#constanttouristtravel

[tsgneworleanslouisiana]

What to Consider When Planning a NOLA Wedding

Whether New Orleans is a destination or home … it’s the perfect backdrop for a wedding. And the natural beauty, character and festive feel of the city can be enhanced through our network of the best. That’s why we asked our experts to help you navigate the local customs and break down the many options for tying the knot in town. Even if you’re not planning a wedding for yourself, this advice is great to keep in mind for any special event on the horizon!     

1. THE RING:  “We don’t want for you to see your same ring walking down the street,” says Ken Friend, owner of Friend & Company, which is the only jewelry store we know where you can find custom, antique and new engagement rings. He recommends narrowing down your options by choosing one-of-a-kind rather than focusing on a size or cut.  Stay tuned for our full interview with Ken Friend.

2. THE VENUE: The venue can define your wedding, and with so many options in New Orleans, booking one can be overwhelming. Don’t fret; we’ve personally scouted the perfect options for your special day, from an intimate gathering at Arnaud’s to a 500+ wedding reception at The Southern Hotel.  The New Orleans Scout Guide venues have you covered! 

3. THE ATTIRE: According to Anna Schaefer, owner of An.gle Events, and planner and attendee of countless NOLA weddings, “Men in New Orleans love an excuse to wear a white linen suit, especially if it’s a black tie occasion!” She also notes that women from New Orleans will almost always opt for a gorgeous cocktail dress, no matter the dress code. Understanding today’s confusing wedding attire, especially in New Orleans, can be a daunting task. We will break it down for you, including the best places to find the right look in town.

4. THE FLOWERS: Every bride loves peonies but have you ever considered scabiosa, echinacea or foxtails? Stephen Sonnier of Dunn and Sonnier reminds us to think outside the box when it comes to the perfect bridal bouquet. Read my interview where he talks about his favorite flowers, working with brides, and more!

5. THE REGISTRY: Recently I helped a friend register for her wedding at Friend & Company, where we sipped champagne and took in Nina Friend’s sage china advice. In this interview, Nina shares her picks for the most timeless and essential registry staples, plus a winning wedding gift idea that will never go out of style. Balance the classics with a list of one-of-a-kind  antiques from History Antiques and Interiors (yes, they do registries!). 

6. THE HONEYMOON: Lila Fox with Constant Tourist Travel knows how to plan an amazing, off-the-beaten-path honeymoon experience.“I think it’s important to allow yourself the ability to really see what a place and culture are about once you step away from the more toured areas,” she says.  Planning the big day can be stressful, but a honeymoon planned by travel guru Lila is totally stress free.

Follow along in the coming weeks as the wedding story continues throughout the summer and Happy Planning! 

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

—TAYLOR

[tsgneworleanslouisiana]

Up Close & Personal with Constant Tourist Travel’s Lila Fox

If you don’t already know the founder of Constant Tourist Travel, a NOLA based leisure and adventure travel agency, then you must get to know her! Lila Fox is a travel guru with the best connections, taste and advice who can make all your vacation dreams come true. Ever since she gave my sister and me a picture-perfect Grecian holiday itinerary, I’ll never plan a trip without her help. Our recent conversation will give you a glimpse into what it’s like to travel with Lila as your guide.

TM: Where are the best destinations you’re sending clients in 2017? LF: Italy and Greece continue to be at the front of mind for travelers, but I’m also seeing an uptick in requests for casual wine + beach in Portugal (great value!) and chic city + safari in South Africa. Croatia is coming back around after a quiet spell, and Japan is gaining interest. Domestically, it’s all about Napa for special occasions and immersive tours through the Southwest for families. TM: I have a hard time condensing all the reasons that working with you is such a game-changer. Can you help me explain the advantages you provide your clients? LF: Primarily – time & money. I save clients time by handling the logistics of a trip – whether business or leisure – which frees them up to focus on the other important bits in their life. I also save folks money because of the value-added amenities that come along with the hotel reservations that have my agency’s name attached to them. Not to mention just knowing more efficient and effective ways to go about stringing a trip together. And then there’s also just the idea sharing. I’m constantly traveling and in communication with hoteliers across the world so I have my finger on what’s out there for even the most specific of needs.  

TM: How are you able to offer preferred status and amenities to your clients? LF: My agency is affiliated with Virtuoso, a global consortia of the tip-top hotel brands (think: The Ritz Carlton, Rosewood, Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental), privately owned hotels and resorts, tour operators and cruise lines in the world. My affiliation allows me the ability to pass along unpublished rates and property-specific complimentary amenities such as daily breakfast, Wi-Fi, spa & dining credits, airport transfers, and the like

TM: Does it cost more to get these add-ons? LF: No! My agency is not a “planning fee” based agency so for the majority of what I’m assisting folks with, I do not charge a fee. Most people are shocked to hear that, which is why I’m happily and completely transparent about how I’m compensated.

I’m compensated by hotels and suppliers on the back-end of all trips, which is a percentage of the total sale. There are instances where I do charge fees – airline tickets because we’re monitoring flights during travel, itineraries without hotel reservations, or time-consuming arrangements like Napa itineraries with winery appointments and dining reservations.

TM: How far in advance do you recommend clients contact you before their trip? LF: Ideally I’d like about six months advance planning, but sometimes we can get away with much less, depending on destination and time of year. I never shy away from the phone call or email about a trip “leaving tomorrow!” Those are some of the most rewarding, when I call in friends and hoteliers to make something happen in a pinch.

TM: What makes a vacation truly unique? LF: Right now I’m planning a trip involving a luxury overnight train from Verona Italy to London England aboard Belmond’s Orient Express. The couple could have flown between the two cities in a flash, but they purposefully allowed time for such a unique, elegant journey. Little switches like that are the things that will remain in minds decades from now. I love different vantage points, so I recommend injecting portions of an itinerary with a train, helicopter, or boat experience. I think it’s important to allow yourself the ability to really see what a place and culture are about once you step away from the more toured areas. That’s why I recommend unplanned time to explore. Three nights is generally my rule of thumb in any one spot – more in certain places, and if I can convince my clients!

TM: What’s the most unique trip you’ve ever planned? LF: Last year I had an adventurous New York City couple come to me for Asia and didn’t constrain me much with time or money. So I got out the map and strung together a lovely journey that had them starting out in Abu Dhabi with mosques and dinners in the desert, followed by some time in Laos before flying them to Phnom Penh in order to board the Aqua Expeditions vessel that would sail from Cambodia into Vietnam. I could have kept them at a nice hotel in Phnom Penh, but knowing their love for boating, I thought that the 3-night / 4-day experience by water would be right up their alley. Once they arrived in Vietnam I slowed them down a bit with a stay at the remote beach resort Amanoi. It was such a hit that they called me mid-stay to cancel the next leg of their journey (which would have been Bangkok) in order to spend more time relaxing together on the beach. I shuffled things on my end, and once they had their fill of the seaside, I flew them back to Cambodia in order to have them experience Angkor Wat by helicopter with a leading Archeologist as their guide!

TM: What’s the most memorable meal you’ve ever had on a vacation, and why was it so special? LF: While traveling through Japan with a girlfriend, we heard about a restaurant called Shoraian hidden in the forest on the outskirts of Kyoto. It took us some time and many wrong turns through parks and woods, but we eventually found it—tiny, picturesque, and high above a cyan colored river. We were the only Westerners in the place, which we took as a good sign. We had 11 small courses served over about 4 hours, each with one featuring tofu made by local Buddhist monks. We couldn’t communicate with words, just smiles and nods, connecting over food around a table thousands of miles from anything that was familiar to us. I still remember everything about that experience, and tell everyone going to Kyoto that they must dine there as well, because to me it was about as close to personifying ‘travel’ as it gets.

TM: Do you have a favorite hotel lobby on the planet? Why? LF: I’m really into the un-lobby if that’s a term. I love a hotel that is really unassuming from the outside, where you could almost walk past it if you didn’t know it was there. Then once you step inside it’s a complete surprise with killer style and sense of place. J.K. Place Roma in Rome and Soniat House in New Orleans are favorite arrival experiences for these reasons.

TM: Any new hotels we should be looking out for over the next few years? LF: I’m probably most excited about Amanyangyun in Shanghai slated to open end of 2017 just outside of the city in a forest. Ming- and Qing-dynasty structures are being reassembled using original materials to create the spaces. I love ‘town and country’ trips, so I’d recommend pairing a stay here with a stay in bustling downtown Shanghai in order to get a full flavor of a destination is what I love to give travelers.

Now that you know Lila, give her a call. August is just about six months away, the perfect month to leave town. Will you sample the monks’ tofu in Kyoto, sail from Cambodia to Vietnam, or have Lila plan something even more imaginative for you?

Lila Fox | Lila@smartflyer.com | 504-717-6144 | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM

TELL THEM SCOUT SENT YOU!

—TAYLOR