their food and beverage. And like you mentioned, we're there to assist in terms of the local vendors. Though the planner have planners that work at a destination and so on and so forth, we want to recommend all of our vendors there that we know of, though we don't deal with them directly, but because the planner.

Stanley Alexander (27:40.999)
It is the liaison for all the production, but we're happy to say this is a unique experience. This is something different fireworks or fire dances, cultural dancing dancers, and then magicians, musicians. You know, there are ladies hanging from from the ceiling on to be able to do some performances and just all sorts of experiences we can share that with you.

Brittany (27:53.626)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (28:10.695)
in order for bring a different horizon to the entire experience. And that's what nowadays couples are looking for, something different. And I just wanted to add that we love to do a lot of customization. We'd like to move people, 200 people from one place to another. I know there's a lot of, you know, accessibility and movement of groups. We tell our customers nowadays it's not about

the resort or the hotel being closest to the airport. We've driven about 250 plus guests for an hour and a half, two hours away. Further after their flight from New York and Dallas, they arrive and then another two hours drive because it's the unique places, destinations that they want to do such as Guatemala that we did in January. It's a two hour drive from the airport. And so for us to maneuver that, we love

to take challenges, we love to do over and above to have that vision of the client -centric vision of that couple bringing into an amazing horizon, like as they were thinking, this is exactly how it's been executed. So bring it on to us, walking through the streets, need permits, and all of that is something that we want to, crowd management is very key, and numerous other things that follows.

part of our event management is concerned, though we work collaboratively with the event planners.

Brittany (29:47.483)
Yeah, absolutely. You know, I think Stanley, that's such a support and I'm so glad that you cleared up any confusion there because I know that there tends to be a lot and sometimes as planners, you know, it's one thing that the information comes from us. It's another that it obviously comes from the direct source. I appreciate that because.

I definitely hope that that sort of helps eliminate some of the stigma in the industry working with anyone in your position because it's such a benefit. It really is. And it's structured to support you. It's not structured to take from you. And it really, it just is. And so I think that that's fabulous.

Stanley Alexander (30:13.635)
Yes.

Stanley Alexander (30:19.107)
Yes.

Brittany (30:23.163)
One of the questions I wanted to ask you, Stanley, when it comes to planning a destination wedding outside of just kind of the initial fear of, oh, we haven't been there before and what have you, are there any specific challenges or maybe thoughts for consideration? So I a lot of times have couples come to me and they say, well, we'll go anywhere in the world. And then you start to kind of narrow that conversation down. Are there any challenges or specific points that you would probably prompt couples to maybe think about prior to?

Stanley Alexander (30:37.795)
Mm -hmm.

Brittany (30:53.069)
making the decision on where they're going to actually host this event.

Stanley Alexander (30:56.899)
Yes, so one of the biggest questions I'm sure you also would be asking to your customers and clients are the budget component, such as how far, how many hours you're flying in makes a whole lot of difference versus just going to Cancun versus going to transatlantic or Turks and Caicos or we have done weddings in private island in Aruba as well, right? The...

cost not only for the bride and groom who are able to afford because they've been there a few times they are absolutely in love and they're just amazed that this is the place that they want to you know be but they also are very considerable of that family who has saved about four thousand five thousand dollars six thousand dollars for this amazing wedding vacation experience so the hours of flight that they are taking

The accessibility, the different airlines which are kind of flying in there in terms of the time is concerned, you know, afternoon arrivals versus evening arrivals because there is a welcome party that evening or if the guests have to come one day before. Again, going to the budget component as well, how budget friendly is that particular resort? And it is very, very important so that everybody is able to afford it.

Then another component is the weather, tropical areas, hurricane season, what is your backup plan? It plays a pivotal role and we've done weddings during COVID. I still remember it was over 90 and we were just drenched. But it was just that time which kind of fit for everybody to just...

show up, they've just moved the dates and moved the dates and it towards the end of the COVID timeframe as well. But it is a timeframe that is unanimously kind of decision makers and it's a big decision that they're taking. So the weather plays a very crucial component as well. And then of course, a few of the other things that I would say is in terms of if they want to get out of the resort or if they house the culinary experience.

Stanley Alexander (33:20.001)
Gastronomy if the resort has some really great amazing culinary experience such as you have a French restaurant you have a Italian restaurant you have just the local traditional food, you know cuisine and so on and so forth and most importantly is to be able to have that accessibility of an outside catering or a chef a family chef who does their you know

the bride's sister did the wedding and they brought in their family chef. And that has been a very important factor nowadays to have their family chef or a chef who's curated a bunch of weddings, Indian weddings or South Asian weddings to be there. So to be able to give them the access to be able to give the kitchen and if there is a fee related to it or not. And what are those places? How can you overcome those challenges to be able to facilitate that? So,

And kid friendly, that's very, very important if they have a water park and so on and so forth. And some of these resorts have nowadays a town kind of an environment where they don't have to actually step out of the resort to go to a Michael Kors store or just a traditional store where they can buy some, the local memoirs and stuff like that. You can just literally walk out within the resort.

Brittany (34:44.731)
Mm.

Stanley Alexander (34:44.861)
There are these luxury, luxury stores and so on. And then this, some of the resorts offer these restaurants in this town, which is inclusive as well. So there's a lot of these components which play a pivotal role specifically from a spend aspect, not only just for the couple, but for everybody. And all of that has to be heard. And the most thing is to ask them first, why that destination? What made you think? And I will, I would say 80 % of our,

couples have been there, proposed there, been there, that's where the whole magic happened between them. And that is where, you know, they want to get married and have their closest family and friends join in to be able to visualize this amazing curated event, which is their wedding.

Brittany (35:37.147)
Absolutely.

You know, in terms of, you know, I've got to ask, I'm just curious myself, do you have a preference for properties that are all inclusive versus European plan? Because I always hear these couples are like, oh, well, they have this package deal and it's going to be 20 grand for me and 150 people. And it's like, you know, all inclusive is fantastic. But, you know, obviously there's caveats because if you're hosting a private function, you know, you may have to pay some room rentals. I mean, what's your take on that? Like, do you feel like it's a benefit to

Stanley Alexander (36:02.844)
Right.

Brittany (36:08.317)
consider all -inclusive over European when you're doing destination or you know just...

Stanley Alexander (36:12.604)
It all depends. Now we have a good mix. We're doing European as well and we're doing all -inclusive as well. And I believe it's when you hear about Mexico and Caribbean, the first thing that comes into mind all -inclusive, I want to just pay and get done. I want to pull out my credit card, you know, and just keep charging and stuff like that. It's all -inclusive and it's done. You check in. Everything that you see is taken care of. So,

We have a preferred collection of resorts which are there such as the Velas Resorts. It's TripAdvisor and otherwise Mexico's all include number one, ranked number one. And we work with a few other brands as well, like Melia. And then there is the Palladium Hotel Group. Then we work with AM Resorts. These are some budgeted properties versus premiums, these Velas. When it comes to European plan, we have a wedding.

this month at Nobu which is upscale. Again a great place because the couple been there. The culinary experience is absolutely top -notch. You know it is all just a an experience which is different, very unique and so we work with Nobu. Viceroy Hotel Group is something that we are a big fan of and we did a wedding few years back which is buyout.

Brittany (37:22.715)
Mm -hmm.

Brittany (37:36.763)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (37:40.57)
uh, you know, where we had four nights just for the, uh, entire group of 235 people. And it was just absolutely amazing in partnership. One of the wedding planners here in Texas. So, um, a culmination and amalgamation of both is, is key. And I also want to emphasize, even if it's European plan, uh, it is the guests need, there are events. So ideally you're not just.

going to a restaurant in the resort to pay because evenings there's always and in the afternoons there are events. So that is being borne by the couple. So you're not kind of paying for that per se. And then of course, some of the days you might be just at leisure. So you're actually stepping outside the resort. So that doesn't become a burden for you as well. And...

European plan is a great success as well and those properties are unique per se, like the St. Regis and like the Conrad's, like the Fairmont's. So I would suggest both has its pros and cons, but that again goes back to what the preferences are. But the all -inclusive have been more...

of something that is more preferred than the South Asian community. And we're open to both. We're open to new, newer resorts and hotels globally as well.

Brittany (39:16.027)
Right, absolutely. I appreciate that. In terms of certain destinations, what are you seeing that's kinda of trending right now in terms of ones that you're getting? I feel like for us, it's a lot about, you know, everybody wants Mexico, you know? And I'm like, there's so many other places, you know, but Mexico's great too, not hating on Mexico. Is there any particular memorable destinations for you or trends that you're seeing with your couples currently in terms of locations you feel like are really great for vetting?

Okay.

Stanley Alexander (39:47.001)
Guatemala just absolutely it's in the lap of nature and it is it is just in the middle of mountains and When they're in January, I'm in love with the places. It's cultural cultural cultural heritage vintage These places which look like absolutely in a Coliseum, which is just beautiful we had the reception with almost over a thousand candles lit up all the places and

Brittany (39:51.931)
Mm.

Stanley Alexander (40:16.153)
The church was absolutely shattered, broken, old. So literally preserving that and having a wedding there. And if you see that footage, it is about... Everything is not about the beach, which is also great. We love the couples who want to have a wedding on the beach as well. But this was completely different. And then that difference of tropical beach versus Guatemala...

Brittany (40:30.843)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (40:44.121)
probably the place that we were, there were no beach, but just surrounded by mountains versus completely opposite that I love to do is Mexico City, which is crazy madness is bustling. It's busy. And in the middle of that, you have a beautiful church again that is well structured, well built, very antique, nothing broken per se. It's completely opposite. And then you have these beautiful, you know, places where you can have your, you know, um,

your reception or sangeet again you'll see those places some of the places like prim san jipolito in mexico city the the buildings are you know the walls are broken and then you have these um completely faded out the naturalities there there's windows where the lights natural air is coming um you know it's open air and then you have these greenery which is like

jaw -dropping trees which are in the venue and falling down and you can see these leaves just literally and then there's these flowers the whole so that just has been the new thing versus and complete contrast is to the flora fauna of Tulum which is very boho kind of style you know uh and and that's just low floor resort um nothing high rise uh

turtle beach, it's spread out, sprawling. So it's a mix of everything. Two, a completely different concept is going to India that we've done a wedding in Fairmount Jaipur. Jaipur is one of the most, I don't even know the numbers, people really love Jaipur, millions and millions of weddings happening each year and where the bride is standing on the palatial.

you know, gate of the hotel and she's in her own dress and from the kungur that she takes out and puts the petals down and there comes the bride, the groom on the horse and what a grand entrance with the Indian band which will play the song and everybody's dancing to it. So those are some of them but you know, we're looking into how we can do more into...

Stanley Alexander (43:06.201)
the middle east such as Dubai more sophisticated versus going to Italy where I'm really keen to go Lake Como to Croatia where I visited some time back those are some of the places where we're really looking into in partner in Portugal as well so it all just goes back to what the client is envisioning but having seen all that I believe I just fell in love with Guatemala

Brittany (43:09.339)
Mm.

Stanley Alexander (43:36.473)
And I just loved Mexico City as well. Those are something unique and would love to host more. And Dominican Republic is coming there as well, but it's more like tropical. So yeah, those are some of those places which is really, apart from the other destinations that I've traveled, but those are the weddings that we've done and would love to explore newer destinations for us, yeah, for our clients.

Brittany (44:04.859)
of that. I can tell Stanley just from you sharing and talking about it how passionate you are about what you do. So it's really it's so cool to see. And it's and it just showcases to really any couple that obviously would vet or work with you that you've got just so much knowledge to share and so many ideas which you know having someone who

Stanley Alexander (44:11.097)
Thank you.

Stanley Alexander (44:23.929)
Yes.

Brittany (44:27.163)
is passionate about what they do and has the experience and has been there and has traveled to these locations. I mean, it's fabulous. I love it. So thank you so much for sharing that, Stanley. Just seeing you talk about it, I'm like, you know, you obviously love what you do, which is really great.

Stanley Alexander (44:35.705)
Yeah, it's... it's...

Stanley Alexander (44:41.913)
Yeah, we're a bunch of passionate travelers and our goal is to really curate a bespoke event experience. And the mission to that is our tagline, which is from journeys refined, redefined to experiences redefined. And that comes, that relies on four fundamentals, personalize customize, negotiate, guarantee.

Day one, day 100, we are the point of contact. That's personalization, customization, anything that the planner and the couple wants to do out of the box, we're right there to make it happen for them to have that surprise element and that we are always about that. Negotiations, we're a hardcore negotiator. We wanna make sure even if the first proposal goes to the customer, we're already at the back end negotiating because we understand price,

everybody is paying who is paying. There's a lot of hard earned money in there and the amount of funding that goes towards the wedding is exuberant. So we kind of empathize with our clients. Last but not the least, the guarantee, whatever has been said the day one is being executed every day. So we're very confident, we're very consistent, and we are very compatible in any situation that arises to be able to mitigate it and to bring it back to...

where it needs to be. So those are the three C's I always follow because I'm confident in what I'm selling. I'm consistent and I need to be consistent through the process and being compatible and that's very, very key to it. And I say this to our team, do not envy the achiever, be the achiever. So all of us are achievers and we want to be where we are in our richness of the great.

Brittany (46:28.827)
Yeah.

Stanley Alexander (46:35.449)
blessings that we have from God to be able to do what we're passionate and when we jump on that flight to execute an event, the adrenaline rush that we have in seeing that couple with that joy on their face, then it's a true magical experience that we want to execute and to be able to see that wow and take that sigh of relief that this hard work has truly paid off and that is something unfiltered.

and unpaid, some of the reviews that our clients check it out on our YouTube channel. Some of the instances are just absolute. I just want to add one more thing. I remember one of my couples forgot his shoes, his wedding shoes in Aruba. And he called me 6:30 in the morning and said, Stan, I forgot my shoes. So there was no wedding planner. It was just a on -site wedding planner. It was a small wedding, but it was our first wedding. So we went there and I woke up 6:30. Okay, great. And I went to the store.

Brittany (47:28.091)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (47:34.681)
all those who are FaceTimeing and got him and then he calls again, I'm sorry, I just forgot my belt. So again, I have to get that as well. So those are the, I mean, this is the smallest of all, but we have done some crazy stuff. We are on the grounds for every single event and the clients don't have to pay for our flights. They don't have to pay for our transportation. They don't have to pay for our accommodation. We come at our own expense.

Brittany (47:48.059)
Well, here we go.

Stanley Alexander (48:03.737)
for the room block nights that we book and to be able to answer and we manage the group check -in by the way. So really collaboratively working with the wedding planner and anything that needs to be liaison with the resort, we are the point of contact. But that's who we are, that's our story and we love our couples and we love to go to newer places and execute some amazing and experiential events across the globe with the global partners.

Brittany (48:09.883)
Right.

Brittany (48:16.955)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (48:32.825)
buying power that we have.

Brittany (48:34.811)
I love it Stanley, thank you so much. I mean, honestly, I feel like you've got so much to offer for couples and I think anybody that's listening, this is such a supportive episode. So contact us, they should pick, they'll be able to help you out. Stanley, we always end every episode. I feel like I talk to you forever about destinations, but for sake of time.

Stanley Alexander (48:37.401)
Thank you.

Stanley Alexander (48:45.61)
Thank you.

Stanley Alexander (48:49.481)
Thank you.

Brittany (48:55.003)
We always end every episode saying you don't know what you don't know. Is there anything in particular, just a takeaway or anything in advice or final parting words, if you will, that you would give?

Stanley Alexander (49:08.137)
Uh, that's a good question. Tough question, but, um...

The day that two souls get united, right? It is something which is very memorable. And through the process that we see with the couples, their behaviors, their way of talking, paying attention to everything, the patience levels, and all of that helps us to be a part of that family for almost one year.

They take a mammoth task in taking these decisions because they're flying out so many people out there. So what we say is as we become a family, we take this as if it is our family, you know, our family member getting married there. So we take it so seriously, so personally, yet having those fun moments. And to be very honest, when that moment comes in to be able to meet each and every family member's

Though professionally we don't party with them, but the couples are so in, you know, our loyalty, our integrity, our passion, our joy is just exuding out there. And when they see us, there are so many moments where they just pull us to the dance floor, take us out for a dine and, you know, take us out anywhere and everywhere. It just brings us joy. And I think the...

experience and the hard work that we put in. Money cannot buy what relationships can do. And I believe that is very key. And my success is this. My success is not money. Our success is not money. Our success is the relationship that we have created. And I want to absolutely bring that to the fact is we want to be the global ambassadors for travel.

Stanley Alexander (51:12.87)
for destinations and in partnership with the wedding planners. I don't want the planners just to do the production. I bring them to elevate them to be able to know who the GM is, who the tourism board, who they are, to the ministers of the tourism board as well, to be able to have a very collaborated effort to bring this billion dollar industry to next level. So we're doing everything and everything. So basically,

It's a collaborated effort, the couple, the vendor, the planner, working together. And I love to elevate others with us to bring this big day to something which is never seen, unheard, and unseen ever. And when you literally see that on that day, many times that I am in tears as well, because it's a team which works day and night.

Brittany (51:43.163)
Mm -hmm.

Stanley Alexander (52:10.053)
Puts their sweat and blood to it and when the couples appreciate it. I think I can rest in peace I have done my job and I've ran a good race. That's that's that is what I can say

Brittany (52:21.691)
Yeah, absolutely teamwork. It takes a village. That's 100%. Awesome. Thank you so much Stanley for your time today and your expertise and sharing all this wealth of knowledge with us. Really appreciate it.

Stanley Alexander (52:26.213)
Dream work, absolutely. Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you.

Stanley Alexander (52:36.228)
Thank you so much. I'm so glad you reached out and I'm in awe and amazed in your creativity and what your team does. So truly as you know, women who've done curated some amazing weddings, I highly recommend you guys to any of the couples that come to me and can't wait to partner with you guys and travel with you guys and congratulations once again.

For Rouse and Wales and I hope it absolutely is a success great storytelling and I want to commend you for the work that you're doing and Keep it up high spirits. You're looking absolutely Fantabulous. So great job. Thank you for having me over. I really appreciate this

Brittany (53:18.555)
Thank you. I appreciate it. We'll talk soon.

Stanley Alexander (53:24.867)
Sure, talk to me.


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Brittany Ellis

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