One-On-One with Rebecca Grinnals
By Federica Maraboli
REBECCA GRINNALS, a sought after wedding industry consultant and trend expert, has been a featured guest on CNN, Entertainment Tonight, “Weddings of a LIFETIME,” and has directly produced wedding events for, among others, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Good Morning America” and “LIVE with Regis & Kathie Lee.” She is the organizer of the hugely successful annual Engage romance conference in Grand Cayman, the Founder and President of the wedding and honeymoon industry consulting firm, Engaging Concepts, Inc. and was also the co-founder of Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons for The Walt Disney Company. Federica Maraboli sat down with Rebecca to get her bird’s eye view on the ‘romance industry’.
FM: Your history with the wedding industry starts from an early age.
RG: Yes, my grandmother sold wedding gowns in a department store and growing up, I would visit her every weekend, sitting in the corner and watching her with the brides. 
I really sort of learned it ‘at her feet’ so it has a very special and deep meaning for me.
What did you love about it?
You know, I got into the wedding market for the dream, the fairytale and beauty of it. I love to see how people express their personal style through different ideas and places. One thing I’ve really noticed in the industry is an explosion of the amazing personal expression and style that people bring to their weddings. I’ve been in the business since 1991 when weddings used to be very cookie cutter; everyone had the same formula they followed and other than colour, not much changed. Now, especially with destination weddings, you can get married anywhere - a vineyard, a white sandy beach, an antique barn, a cliff or castle. People are doing things that are such beautiful eye candy and an expression of themselves as a couple. I never tire of seeing that creativity and happiness in action.
From your perspective, what are the three most important things that you recommend a couple considers before deciding on a destination wedding?
I think that the first and most important thing is for them to evaluate their financial situation; obviously, budget is king. You may have all the grandiose ideas in the world but the reality is your budget will dictate what you can and can’t do and the locations that you choose. Your life dream may have been to get married in a Tuscan villa but your budget may not support that dream. So, I don’t think you can do anything till you know your budget. Then, I think you need to look at your guest list, which is closely tied to the budget. A big reason why people choose a destination wedding is because it whittles down the guest list. If 35 people are going to the Cayman Islands, for example, conventional etiquette is that you don’t pay for your guests to travel. But if you have it in your home town you may have 350 people and it may cost $100 - $350 per person. Plus, at a destination you can keep the party limited to those people you cherish most. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t had a particular friend or family member over for dinner in the past year (assuming they live close enough), then they probably shouldn’t be on your wedding guest list. The third thing to consider is your own personal style as a couple. Are you laid back and can’t imagine getting married in a big church or dining in the formal atmosphere of a country club or ballroom? Do you love travelling, sticking your toes in the sand and just going with the flow? If you’re a wine lover you might choose Napa Valley or Tuscany; if you love to party you might choose Las Vegas; or if you prefer casual, laid- back environments and love the sand and sea then a Caribbean wedding might be best. The only time a destination wedding may not be a good choice is if it’s going to exclude people who are nearest and dearest, for example an ailing parent or pregnant sibling. If it’s essential that they be present then that’s a big consideration.
Is the Caribbean still the ‘hot ticket’ for destination weddings?
The Caribbean and Mexico - those warm sun/sea/sand destinations – will always be popular, certainly for Canadians in the depths of winter! And given the current economy, people are choosing locations closer to home; maybe creating a neat atmosphere at a vineyard or camp in the off-season. Even Las Vegas has great variety and style now; it offers so much more than drive-through chapel weddings. I think the beauty of the Caribbean is that every island offers something unique and different; some have more adventure and action, some are more family friendly than others and some are more exotic. What I always tell people is to be sure you know what’s important to you. I’ve been to 17 countries in the Caribbean and there’s a really big range of offerings in terms of quality of people to service your wedding. On some islands, you’ll have to go with the indigenous flowers and the steel drum band and probably not care that the cake is a fruit cake, because if you’re not importing your own photographer, floral designer, cake designer or band you’re not going to get exactly what you want. Other islands are quite a bit more sophisticated and the level of service provided is very high and I would say on par with any major metropolitan city in Canada. For example, the Cayman Islands have wedding service providers such as coordinators, floral designers and photographers who are as good as those you’d find in Miami, Toronto or Vancouver. This is where qualified travel professionals can help you narrow it down because they know how to advise you about both the destinations and the properties. Most brides and grooms focus more on their travel professional in the initial planning stages on sourcing a location but I think that where they also provide real value and service is by managing the guests’ travel experience over the entire event. With an average of 43 service providers involved in a wedding, the last thing a bride needs to worry about is that her Aunt Pam has the ocean view room she wanted or a convertible rental car.
Most destination weddings now have approximately 50 guests and an average cost of just over $20,000. The gap seems to be closing with respect to traditional wedding costs.
I think people are spending the same amount of money but they are very much looking at the quality, spread out over 2-3 days. You could spend $20,000 or more for four hours in a ballroom in Canada on a Saturday night, or you could spend the same amount on an island and do a welcome cookout on the beach with a bonfire, then the next day spa activities for the ladies and golf or fishing for the men, followed by the actual ceremony/reception and then a brunch the next day. So it’s not always necessarily cheaper but you’re getting so much more value for your money. Generally you’ll have a smaller group for the dollars spent but you’re doing a lot more for them and really enjoying a unique experience with them. Also, we’re talking about averages here. The beauty is that there are so many options; a lot of it comes down to priorities and tastes. You can have a small group of five people and with a $5,000 budget have a truly memorable experience. You could go with 30 people and spend a bit more to have great food, great wine and great photographers but less on the wedding apparel or other factors that aren’t as important to you.
What are you seeing as the top wedding trends for 2010?
It’s interesting because there’s definitely a shift away from over-the-top glamour with diamonds and bling-bling. We are seeing a continued trend toward personalization of everything – from custom monograms to wedding vows. Couples do not want a cookie-cutter wedding and are going to great lengths to ensure that theirs is unique and a complete reflection of them as a couple – including incorporating their favourite foods and wines or cherished family recipes to serve at their wedding dinner. Of course, the selection of a wedding destination that reflects their taste as a couple is a big part of this trend, too. Couples are also much more photo-savvy and spend time documenting themselves in these locations – before, during and the day after – not just formal posed photos. Inventive colour combinations like aqua and red or yellows and greys – couples are much more likely to abandon more traditional wedding colour combinations to add pizazz to their celebration.
How far in advance should a couple start to plan for a destination wedding?
We’re seeing a much tighter booking window for destination weddings – a few months or sometimes even as little as a few weeks depending on the size and location of the wedding. Regardless, destination weddings are usually planned closer [to the date] than more traditional ‘hometown’ weddings. Most professionals who specialize in destination weddings are quite adept at researching, booking and planning on a shortened timeline. Besides, the longer the planning period – the more stress and opportunity to change your mind!
What are the most common mistakes a couple makes when planning a destination wedding?
Couples need to take into consideration the circumstances of those closest to them. They need to remember that while this is their ‘trip of a lifetime,’ it is not for their invited guests. Researching and offering a wide range of accommodation styles and price points is most appreciated by guests and will ensure that more people join them (if that is what the couple wants!). Also, consider the airfare and ease of travel to the destination. Looking at the ages and limitations of guests is important when choosing a destination; some all-inclusives are couples-only while others may be difficult for older guests or family members. Understanding how far away a resort or hotel is from the airport is also critical to settling on the final location!
What is the most exciting celebrity wedding you’ve consulted on, and whose would you have most liked to have been involved in?
I worked on Billy Joel’s wedding in 2004 (although sadly, they are now separated) with über planner Marcy Blum, which was a lot of fun, and I also worked with [wedding design guru] Preston Bailey on the reception for Donald Trump’s wedding to Melania Knauss at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. But if I could have worked on anyone’s wedding, it would have to have been Prince Charles and Princess Diana. That was a true fairytale!