The importance of quoting your proper bridal budget to your planner
In the Bridal travel industry, the budget is an important factor but we have seen many clients shy away from giving consultants their proper available budget for their wedding and/or honeymoon package, and after doing a bit of homework, we have found that people “think” if they give a budget that is way less than what they actually have, the consultant will be forced into finding them something in the lower budget price that they have given to her, and they will save money. This is craziness. The reason why a consultant asks a couple for the budget is so that she can determine exactly which packages to send through to a couple and which not to. Remember, the bridal agency has various packages for various destinations and these packages range from lower budget to over the top luxury. It’s no good sending a couple a honeymoon package that has a price tag of R100 000.00 to it when the couple only really have R25 000.00 for the both of them. The same…it’s no good sending quotations through that cost R10 000 per person when the couple actually have R25 000 available. There is a huge difference between hotels and resorts and price determines the level of comfort and luxury that you ultimately receive. The moment you quote your budget, a great consultant will immediately know which packages she can put forward to you. Remember…. do not ask for something in a lower price range and expect to pay the lower budget but receive inclusions for a higher one. It just does not work like that. You get what you pay for. If you only have R10 000 for the both of you for a honeymoon, rather ask your consultant for packages here at home in South Africa because you won’t need flights and immediately the package is a whole lot more affordable. Try to be realistic and you won’t get to another destination and be absolutely disappointed. If it’s luxury that you are looking for, give the consultant your budget and stipulate what inclusions you are hoping for. She will know which to put forward. All bridal agencys earn a commission from the various airlines and resorts so you are not paying for the consultant to send you the proper information and quotations. Example…if you book hotel accommodation direct with a hotel and pay R100 for it, an agency shouldn’t charge you R110 or more for the same. The agency will also charge you R100 but will get a discounted price from the hotel, paying the hotel R90 and earning R10 commission so whether you book direct or with an agency, the price to you should be the exact same. This is the same with all airlines, travel agencys, bridal agencys etc. There are advantages of going through an agency because you always have someone to turn to if things turn sour or there is a mess up or misunderstanding when you arrive at the hotel. The agency fights your rights. The agency will negotiate free bees, discounts and more inclusions in the package for you. When first approaching an agency, try to be as realistic as you possibly can and give the consultant your proper available budget for your package. The consultant will send all that she possibly can through to you based on the budget that you have given and if you have been up front, you will then receive quotations that suit you perfectly. Normally the consultant will send two or three so that you have a choice but those that she sends through will all be based on your budget so will be on a par with one another with just a few small differences. You then get to choosing exactly which suits you best.
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