Summer Wedding in the Alps

[Beanie]

Got back last night to a request from someone wanting to get married whilst staying out at our place. My first reaction was .... ah, sweet, following by - Lord, no pressure then !

This was the copy:-

From: Emma Harris
email: emsy107@hotmail.com

Hi,
We are looking to stay in your
fantastic house and before we book
we would like to know if you have
any information regarding getting
married whilst we are there as we
are coming from the UK.
Do you know or could recommend a
wedding planner who deals with
foreign weddings?
Many thanks
We will like to come in either

(cut-off at the end)


However, cynical Mr Beanie (or should that be Mr Bean ) thinks it could be a scam because:-

a) we're always wary of Hotmail accounts (but then she may only be a young thing)

b) it's a party of 8 which (inc 2 children) which he thinks is an 'odd combination for a wedding' (could be niece/nephew is my argument)

c) Is the Alps the first place you'd think of to actually get married in? Fine for honeymoons.

d) Why would there be an international wedding planner in our little village?

e) It did include a phone number with a UK 0191 code which I've just called on a disclosed number and it rings - no answer and eventually an answerphone tone cuts in my no message.

f) even if it is legit, if the chalet's used for wedding preparations, is it more likely to get completely trashed (with hair straighteners being put down on surfaces, make-up on floors, too much champagne being consumed etc etc)

Call us paranoid, but I'm sure like most of you out there, we can be like that when it comes to renting out our second home.


Being the big romantic that I am, I'm wondering if I just bite the bullet and send back the usual enquiry form and point her in the direction of our tourist office and maybe also Montreux, Lausanne or even Geneva in case they know of wedding planners.

Hmmmmm ....

Beanie

[Hells Bells]

A Newcastle/North-East number then. It could be a second marriage, or even a delayed one, hence the children, or they could be the little bridesmaids?

[Beanie]

I should just add that that's not her actual email. It's a little similar. Just wanted to show you the construct of it and how it doesn't really relate to the name.

Good point Helen.


Beanie

[Mouse]

Beanie

Find out the number expected (not just your guests but anyone else invited). if it's small it may work ok. And the wedding planner question is a std..as they neve rusually know where to turn to organise things.

We get a lot of requests from people wanting to get married (it is a huge sector of the market now for the island)...however we have to turn them all down primarily because of the issues presented with dealing with large numbers.

We don't have enough outside room for guests, our garden area is quite small (the family may be staying in the villa but inevitably they will have guests coming to the villa)
There is associated noise (we have neighbours)
There is the associated organisation; they'll possibly bring in caterers, hairdressers etc and of course you'll be tied up with all the questions
plus of course parking. We're ok as there is a near by village car park...but usually you'll have to accommodate a lot of cars and to-ing and fro-ing.

It is a lucrative market to be in...there's one villa on Ibiza that is now nearly booked up for all 2008 season and most of 2009 because they concentrate on weedings...but you do need to be able to deal with the numbers and issues raised.

Hopefully this will be a nice small wedding and you may start to open up a new market for yourselves? If of course you have the likes of caterers, photographers or planners to hand.

Mouse
x

[Bohinj Badger]

Beanie,

My wife and I got married in an Alpine location and we looked at Austria, Italy and Slovenia and finally went for Slovenia. Indeed it is getting to be quite popular (particularly in Slovenia).

...But what makes me wary of your enquiry is that they have chosen your place ahead of doing any research into wedding planners and basic logistics of organizing even a small wedding in your location. Not to mention availability of priests or local registrars, or residence requirements beforehand. (In Slovenia it was only two days beforehand though). Having gone through this, it seems a very odd way to begin to organise even a very small wedding! At the very least I would have done some basic research on the net beforehand.

We often having wedding guests to stay in our chalet and have had no problems at all, as they tend to be families with small children who want to save on hotels.

Lets us know what you decide.

BB (Badge)

[Beanie]

Just to close this one off - it didn't turn out to be a scam (as I had thought - being the romantic soul that I am ... ). Phoned the lady today (sounded 30s/40s) and we chatted things through. The wedding party seems to be ranging from three of them (inc 3 year old) up to 6 or 8, which we can accommodate.

Thanks Mouse, I did ask lots of questions in a 'chummy' way but it certainly does seem to be low-key, if it does go ahead.

However, as Badge says, it is v. odd that she's not looked into the 'important part' of the actual wedding venue etc. She admitted that she wasn't sure which way round to do things first, so I pointed her in various directions and said I'd hold the time without obligation (it's a non-peak week) and give her first refusal if I get any other enquiries.

They've never been to the Alps, it seems, but is somewhere they'd always wanted to go. Ahhhh



Beanie

[guest 4]

Ahh Beanie, wouldn't it be great to feel that you had had a hand in someones wedding plans? (always fancied myself as a wedding planner )

I hope they can sort something out and end up booking with you, it will be a great thing to add to your guest book, it may be a start to a whole new trend.

We have had a couple of wedding parties, although not the bride and groom, they were staying in a hotel close by renowned for weddings. Although one bride and groom did book us for there first anniversary, as they liked our villa that their parents were staying in when they were married.

Keep us posted.

Ruth

[Bohinj Badger]

Beanie,

Glad that it all worked out and was genuine. I am sure that they will appreciate your help. You never know but this could be turn out to be a new means of business for you.

I am biased but alpine locations make a perfect wedding backdrop.

BB (Badge)