By Alicia Thompson
Luxury Travel Specialist Wendy Sandridge’s mantra has always been, “Collect memories, not things.” It is her mission with every client to plan a vacation that’s unique to each couple, to each group, to each family. When it all started back in 2004 with a cruise she planned for 385 people, she couldn’t have imagined that the children from that vacation would now be calling her to book their own travel—some of her favorites are the opportunities to advise young couples planning their honeymoons. What she’s seeing with the next generation is that these Gen Zers spend as much time planning the experience as selecting the destination. The view, the location, the hotel, the activities, and the excursions are all part of the planning, and the dollars and cents of it all are just one consideration.
“We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so if you’re going to do it, do it right.”
Wendy Sandridge
Forbes has referenced the business theory known as the “experience economy.” Generally, it says that businesses must orchestrate memorable events for their customers, and that memory itself becomes the product: the “experience.” Gen Z is driving the movement, and it has fittingly become a large part of the tourism industry. “The way these young people think about travel may be the way we all should think,” says Wendy. “Life is short, and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so if you’re going to do it, do it right.” These younger adults are taking BIG vacations—overseas, “bucket list” trips, ones that older generations kept on their list to do “later.” Honeymooners are headed to Tahiti, Africa, Greece, and other locales. Wendy has seen, “There’s more interest in going to exotic places.”
Wendy helps each couple to identify what’s most important to them, so they can find the perfect destination and what they’ll want to do while they’re away. “I work with thousands of destination specialists and industry partners around the world,” Wendy points out. After decades in the travel space, Wendy’s clients can be confident that they won’t be disappointed because it’s likely Wendy has worked with the team at the destination before. With that focus on creating memories, Wendy’s affiliation with TravelStore means she’s part of the top 50 travel companies recognized by Forbes Travel Guide for dedication to the experience of their clients. Wendy always registers her clients who are staying at a Forbes hotel so the General Manager will give them extra attention. “Everything is about connections in the network,” she says.
Wendy navigates what’s important to every client, no matter what type of vacation they’re planning, to identify the perfect destination and activities.
Recent bride Sarah Clingman Rogers can’t say enough about how amazing it was to work with Wendy last year planning her summer honeymoon to Turks and Caicos. “We could not have been happier with the whole experience from start to end,” Sarah shares. “She made our trip unforgettable… she really went above and beyond. Looking back on our trip I wouldn’t change a thing.” Sarah says Wendy paid such attention to every detail, all she and her new groom Christian had to do was to show up where they needed to be.
Wendy’s attention to detail is echoed by another recent newlywed couple. Megan Rinker Shirk says, “Wendy made everything SO easy, and she planned the best trip imaginable. She customized the trip to our preferences. She had been to French Polynesia many times and we absolutely trust her taste. Since there were many flights in between islands, ferries, boats, and taxis involved, I can’t imagine having done the trip without her. She made everything seamless. We would land on a new island and a team member from the resort we were staying at would be there waiting for us with Polynesian leis and our names on a welcome sign. They’d then take us in a small boat to our new resort island home for the next couple days. We never had to dig around for flight numbers, itineraries, look at a map, you name it. She took care of everything.”
Wendy navigates what’s important to every client, no matter what type of vacation they’re planning, to identify the perfect destination and activities. For Sarah, “We knew we wanted to do a beach, we wanted white sands, and we wanted to go somewhere we hadn’t been before.” She says it was Wendy who suggested Turks and Caicos, “…and we’re so glad that she did!” Sarah said that even though she knew that Wendy was working with dozens of other clients at the time, “She makes it seem like you’re the only couple she’s talking to.” For Megan, knowing she and her husband Blake could trust Wendy to plan their honeymoon allowed them to focus on the big day. Megan shares, “We had so much planning to do already for our wedding, and we knew that Wendy would know the best route to take, islands to visit and where to stay. We trust her since she has planned many vacations previously for my family.”
Even the best-laid travel plans can face unexpected hiccups, and the bonus of working with a luxury travel advisor like Wendy is that she can pivot.
For honeymooners in particular, Wendy has a few pieces of advice. She recommends that they give themselves a day between the wedding and leaving for their trip. She’s worked with enough newlyweds to know how helpful it is for the couple to have that extra day to rest, to pack, and to see family in town after such a big event. With that in mind, Wendy booked Sarah and Christian at two different hotels during their honeymoon. The first few nights at Rock House were focused on relaxing and eating great food to decompress after the stress of the wedding; the second half of the honeymoon at Grace Bay Beach Club was about the activities. Wendy helped coordinate snorkeling, a catamaran excursion, and “love buggy” tours around the island. At other destinations she can help arrange a private tour or a cooking class. Wendy knows some travelers are focused on adventure, others shopping; some feel strongly about being immersed where they are, and some don’t want any schedule at all. She can help plan a vacation around any of the travelers’ priorities – and maximize the opportunities to make lifelong memories. Megan says, “She has extremely high standards, which trickle down to her customers’ experiences.”
Even the best-laid travel plans can face unexpected hiccups, and the bonus of working with a luxury travel advisor like Wendy is that she can pivot. Recently a groom called her on his way to the rehearsal dinner to ask what he should do since a hurricane was hitting the honeymoon destination they were scheduled to go to in two short days. Wendy told him, “Enjoy your wedding, and call me Sunday. Leave it to me.” She found another destination and had the entire honeymoon planned from air travel to hotel to activities in two days. The couple experienced the vacation of a lifetime—and were able to focus on their big day. That couldn’t have happened if the couple had just booked their travel online.
“She made our trip unforgettable.”
Sarah Clingman Rogers
Sarah can look back at how seamless her travel experience was and says, “My wish for every couple is that you find time to take a honeymoon and celebrate that monumental moment for the two of you.” Considering her long-term relationships with her clients, Wendy knows that soon the newlyweds may be planning trips with their children or multi-generational vacations with extended family. Whether it’s a honeymoon or that vacation you’ve been thinking about for years, Wendy’s advice is you should plan it now. “Life gets in the way,” Wendy points out, “and if you keep thinking you’re going to do it a year or two from now, you may never go.” As the saying goes, “One day or day one. It’s your decision.”
What’s on Your Bucket List?
Wendy Sandridge, Luxury Travel Specialist
TravelMomWendy, LLC
Independent Affiliate of TravelStore
214.769.8177 or 972.491.1560
