I bet I have one of the most unconventional “how I became a wedding planner” stories ever. If you’re thinking about becoming a destination wedding planner or have a wedding business and want to book destination weddings but have no idea how to get started—especially without any experience—this video is definitely for you.
I’m going to walk you through exactly what I did, what my destination wedding business looks like now, and everything in between. So let’s dive in!
But before we do—if we haven’t met yet, hi, I’m Kara. I run The Kara Report, where we write blog posts and manage Pinterest accounts for wedding pros and other creative businesses. I’m also the founder of Love at First Travel, a destination wedding planning company based in Canada.
If you’re looking for a destination wedding planner or travel agent in Canada, definitely check us out! While I’m no longer working directly with clients, I still handle the marketing, and we have an amazing team ready to help you plan your dream wedding.
So let’s talk about how I got started—being totally honest here: I was just planning my own destination wedding. It was around 2015 or 2016 when I first started, and honestly, there was no information online. Everything was hidden behind a contact form, and as a bride, that drove me crazy. I would bet that today’s couples—especially Gen Z—are even more frustrated by that.
Nobody wants to fill out a form just to get basic information. And I get it. From a vendor perspective, it’s so much easier if couples just contact you directly so you can guide them. But the reality is, people want to gather information on their own before reaching out.
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How I Became A Destination Wedding Planner
Back in 2015 when I started, I probably just wanted to be a blogger. I thought, “I’ll just put this information online and see what happens.” And honestly, it wasn’t long before people started reaching out with questions like, “Hey, what’s your advice on this?” or “My resort said this—should I be worried?” That kind of thing.
And I thought—wait… could I actually turn this into a business? Wouldn’t that be wild?
So when I say I started messy, I mean it. No business plan. No brand. No long-term vision. I was just like, “Destination wedding planner? That sounds like a super fun job. Maybe I should do this for real.”
I wasn’t advertising. I didn’t even have a formal business. But I was getting into conversations through blogging—and that one blog turned into a full-on business.
Becoming a Travel Agent First
Eventually, I went and got my travel agent license. And for the record, while I wasn’t doing super high-end, six-figure luxury weddings, we did niche down into destination weddings in Mexico—resort weddings with budgets ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. I know that’s a wide range, but that’s where we found our sweet spot. And we were making good money doing it.
If that kind of work appeals to you, I highly recommend starting with the travel agent route and then layering on planning services. Or advertise as a planner and include travel services. Either way—it gives your couples a much better experience, and it increases your earning potential. Total win-win.
Does Blogging Still Work If You Want to Book Destination Weddings?
So yeah—that’s my story in a nutshell. I got my travel credentials, invested in a real website (which felt huge at the time—I think it cost me $300 for a five-page site), and that was my “I’m all in” moment. Looking back, it’s funny—$300 now feels so small, especially with how many more options there are for websites. But back then, I didn’t know any better.
Anyway, I actually got married in 2017, and that’s when I went all in. Before that, I was casually blogging, casually testing the waters. But once the wedding was over, I got focused.
By then, I was blogging about once a week—not daily, nothing intense—but I was consistent. I got myself on Pinterest, too. And that’s when things really started to take off—around late 2018 into 2019.
And here’s the best part: If you’re sitting there thinking, “Yeah, but does blogging even still work?”—I need to stop you right there.
Yes. Blogging absolutely still works. And when you combine it with Pinterest? It’s one of the best long-term strategies to market your business. Why? Because it’s evergreen. Some of the most popular blog posts on our site today were written between 2018 and early 2020.
Of course, 2020 hit—and like many wedding businesses, we shut down for a while—but that content? It still brings traffic. Years later.
Getting Inquiries Through Blog Posts to Book Destination Weddings
We’re based in Canada, so if you’re listening from somewhere else, your experience may have been different. But for us, the business essentially came to a halt for about two years. What’s interesting, though, is that we continued to get inquiries pretty consistently—even though we weren’t creating new content. We weren’t active on Instagram either, because let’s be honest, it wasn’t exactly the place to be when no one was traveling and the entire industry felt like a mess.
Still, the inquiries never stopped. In fact, they’ve only gotten stronger, even though we haven’t written many new blog posts. I did go back in late 2022 and early 2023 to update some of them, and honestly, it feels like I just did that—but it’s already been a couple of years.
Those posts are probably due for another refresh, but they continue to bring in a high volume of inquiries because we rank well for our keywords and people can find us. That’s why I always say: yes, couples love browsing Instagram for inspiration. But when they’re actually ready to make a booking decision, they turn to Google or Pinterest. They’re looking for real information—and that’s when the decision happens.
Our wedding business, including travel revenue, now generates over seven figures a year, which still feels surreal. So if you’re dreaming about becoming a destination wedding planner but don’t have any experience yet, here’s my biggest piece of advice: get educated, and start writing blog posts based on your experience.
Book Destination Weddings as a Local Planner
If you’re currently planning local weddings, you already have relevant experience. It just needs to be framed for a destination audience. Focus on ranking for destination-related keywords, and most importantly, be patient. That’s the part nobody likes to hear—but it matters. Commit to blogging once a week for a year. If that’s not realistic for you, you can always hire someone like me to help.
I also have a free guide on how to write blog posts that actually sell your services. I’ll link it in the description below once I double-check the name. It walks you through the formula I use for creating content that converts. Or again, feel free to outsource it—I’d love to help, because destination weddings are truly my favorite.
This is why blogging is one of the best ways to break into destination wedding planning. You simply can’t become a destination wedding planner unless couples book you to plan their weddings—and blogging helps you get in front of them.
It’s also a great way to build trust. When you’re transparent and generous with your knowledge, you build credibility. If someone finds you on Google and starts reading your blog posts, they start to see that you really understand what they’re going through. That’s when they start to picture you as part of their team—and that’s when they reach out.
I’ll also link to another video I made that explains the format I use to write blog posts quickly. In it, I share even more tips for making your content easy to read and super effective.
You Don’t Need a Large Following to Book Destination Weddings
I’ve never had 100,000 monthly views on my blog, and I don’t have a massive portfolio on there either. So let me just say—none of that is required. What you do need is solid, helpful information. You need to be good at what you do, provide a great client experience, collect reviews, and keep showing up. If you do that consistently, you can absolutely become a destination wedding planner—probably sooner than you think.
And when I say “sooner,” I mean realistically within two to three years. It does take time. But it’s absolutely possible. I truly believe that blogging is the simplest and most effective way to make it happen.
Because let’s be honest—marketing on Instagram without any destination weddings in your portfolio? That’s tough. But blogging lets you showcase your knowledge and expertise, even before you have tons of weddings under your belt. That’s why I recommend it so strongly.
So that’s my advice, and a bit of my story. Be sure to check the show notes for links and resources, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want help getting started.
