Westworld Alberta

20 W E S T W O R L D A L B E R T A | S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 (both pages) milton-photography.com A t first, a destination wedding was out of the question for Josie Storbakken. But seeing one in progress while vacation- ing in Costa Rica with her then-fiancé, Shaun, changed her mind. Now, she looks back on their wedding in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico, as the best decision they could have made. Around 60 family members and close friends joined the couple at the Grand Bahia Principe Akumal last May for a seaside ceremony on the sand, held under azure skies in the late afternoon sun, with waves crashing in the background. A family friend presided over the nuptials, keeping things short and sweet. Immediately afterward, resort staff served glasses of champagne while an acoustic Mexican trio serenaded the newlyweds. Travel had always played an important role in Josie and Shaun's relationship: they started dating eight years ago while in Grade 9 and backpacked through Europe together after high school. But the wed- ding was Josie and her family's first time in Mexico – and their first time travelling together. "It was kind of an opportunity to get my par- ents out of the country and have everyone go on a trip," she says. Although she wasn't intimidated by flying thousands of miles to get married, working with a wedding coordinator who was so far away took a leap of faith. But AMA wedding specialist Cristina Fedor worked hard to get the answers the couple needed. "She was really good, and kept on top of everything. She kept me calm the whole time," Josie recalls. AMA's destination wedding specialists work with couples like the Storbakkens throughout the planning process, helping them select a wedding venue based on their country of preference, budget and group size. From there, they handle all of the event bookings, plus the guest travel, accommodation and insurance, along with any group tours or bookings the couple might want. To sum up: pretty much anything and everything required to make a group trip, and a wedding, as memorable and stress-free as possible. "We're here to guide couples through the minefield of things to do," says Fedor. "Lots of people don't even know where to start when plan- ning a destination wedding." e specialist can be as hands-on with the wedding details as the couple wants, adds Fedor. Some are happy to have AMA handle all of the planning, while others prefer to jump in and communicate directly with the resort staff. Sweet Escape Members Josie and Shaun Storbakken reminisce about their wedding in the sun-soaked Mayan Riviera by ROBIN SCHROFFEL Members Josie and Shaun Storbakken had a picture-perfect beach wedding at the Grand Bahia Principe in Akumal, Riviera Maya, Mexico, last May.

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