Posted 14 February 2015
By Redditch based Travel Counsellor, Joanne Kemp
When it comes to Valentine’s Day, there are many couples that decide to take their loved one away for a romantic getaway, whether it be London, Paris, or perhaps further afield like Dubai or New York! I had one customer who decided to go one step further in the romance stakes, when he came to me with an ultimate challenge… “please find me the most romantic place to propose to my girlfriend”.
With New York being his chosen destination, I set off on my mission to find the perfect spot to pop the question. I had booked my clients into the elegant Waldorf Astoria for their special trip, so I contacted the hotel directly to ask for their suggestions. We also have a really useful internal messageboard system at Travel Counsellors where I can ask for and share advice and tips with over 1,350 Travel Counsellors across the globe, which proves invaluable when pulling together the perfect trip for your customers. And I was determined to make this a truly memorable experience for both my customer and his fiancée to be! I had such a great response and a wide range of ideas from my colleagues for the proposal venue…from Ellis Island, Brooklyn Bridge, Outside Tiffany's on 5th Avenue, Horse and Carriage in Central Park to dinner proposal at River Cafe overlooking the Manhattan Skyline, all wonderful locations.
After some deliberation and many excited chats, in the end he chose ‘The Top of the Rock’ to be ‘the place’, an amazing observation deck at the renowned Rockerfeller Centre offering breathtaking 360 of the New York skyline. We both felt this would be a truly memorable location, and so all was kept very quiet about the ‘big secret’!
As well as arranging this wonderful and exciting surprise, the trip was also a 40th birthday celebration for the unbeknown bride-to-be. So I had already advised the Waldorf Astoria of the date my clients would be arriving and arranged a surprise Birthday cake for their room. The hotel were also on standby awaiting to hear news of the big proposal and more importantly, if she’d said ‘yes’, and had given my clients a complimentary upgraded Suite on 25th floor - we just now had to wait…!
So on the actual day, I was so excited for them both after living and breathing it with them throughout the booking journey. As planned the proposal took place at ‘The Top of The Rock’, and I’m pleased to say via the power of Social Media she said YES! My lovely clients had their “Happy Ever After” wedding day last September and whenever New York is mentioned, it remains a very special memory to them both!
It was so lovely to be part of this special occasion, and it’s what running my own business as a Travel Counsellor is all about. You’re not just booking a holiday, you’re creating dreams and long lasting memories for customers. Who wouldn’t love doing that?
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!