From an early age, Jennifer Wayland had a passion for travel. This passion led her through the doors of the Boyd Business Travel and Career School in Pennsylvania and into the employ of American Eagle, a company under American Airlines (AA).  But it was not until she traveled with a friend whose mother raved about her experience as a travel agent that sparked something in her soul.  Now 25 years later, her sleek islandbridal.com website stands as a true testament of her love for the industry and a drive to make her clients’ island adventures unforgettable in Mexico, the Caribbean and Tahiti.

Whether for romance, corporate, family, girls or guys’ getaways, destination wedding or honeymoon, Wayland acknowledges that the key to her success is to give her clients that perfect fit.  This is why she attends bridal shows yearly, performs extensive research, travels frequently, and provides questionnaires to see how best she can match clients to their vacation dreams. 

Communication does play a key role as well, especially in a business where efficiency goes a long way in making the client feel at ease.

“Personally, my gift for solving problems and being able to rationalize helps me communicate what the client wants to give them that perfect fit,” says Wayland.

And this quality of resolving disputes did not go unnoticed by her peers at AA, who nominated her for the Passenger Service Quality Control position, which handled oversold flights, baggage claim issues and other problems within the company.

Wayland was again presented with a challenge that tested her skills when she was approached by a couple who had never traveled before.  She recalled going out on a limb to suggest they stay at a villa that provided a maid and cook for a week in Negril, Jamaica, rather than spend their entire budget on an all-inclusive hotel. This meant she was not going to make a great profit booking their trip. 

Nevertheless, the couple utilized her advice and had a great time. They have since remained loyal customers who use Wayland’s service every year and constantly recommend her to their friends.  The couple recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary and stayed at the same villa in Jamaica.

With success stories like this, Wayland does admit that she is now beginning to figure it all out herself even though she has been in the travel industry for a long time.  She continuously stays ahead of the game by traveling, visiting travel shows and participating in webinars.

“Even though I have to wear many different hats and juggle many things at once, I am always asking questions and making recommendations to be efficient enough to make a good living.”