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With weddings and honeymoons in distant destinations back on the agenda, Madeleine Barber speaks to operators to uncover what lovebirds are looking for in 2022
While the overseas weddings and honeymoons market has taken a huge hit during the pandemic, it’s safe to say international nuptials and the far-flung celebrations that follow are back for 2022 – and in a big way.
Operators are reporting that more couples are looking to walk down the aisle abroad than ever before, with Perfect Weddings Abroad forecasting its biggest year yet for the next 12 months, and Sandals and Beaches Resorts saying this upward trend was detectable even last year, with 30% more weddings booked at its properties in 2021 than in 2020.
“Feedback from our customers and travel agents has confirmed many couples are getting married overseas because they haven’t been able to have the wedding that they planned at home, or because they are afraid of more [UK] restrictions impacting their big day,” explains Leah Marshall, director of sales for Sandals’ UK tour operation, Unique Vacations.
The fact the market is burgeoning isn’t the only development weddings and honeymoons operators are spotting either, so here are some additional trends to take into consideration when selling travel to soon-to-be husbands and wives in the coming months.
According to the latest figures from Kuoni, average honeymoon spend has increased by 13% from £7,985 in 2019 to £9,045 for 2022, largely due to couples upgrading their flights, room types and in-destination experiences. Five-star properties are also featuring in a larger share of the operator’s honeymoon bookings, now at 40% compared to 28% in 2019.
Perfect Weddings Abroad says more of its customers are splashing out on their big day too, especially in the Caribbean: “Many Caribbean hotels offer free wedding packages, which is very appealing to wedding couples and means they often spend more on the holiday side of things, for example upgrading their flights or room category,” says Lauren Staley, weddings specialist at the operator.
Kuoni and Sandals and Beaches Resorts are in agreement that newlyweds are increasingly choosing premium economy or business class in favour of economy flights, with the latter adding it’s seeing evidence of upgrades in accommodation and experiences too.
Marshall explains: “Most customers have chosen LoveNest Butler suites so they have the most luxurious and private honeymoon possible, while we’ve seen an increase in Sandals Extras being booked such as spa treatments, private candlelit dinners, excursions and private luxury transfers.”
“Private pools are always in demand, and clients will increase their budget to make sure they get one,” adds Kuoni’s honeymoon expert Stacey Owens, with Marshall citing “customers wanting to make their honeymoon special after missing out on other celebrations throughout the year due to Covid” as a possible reason for this.
Both Perfect Weddings Abroad and Sandals and Beaches Resorts have seen more couples looking to tie the knot abroad in secret this year. “I have noticed an increase in the number of enquiries for elopements in the Caribbean,” reports Staley. “Couples are looking to get away, just the two of them, and combine their wedding and honeymoon.”
Marshall implies this isn’t happening solely in the Caribbean – she discovered that Google searches for the term “elopement” rose by 22% from September 2019 compared to the same month in 2021. “This suggests intimate destination weddings are becoming more appealing to couples,” she says.
As across all travel sectors during the past two years, last-minute honeymoon bookings are on the rise, with the days of advance reservations as the norm yet to return. Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ Marshall says this is because “couples want to wait and see which destinations are open and have the least-complicated entry protocols”, while Kuoni says it booked more late luxury honeymoons than ever before in 2021, as many couples who tied the knot in summer were seeking last-minute September departures for their first getaway as husbands and wives.
The Indian Ocean continues to be one of the most popular destinations for weddings and honeymoons thanks to its picture-perfect beaches, palm trees and warm, translucent waters.
“The Maldives is always a favourite honeymoon hotspot and, due to its ‘isolated’ nature, it continues to be popular for bookings as we look ahead for 2022,” says Zoe Saunders, senior product manager for the Indian Ocean and Middle East at The Inspiring Travel Company.
The operator says twin-centre honeymoons remain popular too and that it’s recommending the Seychelles for these enquiries.
The Maldives is top of Kuoni’s most popular honeymoon destinations list for 2022 too, with the archipelago now making up just under half of all honeymoon bookings at the operator. Also popular are Sri Lanka and Mauritius, with Indonesia (Bali and Lombok) and Thailand following closely behind.
In Europe, Italy and Greece remain top sellers for short-haul weddings and honeymoons, report Kuoni and Perfect Weddings Abroad. The latter says the Amalfi Coast is a trendy choice because it “oozes romance” and that Greece and Cyprus are particularly popular, especially for large wedding parties, for their competitive prices, easy accessibility and short flight times.
The Caribbean is Perfect Weddings Abroad’s third-top destination, with Sandals and Beaches Resorts naming Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in Jamaica, Sandals Royal Barbados and Sandals Grande Antigua Resort and Spa its top three properties for couples with upcoming or recent nuptials.
“Jamaica and Antigua’s entry protocols are relatively simple, and Barbados has dropped Covid test requirement on arrival, which may have had a positive impact on bookings,” explains Marshall.
With more countries relaxing entry rules as their vaccination roll-outs continue apace, we can expect a wider range of destinations to become available to couples seeking a wedding or honeymoon in the sunshine – it looks like a bright future for the sector indeed.
Husbands and wives-to-be who want to keep the ocean at the heart of their big day can opt to get married in one of Sandals and Beaches Resorts’ over-the-water Serenity Wedding Chapels. These venues, which feature a glass-bottomed aisle, can be enjoyed at Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Ochi Beach, Sandals South Coast in Jamaica and Sandals Grande St Lucian for $750. According to Leah Marshall, director of sales for the Caribbean resort brand’s UK tour operation, Unique Vacations, the chapels are becoming increasingly popular. “These venues provide a real Caribbean wedding experience with an intimate ceremony for their closest family and friends,” she says.
