For Classic, a long-term commitment

Hawaii has been a top wedding and honeymoon destination for decades, and Classic Vacations is one of the destination’s largest romance wholesalers, partnering frequently with travel agents to arrange vacations for couples across the Aloha State.

Travel Weekly’s contributing editor for Hawaii, Shane Nelson, recently spoke with Joelle Arriola, the company’s product director for Hawaii and the South Pacific, about a standout location to get married in the Islands, commissionable activity products great for couples, and how a Hawaii wedding or honeymoon can lead to a lifetime of repeat visits. 

Q: What is it that makes Hawaii such a terrific performer for travel agents selling weddings and honeymoons?

A: For many people, Hawaii becomes like a home away from home. It often happens that for couples who have their wedding or honeymoon in the Islands, that becomes the start of a lifetime experience with the people, the culture and the cuisine, and you come back to Hawaii with your children, you come back as you get older as grandparents and you bring your children who now have their own children. Then people’s grandchildren want to get married in Hawaii.

So from a travel agent standpoint, it’s more of a long-term investment for a couple, because once we get them to Hawaii, they want to keep coming back. It’s a huge repeat-visit destination and not just a once-in-a-lifetime thing. 

Q: Is there one resort, or perhaps one destination, that really stands out to you as a great place to get married in Hawaii?

A: The Big Island of Hawaii is one of my favorite islands, because of its diversity, and the bungalows at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel Bungalows resort are really a perfect spot for a very intimate wedding. The bride and groom can take over a two-bedroom bungalow and not get in each other’s way, and they can get married right there at the bungalow itself and have that gorgeous backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. You feel like you’re at your own personal home there at the bungalows, but you still have access to the golf course, the dining facilities — like the CanoeHouse — or the spa. And you’re far enough away from your wedding party and guests. They can stay at the hotel, but you can have your own separate, private space.

Q: Are multi-island vacations a good idea for wedding or honeymoon couples traveling to Hawaii?

A: As always, it depends on the couple. But interisland airfares are a little bit more expensive than they used to be. If you asked me two years ago, I would have said couples should do a multi-island visit, because you can get the experience of an active island like Oahu along with a more quiet experience on Kauai or [the Big Island of] Hawaii. We are now, however, encouraging folks to visit two destinations on just one island. For example, on Oahu you might spend time in Waikiki, because you want the hustle and bustle and the shopping and the dining, but then you might end your vacation in a resort setting like Ko Olina on the island’s west coast. [Or] I would suggest that couples fly into the Hilo side of the Big Island and stay overnight at the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel before a much shorter drive down to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Then I would take the long, scenic drive over to the Waikaloa Resort on the Kona side, where you can standup-paddleboard or relax at the spa or play golf or do nothing but relax on the beach with a book.

Q: How does Classic help agents sell weddings in Hawaii?

A: We recently launched “Get Married in Hawaii,” and that campaign focuses on those wedding families that may have 10 or more people traveling with them. Basically, if you book 15 rooms or more with us at one of about 18 participating properties, the bride and groom actually receive free coach-class tickets from us, and then the hotel will give them a guaranteed suite upgrade. They also receive a one-time dining credit on property, and they get a complimentary rental upgrade to a convertible car.

We actually extended the travel window on this one all the way to Dec. 15, 2016, so people have more time to prepare in advance.

Q: What are some of the most popular Hawaii activities for couples that agents should be aware of?

A: We definitely like to recommend a helicopter tour, either with Sunshine Helicopters or Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, because that’s an amazing experience for a couple to do together and see the island they’re visiting from a very different perspective. [And] then you always have to have a sunset dinner cruise, whether it’s Trilogy on Maui, or on Kauai, Captain Andy’s takes you up to the Na Pali coast. A sunset dinner is an amazing thing to do from a couples perspective, because it’s just such a beautiful way to end the day on the water with great cuisine and music. We also recommend kayaking on the Big Island for couples looking to do some outdoorsy things together. It’s not really an extreme sport, so couples have more time to interact and have discussions with each other while enjoying the ocean and spectacular views of the island. And Hawaii Forest Trail on the Big Island offers great hiking, biking and Zodiac activities for couples who want to be more adventurous. And all of these activities are commissionable to travel agents.