Five-Day Event Brings Destination Wedding Experience to Travel Agents and Wedding Planners

Saint Lucia  – From September 24 – 28, 2014, Saint Lucia will host a roster of destination
wedding experts during the second annual “LOVE Elevated” Wedding Symposium. Noted speakers will
address topics ranging from “Creating Bridal Bliss! What a Bride Expects From a Destination Wedding” to
“How to Brand Yourself/How to Close the Sale.” Attendees can also observe a live chef demonstration
by Saint Lucia’s Culinary Ambassador, Nina Compton, first runner-up and fan favorite in the most recent
“Top Chef New Orleans.”

Guest speakers include Shri Lildharrie, global travel director at XO Group; Jennifer Doncsecz, owner and
president of VIP Vacations Inc.; Dawn Butcher, customer experience manager at Kuoni Travel Group;
Julie Albaugh, editor of Wedding Market and return speakers Marsha-Ann Brown, director of romance,
Sandals Resorts and Charles Oster, director of sales and marketing for MyWedding.com.

The weekend also includes site visits to idyllic resorts and hotels around the island, a showcase of island
wedding vendors, and the opportunity for attendees to observe a sunset wedding. A picturesque sunset
cruise and cocktail reception from the southern side of the island with views of the iconic UNESCO
World Heritage Pitons round out weekend activities.

Priced at US $150 per person, the five-day symposium includes all seminars, social events, site

inspections and transportation from select hotels. For a complete schedule and more information, visit
http://stlucianow.com/loveelevated.

“After the island’s natural beauty was elegantly displayed on the most recent season of ABC’s The
Bachelor, we look to continue this special year of romance during the second annual Wedding
Symposium,” said Louis Lewis, director of tourism for the Saint Lucia Tourist Board. “We aim to solidify
this event as an industry leader and seek to attract innovators and frontrunners of the destination wedding market.”


“LOVE Elevated” will be led by a roster of local and international wedding experts including:
Charles Oster, director of sales and marketing for MyWedding.com, tripled sales since his arrival
at MyWedding.com, which has been recognized by Inc. Magazine for sales growth and job
creation. Charles speaks to groups of business professionals all around the world teaching them
to effectively communicate, market, and sell their offerings and will specifically speak about
tapping into the multi-million dollar wedding industry during the symposium.

Dawn Butcher, customer experience manager at Kuoni Travel Group, manages Kuoni’s support
teams to assist in creating customized special occasion holidays. Dawn will present on wedding
trends in the United Kingdom.

Jennifer Doncsecz, owner and president of VIP Vacations Inc., is a nationally recognized travel
expert specializing in Caribbean vacations, destination weddings and honeymoons. As owner
and president of VIP Vacations Inc., Jennifer has distinguished herself as one of the top travel
agents in America. Having received numerous industry awards, Jennifer uses her position to
educate consumers as well as travel professionals and will teach attendees, “How to Brand
Yourself/How to Close the Sale.”

Julie Albaugh, editor of Wedding Market, hosts the #WeddingMarket chat on Twitter every
Wednesday. Some of her #WeddingMarket guests have included Preston Bailey, Colin Cowie,
David Tutera, Randy Fenoli, Sharon Sacks and representatives from Sandals, The Knot,
WeddingWire Cake Boss and Disney Weddings. Wedding Market was selected as the third best
social media influencer in the wedding industry by Wed Biz Media. Julie will discuss social media
during “How Brides Are Integrating Technology/Social Media into the Planning and Execution of
Their Weddings.”


Marsha-Ann Brown, director of romance, Sandals Resorts, is the ultimate source for planning
the perfect destination wedding in the Caribbean and she will bestow her knowledge during,
“Creating Bridal Bliss! What a Bride Expects From a Destination Wedding.”
Shri Lildharrie, global travel director at XO Group, is responsible for leading all sales initiatives
for major travel partners, properties and destinations worldwide. Over the past few years he has
worked with most of the top destinations in the Caribbean, numerous U.S. hot spots such as Miami
and Las Vegas, and the majority of leading hospitality companies including Starwood and Disney.
During “LOVE Elevated,” Mr. Lildharrie will present the latest on U.S. Destination Wedding News.

For more information about the island of Saint Lucia, call 1-800-456-3984, 1-888-4STLUCIA or visit
http://stlucianow.com/. In Canada, call 1-800-869-0377 or visit http://stlucianow.ca.