Think planning a vacation is stressful or hard on the budget? Try planning a wedding in Switzerland and a honeymoon trip through Germany in just a few months. Or just ask Jackie Zantow-Schwartz and her new husband, Garrett.
The Zantow-Schwartzes eloped to Switzerland to say “I do” on Oct. 21, 2019, sharing their first kiss as husband and wife overlooking the banks of Lake Lucerne. And Thrifty Traveler Premium, our international flight deal alerts, helped make it happen.
Jackie signed up for Thrifty Traveler Premium back in January, when the thought of jetting to Switzerland to get married was nowhere in their plans. The day after signing up, an alert popped into her inbox with flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Zurich (ZRH) for almost 50% off normal prices.
Thrifty Tip: Want to know about the best flight deals from your home airport? Learn how Thrifty Traveler Premium works.
With round-trip tickets in Delta Comfort Plus in hand that saved them almost $1,000, their plans for a dreamy Swiss wedding and celebrating across Germany were in motion. After a stroll through a pristine golf course perched above Lucerne, tearful vows, and averting wedding day rain, they're back home in Savannah and happily married.
“I’m sure we would have gotten married without Thrifty Traveler Premium, but I doubt we would have had the fairytale vision we did,” Jackie said.
The plan came together fast after signing up for Premium. Jackie and Garrett had Europe on their minds, but no firm destination in mind.
“We let the flight deals dictate the details of when and where,” Jackie said. “That’s how we ended up with Switzerland as our main base of operations.”
They even found their wedding photographer through Thrifty Traveler Premium, thanks to the exclusive Facebook Members Community available only to Premium subscribers. Wedding photographer Ashlea Snell responded to Jackie's request for help – she and her husband were traveling through Europe at the same time. Snell's husband even stepped forward to officiate the ceremony. Everything was falling into place.
A flight across the Atlantic and a short train ride brought them down to picturesque Lucerne … and a frightening forecast: A 100% chance of rain on their wedding day. After a brief panic (and more than a few tears, Jackie admits), they powered through. If it rains, it rains, the soon-to-be-married couple told themselves.
But the rain held off for the Zantow-Schwartzes. They were married on a nearly empty golf course, with picture-perfect views of Lake Lucerne and the city behind them.
“We read our vows, cried and shared a laugh with the few golfers who were out walking and stopped to wish us congratulations in German. Afterwards, we walked the course, danced in front of the misty mountains on a knoll overlooking the river and had a great time,” Jackie said.
The newly married couple walked across Lucerne's iconic Kapellbrücke wooden bridge, celebrating their union with hundreds of tourists and residents who couldn't help but take photos. It was surreal.
“I think they thought we were an actual Swiss couple getting married,” Jackie quipped.
Days later, it was off to Germany. The newlyweds spent more than a week eating, drinking, and exploring their way across Berlin, Nuremberg, and Munich before heading back to Zurich for the flight home.
“It was all just so perfect and fell together — I wouldn’t change a thing,” Jackie said.
Bottom Line
Jackie and Garrett's story is what we live to do: Help people see the world for less, and hopefully help create some life-changing experiences in the process.
We are so thrilled to have played a small part in their special day. Congratulations to the newlyweds! And cheers to cheaper travel, whether it be for a wedding or any getaway.