Whether intimate or lavish, travel concierge Christine Earls of You and Me by the Sea brings all of your travel fantasies to life
Picture it – standing with your fiancé on white sands, staring out into a pristine sea after saying “I do,” surrounded by clear blue skies, sunshine, and the love of your closest family and friends.
Or relaxing in your own private villa, soaking in that “just married” feeling as you enjoy the tropical, picturesque scenery as far as your eyes can see.
With boundless creativity and unmatched passion, travel concierge Christine Earls of You and Me by The Sea (a BOLI Preferred Vendor) can make these dreams – or any destination wedding and honeymoon – a stunning reality.
“Let me just do things my own way.” – You and Me by the Sea
For Christine, a lifelong dream eventually pulled her away from the corporate sector. “I had always wanted to work in travel,” she remembered. “But I ventured off into the accounting world. I was a department head for a big box company, but it just wasn’t fulfilling me.”
Deciding to make a change, she ventured onto a new career path – but things still felt off. “I started working under a well-known travel company, but I always liked to color outside of the box and be creative. And working under them it was very structured. I like to go the extra mile for my clients, and I wasn’t really allowed to do that there.”
So Christine took a leap of faith and decided to branch out on her own. “I said ‘you know what? Let me start a new company. Let me just do things my own way.’”
Image courtesy of You and Me by the Sea
“Making travel arrangements is like having a blank canvas, and you’re creating a piece of art.” – You and Me by the Sea
What exactly does a travel concierge do? “Making travel arrangements is like having a blank canvas, and you’re creating a piece of art,” Christine explained. “You’re creating a wedding or honeymoon from start to finish, tailoring everything to each person’s specific wants, needs, and desires. Securing dates, getting in touch with the venue or resort, booking your trials so that you know you’re going to love everything on the big day.”
It’s true that Christine irons out all the important details like airfare, transfers to your resort, lodgings, excursions, and spa appointments. But as an expert in the field with a keen eye for refinement, she specializes in those extra special touches to your getaway – which you may miss when attempting to book plans on your own.
“By using a travel concierge, you can elevate your experience,” she explained. “The intimate details like gifts in your room or your guests’ rooms, those are the things you wouldn’t find doing everything yourself.”
“It’s kind of like its own marriage.” – You and Me by the Sea
Your relationship with You and Me by the Sea always begins with a conversation. “I start with a complimentary consultation, which takes between 30 minutes to an hour depending on how many questions someone has,” Christine described. “I will tell brides – think about how many people are in your wedding party and in your immediate family. Because that’s the core of who you’ll want there, so you’ll need to figure that out first.”
After the initial conversation, Christine begins building your itinerary piece by piece, continually checking in to see that the plans are what you imagined. “It’s a little like a tug of war. I’ll send something and I’m pulling the rope closer to me – do you like this hotel, this resort, this area? And a bride will pull the rope their way and say ‘this is not really what I like’ or ‘this is really what I like.’ It’s like its own kind of marriage – I give ideas, and brides reciprocate.”
It’s in these moments that Christine’s true passion shines through. “I put my clients’ needs first. By working together my goal is to create your destination wedding or honeymoon how you always envisioned it to be.”
Image courtesy of You and Me by the Sea
“Think forward, because this is going to be fun.” – You and Me by the Sea
When it comes to planning your destination wedding, Christine reiterated an incredibly crucial point. “Think about the people that are instrumental in your celebration, and think about what is and isn’t possible for them,” she advised. “Maybe your grandmother can’t fly for five or six hours, or can’t get onto a bus easily – things like that will impact where you should consider having your wedding.”
She also suggested getting an early start and planning ahead for your honeymoon. “Get with your partner and discuss where you want to go, what your wants are. Check your passports to make sure they’re up to date. And book early! You don’t want to be disappointed because the room you really wanted is already booked. This is time for yourself. Think forward, because this is going to be fun.”
