It’s been tough to make plans this last year. We’ve seen an unprecedented number of cancellations ranging from flights to hotels to even the most basic restaurant reservations and plans for family time on the beach. We’ve all suffered at least one of these cancellation headaches, but what must it be like to plan a wedding during these uncertain times?

Alison Laesser-Keck of Alison Bryan Destinations tells Brides Magazine, that many couples are waiting until 2022 to move forward with their wedding day, but that doesn't mean they aren't in full planning mode now. Laesser-Keck says, “For 2022, the primary challenge is venue and vendor availability. While it may seem exciting, it’s actually really tough because we know that if we’re getting six inquiries a day, we can only imagine how many venues are getting. We’re already in a position of having to jump on decisions far sooner than we normally would, out of fear that our preferred venues and vendors won’t have availability. 

IPBN Member Hilton Vilamoura Golf Resort and Spa has just finished setting everything up for their Virtual Wedding Open Week from May 5th to 7th to help engaged couples plan out their venue by taking a virtual walk through the hotel’s event space. No matter if the couple is a local one or if they are based elsewhere and are planning a destination wedding in Portugal, they can enjoy full access, albeit online, to envision the space, the accommodations, and the amenities for their wedding day to see if it would be a good fit for their guests and themselves. 

Nicole Mestre, Coordinator for Groups, Conferences & Events at the Hilton Vilamoura tells the IPBN, “During these last few months, we happily noticed that wedding info requests never stopped arriving in our inbox. Couples are still dreaming about their very special day, being cautious with date selection, destinations, and venues of course. The Hilton Vilamoura & Staff are still here and eagerly waiting for brighter days when we will be able to help those couples make their dream come true. So why not meet them? The global pandemic and travel restrictions don't have to necessarily limit our direct approach; personal visits to our resort are not possible at the moment, hence organizing and dedicating a few days to meet online the couples who wish to get to know us and our wedding services a bit better, seemed to be a good fit.”

As we prepare to meet the post-COVID landscape, we are beginning to let ourselves dream again. Our dreams might be simple— meeting your best friends for a cocktail at your favorite watering hole, or they might be more elaborate— walking down the aisle surrounded by your nearest and dearest. To that end, the Hilton Vilamoura has created a platform where you can begin to plan the latter, at least.

Mestre says, “The meetings will consist of exploring the resort's wedding venues through video, a photo gallery, and of course, chatting about services with a staff member dedicated to the task at hand through an easy-going session where we will do our very best to make a great first impression!”

The IPBN encourages all who are in the planning stages of their nuptials to contact the hotel and begin to make their dreams a reality by emailing vilamoura_events@hilton.com or by calling +351 289 304 000.