Travel Woes

With the recent weather chaos all around the United States, I started thinking quite a bit about travel during bad weather. After all, one of my couples (Brooke & Damian) were leaving for their wedding in St. Lucia right before the big February snowstorm hit the Northeast USA. Fortunately, they were able to get to St. Lucia on time.

However, another bride (many brides, I'm sure) wasn't so lucky. I was on the phone with American Airlines, trying to rearrange a flight for another couple that I have getting married in April. When the AA representative learned that it was a wedding, she said, "I just got off of the phone with a bride that is stranded at JFK airport with 50 of her wedding guests, and she isn't going to be able to get out for another three days." I was stunned, but then realized that this does happen. As a matter of fact, it nearly happened to one of the producers of my show, Wedding Lane with Candy Cain. Suzanne tells this great story of how her flight was cancelled, and she was able to finagle a way to get herself and all 75 of her guests at the airport onto an earlier flight.

After quietly thanking God for letting Brooke and Damian (as well as Aleisha and David, who were married on February 6 in Jamaica), get to St. Lucia in a timely fashion, it dawned on me that a lot of brides - especially those that do not live in areas that get hit hard with inclement weather - don't take travel into consideration.

The absolute worst month for airline travel is February. There are no two ways about it. This is the month with the most delay-causing winter storms of the year. Even if you are flying from somewhere in the south, it is still a bad time of year to travel. Why? There are several major airports in the Northeast and even Mid-Atlantic that pretty much come to a standstill when there is a massive snowstorm: New York's John F. Kennedy, Boston's Logan, Washington DC's Reagan National, Philadelphia, New Jersey's Newark, and I would even group Chicago's O'Hare into this mix. Flight delays and cancellations at these major airports can cause flight delays and cancellations at other airports. Do yourself a favor and avoid the headache by choosing your wedding date from March through November. December and January are "iffy" months. February is just a gamble.

If you do decide to have your destination wedding in months that may have bad weather, think about scheduling your flight an extra day in advance than you have to be there. Most countries have a residency requirement where you have to be in the country for at least 48 hours. If you miss this residency requirement, you will have to move your wedding date. Who is to say that the resort where you have your wedding planned will be able to accommodate your wedding on another date? If you book your date at least one extra day in advance, it leaves room for you to get to another airport if necessary. (That, of course, is where your travel agent comes in... To get your butts on another flight from a functioning airport!)

Don't get me wrong; February is a fabulous month to get married, and quite popular because of Valentine's Day. If you are going to have a destination wedding in February, just be sure you leaveroom for travel delays.

Candice Cain is the owner of the Candy Cain Travel Co. She is a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Destination Wedding Expert. Please feel free to email her for help with your destination wedding!

GO!!!

Cynthia and Jeremy's wedding was absolutely beautiful. The weather held, although we did hear a lot of thunder at the end of the ceremony. It was hot and breezy, but Cynthia and Jeremy supplied their guests with parasols and fans. Jeremy's dad was allowed to preside over the ceremony, which was awesome! He did everything except for pronounce Cynthia and Jeremy husband and wife. It was beautiful, and one of the best wedding ceremonies that I have ever been to.

Now it is time to return to reality. I will blog some more about this wedding when I have a chance. We didn't get our wake up call (again) this morning, so we are running a bit behind. Time to pack everything up and head home!

Thanks for reading.

Candice Cain is the owner of the Candy Cain Travel Co. She is a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Destination Wedding Expert. Please feel free to email her for help with your destination wedding!

Get Set...

Negril is gorgeous. There is no other way to say it. It is the epitome of a tropical paradise-- And I haven't even been on the beach during the day yet. Lush palm trees and colorful flowers beautify the scenery. It is as though you stepped right into one of the photographs in a travel brochure.

Ebony and I are staying in a Honeymoon Suite at Beaches Negril. We are in room 118, which has a balcony facing the ocean. It is a beautiful room, with a king bed, pullout couch, bathroom with two sinks, vanity and really large closet. It is one of the nicest hotel rooms that I've ever stayed in, whether at an all-inclusive resort or not. The furniture is comfortable and attractive. I can see how much Cynthia and Jeremy like their room, which is the same category room that we are in. (They are actually in room 128!) The room is stunning, and makes guests feel right at home. It truly is a work of art.

Upon arriving, a few things went awry. First of all, we weren't able to check into our room until 2:30. That meant that we missed the 2:30 shuttle over to Sandy Bay and missed a tour of the resort. (I really want photos to show my clients that are planning on staying there.) When we got to our room, the woman brought the wrong key. Then, I found out from Cynthia that her wedding time had been changed from 4pm tomorrow to 1pm tomorrow due to concerns of inclement weather. That meant that all of the spa treatments had to be changed to 8am instead of 10am. Drama, drama, drama, drama. At least there were some characters from Sesame Street floating around to make everyone smile.

Even though the rehearsal dinner started late tonight, it was in a beautiful setting-- The beach. Jeremy made a nice speech to the guests, thanking them for being there. Then, I thanked everyone and handed out some favors I got from Advantage Bridal. After doing so, Ebony and I went to Kimono's for a bite to eat, and just came back up to our room to upload some photos and get ready for bed. We had a long day of traveling. It's time to get some sleep!

Candice Cain is the owner of the Candy Cain Travel Co. She is a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Destination Wedding Expert. Please feel free to email her for help with your destination wedding!

On Your Mark...

Ebony and I are sitting at the gate for our JetBlue flight. It is LOUD. Some alarm is going off. Definitely not the way I like to start the morning! But, the staff and service at JetBlue got us off to a great trip. I even brought the ticket counter some Munchkins from Dunkin' Donuts for all of their help last time. I showed Ebony where we filmed the JetBlue spot for Wedding Lane with Candy Cain.

Since starting this blog entry, Ebony and I have boarded the JetBlue plane and are in our seats, waiting for everyone else to board so that we can get down to Montego Bay! It is an hour and a half by shuttle to Negril from Montego Bay, so it is certainly going to be a long morning of traveling. Tonight is Cynthia's rehearsal dinner at Beaches Negril, followed by a morning at the spa tomorrow with all of the ladies and then the wedding. Ebony and I leave on Tuesday morning. It's a quick trip, but will most certainly be worth it. I just wish I picked up some breakfast before boarding the plane!

When traveling, it is always a good idea to get to the airport at least 90 minutes in advance. If you are traveling internationally, be sure to get to the airport at least two hours in advance. Trust me-- I've gotten to the airport late by a few minutes and have missed planes in the past. Allow yourself plenty of time to check in, get through security and pick up something to eat near your gate. (Using the bathroom is always a good idea before boarding your flight, too!)

Regarding carry-ons, you are allowed one carry on bag and one personal item. If you are bringing a garment bag for your wedding gown or tuxedo, this counts as one of those bags!!! Yes, you are getting married and it's a really special day. And, if it isn't a full flight, they might let you get away with bringing another bag. However, just because it's your special day doesn't mean that the flight crew has to accommodate you. Find out at the check in counter whether or not the flight is full. Ask nicely if you can bring an extra bag, and be very appreciative if they do allow it. Being polite and nice goes a long way! That being said, being nasty to someone can have the opposite effect. Treat people as you would like to be treated.

Well, the captain just came out and said hello to everyone, let us know about our flight, closed the door, and now we're off. More when we're in Jamaica!

Candice Cain is the owner of the Candy Cain Travel Co. She is a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Destination Wedding Expert. Please feel free to email her for help with your destination wedding!

Excuses, excuses...

Let me start this blog entry off by apologizing for not blogging for Tantra's and Nicole's weddings. Long story short, we ended up getting SO MUCH great footage from the weddings that we decided not to blog so that we don't spoil the episodes of Wedding Lane with Candy Cain.

That being said, I am about to head to Beaches Negril on Sunday with my assistant, Ebony, to attend Cynthia and Jeremy's wedding on Monday, October 26, at Beaches Negril. I have never been to Negril, much less Beaches Negril, so I am very excited to attend this wedding. This is also the first wedding that I've had kids attend, so I will be sure to post quite a bit about their experience for all of the families that read this blog.

I know that I've only been blogging lately about the weddings that I've been attending. That's because October was slammed with weddings! I don't have any planned at all in November, and I know that I will have a bit of downtime, so I will be sure to get back on track with some informational entries.

Happy planning!

Candice Cain is the owner of the Candy Cain Travel Co. She is a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Destination Wedding Expert. Please feel free to email her for help with your destination wedding!

New York. New York, A Helluva Town...

I love being a New Yorker. Granted, I was born and raised on Long Island... I still have the New York state of mind. I love the attitude of New York, the skyline, the songs about it and, of course, the reputation. New Yorkers are tough people, regardless of what part of the state they are from. And when you get a bunch of New York friends together, you know that you are going to be a part of a good time.

Tonight was Tantra and Michael's rehearsal dinner at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios. Sandals did an amazing job setting everything up. it was absolutely beautiful! They were on the Manor terrace, overlooking the gardens and the Roman gazebo, with a view of the ocean in the distance. It was so private. The champagne was flowing, the food was fabulous, and they had a really great time.

Tomorrow is the big day for Tantra and Michael. I can't wait to see her in her Maggie Sottero gown. Brigitte Philippides (my stylist) is going to do her hair and makeup. I know that it is going to be amazing. Tantra is already stunning.... she is going to look like an absolute princess tomorrow.

By the way, I didn't bring my camera tonight. That's why you don't see any photos right now... I'm waiting to get some from Ashley, Tantra's best friend and maid of honor.

Candice Cain is the owner of the Candy Cain Travel Co. She is a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Destination Wedding Expert. Please feel free to email her for help with your destination wedding!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I am sitting on a Jet Blue flight right now. We shot the spot this morning for Jet Blue... Stay tuned to the Wedding Lane website to see it! I already have to power down... More later!

Candice Cain is the owner of the Candy Cain Travel Co. She is a Certified Sandals Specialist and a Destination Wedding Expert. Please feel free to email her for help with your destination wedding!