Should You Hire a Destination Wedding Travel Agent?
We always hear the same question over and over when it comes to destination weddings...
Do I need a wedding planner?
Do I need a travel agent?
Maybe I need both?
The need to solve this problem is exactly how TravelBash got started!
Our founder, Courtnie, was planning her own destination wedding. And although her Travel Agent was key to managing the guest experience, there was still something missing when it came to the wedding details that the onsite team was handling.
That’s when the realization happened...
A wedding specialist was the missing link when it came to a successful destination wedding!
There are so many other aspects involved with even a local wedding – between finding and fitting the dress, to figuring out the party favors – having someone handling the travel details will take so much of the overwhelm off of your plate!
And the perks of working with an advisor, especially one who specializes in destination weddings? Priceless! Remember, this is their job. They visit so many resorts and know the destinations and their partners inside and out.
They will give you straight answers and feedback, or at least the good ones will! They’ll share with you first-hand experiences of resorts so you’ll know without a doubt which ones are good and which ones to steer clear from. If Covid has taught our team anything, it’s that we will not be doing business with any and every resort any longer…. They are not all created equal. Sure, there are tons of nice resorts – but that does not make them experts on weddings that provide outstanding service. That’s why a travel advisor will do the sleuthing for you, and cut out the resorts that don’t deserve your money.
Travel advisors like us have great relationships with resort wedding teams which gets us answers a lot faster than you would on your own. Even better, you don’t have to touch a guest booking or worry about everyone’s flight info – or even tackle how your guests will get from Point A to Point B.
Your Travel Advisor’s job is to alleviate most of the stress of planning your destination wedding and be your sounding board for working with the resort.
So now that we sold you on the idea, you are probably wondering how the heck you find a travel advisor? Even more importantly, how do you work with one and what does the process entail?
Let’s start with a few questions.
How Do I Find a Travel Advisor, who specializes in Destination Weddings?
Word of mouth is always a favorite! We advise you to ask your friends and family for the best reviews.
Hit the internet with a quick search. Look at reputable websites like ASTA or DWHSA. ***Remember it is very important to not only look for a travel agent but someone who rocks in the destination wedding industry.
Look for someone who has a great vibe or personality you can relate to because after all, you will be spending the next year talking and working with them!
Ok, so I think I found a Travel Advisor...what should I ask them?
Before you move forward with a travel advisor, always set up a call first to learn more about them, their process, what they charge, and any other fees, as well as all of the services they include. Some of our favorite questions to ask are:
How many weddings do you do a year?
How many weddings have you planned before?
How long have you been planning weddings?
Is this all you do? (we ask this because we are looking for people who do this full-time)
Ask them about the resorts, and which ones they’ve actually visited. You want someone who has been and explored.
Ask them if they do site visits with clients or on their behalf
Even ask for a reference or two
We always also suggest doing a little research on your own, skimming their site and/or social media, and seeing if they have any press or awards featured anywhere.
But speaking honestly, sometimes this could still mean absolutely nothing so always listen to your gut!
Now that you are ready to move on, your advisor is going to need some basic info to help you.
Our team always sets up that first design call to find out your vision and style, but we also need to know how many guests, dates, destination and/or resort in mind, any specific venues and/or must-haves…
Will kids be in attendance?
Any known allergies of the bridal party?
Any physical accommodations that need to be made?
All of this info helps us to recommend a destination and/or resort based on your needs. Make sense?
From there, we usually find 3-4 resorts that we think match you perfectly and send you a beautifully crafted proposal to look through. After that, we walk through the information with you and make sure you have no questions. This usually happens after we have gotten all the quotes back from each hotel which usually takes about a week or so.
After we go over the contracts and wedding packages, we dive into the booking process. In terms of rooms, most agents have two options – A flexible group or a contracted group. We prefer contracted groups and that is how we operate.
What’s the difference?
A flexible group is the type of group that is not guaranteeing several rooms or getting a specific rate. Most brides and grooms like this simply because no deposit is required and it leaves it up to the guest. The problem with this option, however, is that your guests could potentially pay different amounts, and the resort could sell out and they will be out of luck. This is also a negative for the bride and groom when it comes to perks and freebies – as in, they get none..
A contracted group is what most travel agents suggest because it locks in the rate for you and your guests. The only catch is you are required to put down a deposit and must guarantee a certain number of rooms. It sounds daunting but it’s not so bad when you are working with a travel agent who can help you manage this. They will be able to catch any penalties. And this way, all your guests will receive a discounted rate, and you get the perks. All resorts vary but the deposit is usually anywhere from $100 per room at an all-inclusive and a larger deposit for those having a wedding at a traditional hotel like the Marriott or Hilton. The room deposit and/or initial deposit for both are usually applied to the total amount owed or refunded back to you at the end, so you don’t lose that money at all.
Now let’s talk about Paying Deposits….
Having a destination wedding means there are two moving parts – the wedding and the travel. The same goes for the deposit!
First, there is a deposit to hold your wedding date that is to be paid to the wedding department (usually through the resort). When your travel advisor or wedding specialist reaches out to inquire about your dates, they will share with you the cost. Most resorts will make you put down $100 to secure a time during the week and then some are $500 for weekends and evening/sunset times, as they are the ones that most brides request. After the deposit is made, you will receive a confirmation.
Second, there is a deposit for the rooms. This is usually paid separately through the tour operator/wholesaler your travel team uses. This is usually only true for All-Inclusive Weddings.
Most hotels/resorts that are not all-inclusive will only require you to pay ONE big deposit for a percentage of the room block, and food and beverage, which is usually much higher.
Now that we have discussed the first steps, next will be sharing all the important information with your guests.
The travel advisor manages all the arrangements for you and your guests so that’s a win every time. We understand that Uncle John has never been out of the country, and Cousin Ashley needs help with her Passport – this is where we truly come in handy. Do you really want your family calling you 50 times about flights, or asking everyone about room configurations... or even the dress code for one of the restaurants you can’t pronounce? Better yet, looking to find out if there is an onsite babysitter? Or, what if they need to cancel their trip?
Who would you call? Not Ghostbusters! So, why even bother with that headache when you don’t have to? Our team handles all of that along with all of the wedding details. We can even help create a website and send out announcement emails on your behalf!
Travel Advisors allow your guests to customize their plans, ask any questions about the resort, excursions in the area, and even assist with transportation, flying in certain alcohol, and getting that special room they need. Our travel team is the primary point of contact for all your guests, so you don’t have to be. With that said, we will share updates and give you our so-called naughty list...those guests who never responded to emails, ignored deadlines, have an unpaid balance...the list goes on and on. You think your guests would never do half of these things, but that’s why we are here (wink wink).
Now, on to the planning!
This is what makes us different from traditional travel agents who specialize in weddings. Besides handling the travel, we get into the wedding details. Most agents do a quick baton handoff to the onsite team, and while we do in fact do that upon your arrival (as we don’t travel to the destination with our couples), we also act as the liaison to the onsite team to make sure all the deets are covered before you get there to meet your actual coordinator.
This is invaluable because we found that most resorts don’t assign you a wedding coordinator until a few months before your wedding! Otherwise, how are you going to get pricing? Who is going to respond to all your ideas? What if you have questions?
That’s where we come in. We create a timeline so that we are on track and everything you need is in one place. So when it is that time to finalize the details, we are one step ahead!
So, Travel (✅) Wedding (✅) What’s next?
Last-Minute Details and Extra Events.
We send updated rooming lists to couples, so they know who is attending. As we get closer, we also get flight info, schedule welcome events, assist you with welcome bags (from design to sourcing, to the actual bag) Then, we help with private cocktail cruises, sunset parties, groomsmen golf days, bride spa parties and family shopping trips. The wedding is more than just a day –it’s a whole weekend. And even though we don’t plan on being onsite, some travel specialists even attend the wedding at no additional charge as they just ask you to pay for their travel expenses. This is something we do as well, but we do charge an additional fee. We typically arrive a day before all the guests and meet with the resort to ensure there are no problems, that they have the correct rooming lists, transportation is good to go, and we have met with the wedding team to confirm everything one last time with the couple. We want to assure our couples that they don't need anything and all is stress-free.
That’s it, in a nutshell! As you can see, so much goes into planning one of the biggest events of your life. We’ve outlined all of the major things, but know that there are many smaller details in between that you’ll learn about once you get into the weeds. But that’s why we’re here – to help take the stress off of the logistics, and let you explore your vision and ultimately have the wedding of your dreams!
Want to talk to someone on our team? Schedule your consultation, by inquiring here.
Courtnie is the founder & CEO of TravelBash. After years as an ambitious fundraiser, she took her passion for travel full-time. She has lived all over the U.S. and abroad and after planning her own destination wedding, she decided to help other couples plan their big day abroad too. She has written “Passport to Paradise: The Complete Destination Wedding Guide,” a top seller on Amazon. She has also been featured in Travel + Leisure, Destination I Do and The Washington Post. As a certified travel advisor, expert event planner and natural connector, she uses her powers to create VIP travel experiences.
