Amy Jarczynski talks about Destination Weddings

I am so lucky, I got to interview for my BLOG my friend Amy Jarczynski.

Amy is a very cool and sophisticated girl and I really thank her so much for this opportunity.

She is the International Travel Accounts Executive for XO Group, Inc. (The Knot), so basically she handles all of their national advertising accounts in Mexico, Latin America and Europe.

I had so many questions for her, because she travels a lot, and visits so many countries but I've seen her in major Tourism and Wedding related Events and Conventions here in Riviera Maya.

So my questions are more related to learning more from her experience:

I need to know How fast do you think the wedding industry is growing in the Riviera maya?

I can certainly speak for the US market, which is a large portion of the wedding industry in Riviera Maya. The wedding industry as a whole grows every year, even in tough times, there are increasing numbers of weddings year over year and always new trends and ideas that catch the eye and the wallet of the bride. We're finding that Destination Weddings are a quickly growing sector of the wedding industry (17% in 2007 to over 20% in 2010), so that coupled with the general yearly growth of the industry puts Riviera Maya in a position of double the growth potential. Mexico as a whole is slightly down 2009 to 2010 in the percentage of US couples choosing an international destination wedding, yet the general industry growth and Riviera Maya's strength of carrying a majority of the market share of Mexico destination weddings the destination still saw growth.

Why do you think the Riviera Maya is a very good option for a destination wedding?

A few reasons stand out in my mind: 1. The level of hospitality available, from the actual resort properties to the individuals providing the hospitality, it's top notch. 2. The beautiful beaches...no further explanation needed. 3. The affordability and accessability. When planning an international destination wedding, every couple wants to know that their guests can make the event. Cancun airport makes it easy to reach Riviera Maya from anywhere in the US and the variety of resorts allows for guests to come from various budget ranges.

Which wedding trends so far, do you think are the most important of this 2011?

foto found at pretty cheky

One major trend that I'm loving this year and see it represented editorially on our sites and magazines is the tone on tone color combinations, whether on flowers to overall decor, I think it's made a huge splash this year.

What is your favorite thing about working at theknot?

I love working for a brand that I truly believe in. From the quality of the editorial that we create to the tools that help our clients grow their businesses, it's rewarding being able to associate myself with this business.

What advise would you give about destination weddings in the Riviera Maya to wedding planners who are looking for new destinations for their couples?

My advise would be more aimed at planners who are Riviera Maya based, as the opportunity for business growth is all theirs. They're the ones who have the relationships with local vendors, so are just as capable of creating a fabulous event, yet can often do it more affordably and with greater logistical ease. US based planners should definitely recommend the destination but at the point in which brides / couples choose their planner, they've typically already chosen their destination, so the planner is a very small influential factor. If US based planners are looking to refer brides, they definitely need to know the destination well and have their own network of local vendors in order to keep costs down.

What type of publicity do you think is more effective to reach the target brides for destination weddings in riviera maya?

Online.

source theknot.com

Destination wedding brides are digital brides so get out there in every way possible online, ie...wedding websites, search engines and social media, because the brides are busy researching.

Any advice you can give our readers on social media?

You've got to engage your users / followers. Make sure you're offering something of value that makes it worth their time to keep coming back to your social media pages.

Amy thank you so much for your time, and I am so excited to see you soon!!!

Thank very much for reading this post, I hope it helps wedding planners who are looking for Riviera Maya as a Destination for your Brides, and also Bride & Grooms looking for a great place to have your dreamed wedding you can trust our expertise and see why so many people are falling in LOVE in Mexico and with Mexico over and over.

Have an amazing day!!!