Member Spotlight: Love on Every Continent
John and Shannon W., Members since 2011, renew their vows around the world with Exclusive Resorts. Here’s their story.
For John and Shannon W., Members since 2011, vacations with the Club are about more than visiting far-flung destinations and bucket list experiences—they’re about love. Since 2009, this world-traveling couple has been renewing their vows during locally influenced ceremonies from Argentina to Australia.
When did you join the Club and why?
We have been Members since 2011. Traveling as a family of seven before accounting for any partners or significant others makes hotel stays expensive and complicated. We loved the promise of being able to access four- and five-bedroom villas, as well as the great mix of domestic and international locations.
What was your first vacation and first Journey with the Club?
Our first vacation with the Club was to Real Del Mar, Mexico. Coincidentally, RDM is also our next trip (at the time of this interview). We arrive on December 26th! Our first journey was to Argentina and Chile in 2013.
Any favorite memories or a story you would like to share?
We have a lot of memories. Our Argentina and Chile adventure was our first time in South America, which made the trip special. We had a great group of fellow Member travelers and enjoyed the mix of city, wine country, and desert. We renewed our wedding vows in the Atacama Desert with a great, casual, locally influenced ceremony. Several of our fellow travelers were in attendance. Truly special!
Favorite destination to go to as a family or with friends:
We tend to frequent destinations that have larger homes. Mexico (Real del Mar), Hawaii, and Abaco are three that stand out.
Favorite destination to go to as a couple:
We love Miraval Arizona, New York City, and pretty much any warm weather location.
On what Journeys did you renew your vows?
We have renewed our vows on several journeys: Argentina and Chile, Bhutan and Tibet, Kilimanjaro, and Australia and New Zealand.
What started this tradition? Can you share a story about one such experience?
To be honest, I can’t really remember why we started this tradition. We have renewed our vows every year (except for the two Covid years) since we married in 2009. We have so many great memories. In Bhutan, we renewed our vows in a 13th-century Buddhist temple in the company of 50-60 Buddhist monks from around the countryside. In Tanzania, on the back half of our climb up Kilimanjaro, we renewed our vows with dozens of Masai tribal people in the middle of the savannah. During both experiences, we were in traditional garb—totally and completely local. It was amazing.
Learn more about our exclusive, Members-only Once-in-a-Lifetime Journeys and experiences here.