DESTINATION WEDDING PLANNER ACADEMY
Turn Your Love of Travel, Weddings & People Into a Business You Can Build Around Your Life.
Learn how to become a destination wedding planner with practical training from someone who has spent 10 years actually doing it.
Have You Ever Wondered What It Would Feel Like to Build Something of Your Own?
Maybe you love travel. Maybe you're the person everyone turns to when there's something to organize. Maybe you love weddings, beautiful details and bringing people together.
But you've never thought of those things as skills you could turn into a business.
You can.
You don't need to be a travel agent. You don't need to have planned weddings before. And you don't need to have everything figured out before you begin.
You just need the desire to learn — and someone who's willing to show you how.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
I Didn't Start With a Roadmap. I Started With an Idea.
Ten years ago, I didn't have a roadmap for building a destination wedding planning business. I had an idea, a love of weddings and travel, and a belief that I could create something of my own.
I moved to the Dominican Republic and started Destination Dream Weddings. And while I believed in the business from the beginning, I had a lot to learn.
I learned by doing — working with real couples, real resorts and real weddings. I made mistakes. I figured things out. I built relationships. And little by little, I built a successful business.
Now I want to teach you what took me years to learn.
Learn How to Plan a Destination Wedding — From the First Consultation to the Wedding Day
This course walks you through the complete destination wedding planning process, step by step — so you understand not only what needs to happen, but when it needs to happen and why.
From working with your couple and choosing the right destination and venue, to budgets, traditions, vendors, timelines, guest details and the wedding day itself, you'll learn the process I developed through ten years of planning real destination weddings.
Inside the Academy, You'll Learn How To:
Understand the Destination Wedding Industry
Learn the role of a destination wedding planner, how destination weddings differ from traditional weddings, and how the planning process works from beginning to end.
Guide Couples Through the Planning Process
Learn how to lead couples through consultations, decision-making, budgeting, timelines and the many details that need to come together throughout the planning journey.
Plan Every Detail of the Wedding Experience
Learn how to coordinate the ceremony, reception, vendors, décor, guest details and final preparations so you can confidently guide the wedding from planning through to the wedding day.
WHAT'S INSIDE THE ACADEMY
12 Weeks. A Complete Destination Wedding Planning Education.
Over 12 weeks, you'll move step by step through the destination wedding planning process — learning not just what a planner does, but how to confidently guide a real couple from their first consultation through to their wedding day.
WEEK 1
The Destination Wedding Industry
Discover how the destination wedding industry works, the role of a destination wedding planner, and how destination weddings differ from traditional weddings. You'll also explore the different types of destination weddings and the professionals involved in bringing them to life.
WEEK 2
Understanding Your Couple & Their Vision
Learn how to conduct an effective client consultation, uncover what your couple truly wants, establish priorities and begin turning their ideas into a clear vision for their destination wedding.
WEEK 3
Choosing the Right Destination & Venue
Learn how to match a couple with the right destination, resort or venue based on their vision, priorities, budget and guest needs — and what to look for before making a recommendation.
WEEK 4
The Destination Wedding Planning Process
Learn the complete destination wedding planning process from the first consultation through to the wedding day, including the key stages, timelines and details that keep every part of the planning journey organized and on track.
WEEK 5
Wedding Budgets & Pricing
Learn how to build a realistic destination wedding budget, help couples understand where their money is going, prioritize spending and navigate the costs that come with planning a wedding away from home.
WEEK 6
Wedding Traditions, Ceremonies & Etiquette
Learn how traditions, cultural customs and ceremony styles shape destination weddings, including religious, civil and symbolic ceremonies, so you can help couples create a celebration that feels meaningful and personal.
WEEK 7
Wedding Design, Décor & Themes
Learn how to help couples develop a cohesive wedding design, from choosing a theme and colour palette to décor, florals, lighting and the details that bring their vision together.
WEEK 8
Selecting & Managing Wedding Vendors
Learn how to research, evaluate and recommend the right wedding professionals, communicate with vendors, review proposals and help couples build a trusted team to bring their wedding vision to life.
WEEK 9
Guest Management & The Destination Wedding Experience
Learn how to guide couples through the guest experience, from invitations and wedding websites to travel details, RSVPs, special requests and keeping everyone informed — so guests feel supported from the moment they say yes to the trip.
WEEK 10
Wedding Day Timelines & Coordination
Learn how to create a detailed wedding day timeline, coordinate vendors, manage the flow of the day and anticipate the little details that keep everything running smoothly — so your couple can relax and enjoy their wedding.
WEEK 11
The Final Weeks Before the Wedding
Learn how to guide your couple through the final stages of planning, confirm vendors and details, finalize timelines and handle last-minute changes — so everyone arrives at the wedding feeling prepared and confident.
WEEK 12
Putting It All Together — From Student to Destination Wedding Planner
Bring everything you've learned together and see how the complete planning process works from beginning to end — so you can move forward with the knowledge, tools and confidence to guide your own destination wedding couples.
You Don't Need to Know How to Do All of This Yet. That's Why You're Here.
Inside the Academy, you'll learn the same step-by-step processes, checklists and planning structure I use to guide couples from their first consultation all the way to their wedding day.
You won't have to figure out what comes next or worry that you've forgotten something important. The process is already laid out for you, one step at a time.
You don't need to know it all before you begin. That's what I'm going to teach you.
So you're never left wondering, “What am I supposed to do next?”
Everything You Need to Learn It — And Put It Into Practice
This isn't just a course you watch and then try to figure out on your own. The Academy gives you the training, tools, templates and support to actually put what you're learning into practice — using the same systems I've developed through years of planning real destination weddings.
The Tools, Templates & Resources You'll Actually Use
Wedding planning is really project management — bringing together the right people, resources, details and timelines to create a beautiful, well-organized celebration.
You don't need to be a florist, decorator, photographer, DJ or caterer. You need to understand how the pieces fit together, know what questions to ask, and have a clear process for managing everything.
Inside the Academy, you'll learn to work with practical planning tools, including questionnaires, checklists, budgets, timelines, vendor resources and guest management documents — so you can approach each wedding with confidence and organization.
Practical Planning Tools & Resources
Client consultation questionnaires — Ask the right questions from the very first conversation.
Wedding planning checklists and timelines — Keep every stage organized, from the initial consultation through the wedding day.
Wedding budgets and tracking tools — Help couples understand costs, prioritize spending, and manage their wedding budget.
Destination and venue research resources — Evaluate options and help couples make informed decisions.
Vendor questions and coordination tools — Know what to ask, what to confirm, and how to keep everyone working together.
Guest management and seating resources — Organize guest information, seating arrangements, and important details.
Wedding-day schedules and coordination checklists — Bring all the moving pieces together so the celebration runs smoothly.
These are the kinds of practical tools that help turn wedding planning knowledge into a clear, organized process you can actually follow.
Your Certification, Your Confidence & Your Support
A Certification That Represents What You've Learned
When you successfully complete the Destination Wedding Planner Academy training, you'll receive your Academy-issued Destination Wedding Planner Certification.
More importantly, you'll have worked through the planning process from the first client consultation to the wedding day, developing the knowledge, structure and practical skills to begin putting what you've learned into practice.
The goal isn't simply to finish a course and receive a certificate. It's to feel prepared to take that next step, whether you're starting your own destination wedding planning business or adding wedding planning services to an existing travel business.
You're Learning the Skills. You Don't Have to Figure Everything Out Alone.
Six Months of Biweekly Zoom Community Support — Included
Learning how to plan a destination wedding is one thing. Putting that knowledge into practice is another.
That's why your Academy enrollment includes six months of biweekly Zoom community support.
Every two weeks, we'll come together to discuss questions, explore real-world wedding planning situations, work through challenges, and share ideas.
Whether you're preparing to start your own destination wedding planning business or adding wedding planning services to your existing travel agency, you'll have the opportunity to learn from my ten years of hands-on experience.
The 12-week training is designed around a comfortable part-time schedule. You can move through the lessons faster or take longer when life gets busy.
And when your six months of included support comes to an end, you'll have the option to continue participating in an ongoing paid community if you'd like.
My goal isn't simply to teach you how to plan destination weddings. It's to help you feel supported as you begin putting that knowledge into practice.
Your Investment in a New Opportunity
Destination Wedding Planner Academy — $697 CAD
Your enrollment includes everything you need to begin learning the art and business of destination wedding planning, with practical training, real-world resources, and ongoing support.
Here's what's included in your Academy enrollment:
12-Week Destination Wedding Planning Certification Course — Comprehensive, step-by-step training that takes you through the planning process from your first client consultation to the wedding day. Study at a comfortable part-time pace, move faster if you wish, or take longer when life gets busy.
Practical Planning Tools & Resources — Questionnaires, checklists, timelines, budgeting tools, vendor resources, and guest management documents to help you put your training into practice.
Academy-Issued Destination Wedding Planner Certification — Awarded upon successful completion of your training.
Six Months of Biweekly Zoom Community Support — Opportunities to ask questions, discuss real-world situations, and learn alongside other students with guidance from someone who has spent ten years planning destination weddings.
One Investment. Practical Skills. A New Opportunity.
Whether you're exploring a completely new career or expanding your existing travel business, the Academy is designed to give you a foundation you can build upon.
Want to Build Your Own Destination Wedding Planning Business?
The Complete Business Builder Bundle — $1,397 CAD
Learning how to plan destination weddings is the first step. But what if your goal is to create your own destination wedding planning business?
The Business Builder Bundle brings together the complete Destination Wedding Planner Academy Certification Course and the additional training you'll need to establish and operate your own business.
You'll learn how to set up your business, develop your services and pricing, create contracts and policies, build your marketing strategy, manage your operations, and begin attracting and working with clients.
And you won't have to navigate those early stages alone.
Your Business Builder Bundle includes 18 months of biweekly Zoom mentoring and community support — giving you time to complete your training, establish your business, and bring your questions and real-world challenges to our sessions as you begin working with couples.
My hope is to be there to help you navigate not just the learning process, but those exciting first experiences of planning weddings for your own clients.
One complete bundle. From learning the profession to building your business.
Two Ways to Begin. Choose the Path That's Right for You.
DESTINATION WEDDING PLANNER ACADEMY
$697 CAD
Perfect for aspiring destination wedding planners who want to learn the profession, and travel advisors who want to add professional wedding planning services to their existing business.
Your enrollment includes:
✓ Complete 12-week Destination Wedding Planning Certification Course
✓ Practical planning tools, templates, checklists and resources
✓ Academy-issued certification upon successful completion
✓ Six months of biweekly Zoom mentoring
and community support
✓ Flexible learning pace to fit around your life
Learn the skills. Build your confidence. Plan beautiful destination weddings.
THE COMPLETE BUSINESS BUILDER BUNDLE
$1,397 CAD
Perfect for aspiring destination wedding planners who want to learn the profession and build their own destination wedding planning business.
Your enrollment includes:
✓ Everything in the Destination Wedding Planner Academy Certification Course
✓ All practical planning tools, templates, checklists
and resources
✓ Academy-issued certification upon successful completion
✓ Business setup, operations, policies and contracts
✓ Service tiers, pricing and marketing strategies
✓ 18 months of biweekly Zoom mentoring
and community support
✓ Flexible learning pace to fit around your life
Learn the profession. Build your business.
Get support along the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need previous wedding planning experience to take this course?
Not at all! The Destination Wedding Planner Academy is designed to teach you how to plan destination weddings from the ground up.
You don't need to have planned a wedding professionally, worked in the wedding industry, or have a background in event planning.
We'll walk through the process step by step, from your first client consultation to coordinating the wedding day.
And if you're already a travel advisor, you'll build on the valuable knowledge and experience you already have.
You don't need to know how to do it before you begin. That's what the Academy is here to teach you.
Do I need to be a travel agent to become a destination wedding planner?
No! You do not need to be a travel agent to learn how to plan destination weddings.
Destination wedding planning and travel booking are two different services. As a destination wedding planner, your role is to help couples plan and coordinate their wedding celebration — from understanding their vision and managing their budget to working with venues, resorts, vendors, and timelines.
Travel arrangements can be handled by a qualified travel advisor, allowing you to focus on the wedding itself.
And if you're already a travel advisor, the Academy can help you expand your services by adding professional wedding planning to the travel expertise you already have.
You can build a career in destination wedding planning without becoming a travel agent.
How long does the Destination Wedding Planner Academy course take to complete?
The Academy is designed as a 12-week certification course, based on a comfortable, part-time learning schedule.
But 12 weeks is a guideline, not a deadline.
If you have more time available and want to move through the lessons faster, you absolutely can. And if work, family, or life gets busy, you can take longer.
You won't lose access to your course simply because you haven't finished within 12 weeks.
The goal isn't to race through the training. It's to learn the skills, understand the process, and feel confident putting your knowledge into practice.
Will I receive a certification when I complete the course?
Yes! Upon successfully completing the Destination Wedding Planner Academy training, you'll receive your Academy-issued Destination Wedding Planner Certification.
Your certification represents the knowledge and practical skills you've developed throughout the course, from client consultations and wedding budgets to vendor coordination, timelines, and wedding-day planning.
The certification is issued by the Destination Wedding Planner Academy and is not an externally accredited designation.
But the real value goes beyond the certificate itself. You'll have learned a structured, practical approach to planning destination weddings that you can begin applying with confidence.
The certificate recognizes your accomplishment. The knowledge and skills you gain are what you'll take into your future work.
What kind of mentoring and support will I receive?
You won't have to figure everything out on your own!
Both enrollment options include biweekly Zoom mentoring and community support, giving you opportunities to ask questions, discuss real-world wedding planning situations, and learn alongside other students.
Academy Certification Course — $697 CAD
Includes six months of biweekly Zoom mentoring and community support. This gives you time to work through your training, clarify anything you're unsure about, and begin putting your new skills into practice.
After your six months of included support, you'll have the option to continue participating in our ongoing paid community if you'd like to stay connected and continue learning.
Business Builder Bundle — $1,397 CAD
Includes 18 months of biweekly Zoom mentoring and community support in total, along with the complete Academy course and business-building training.
The extended support is designed to help you as you establish your business, develop your services, begin marketing, and navigate the questions and challenges that come with working with your first clients.
My hope is to support Business Builder students through their early real-world wedding planning experiences, not simply their coursework.
Whichever path you choose, you'll have opportunities to ask questions and learn from ten years of
hands-on destination wedding planning experience.
Can I take the course and start a destination wedding planning business while working another job?
Absolutely! You don't have to leave your current job or make a major career change to begin learning destination wedding planning.
The Academy's 12-week training schedule is designed to be manageable alongside work, family, and other responsibilities. You can study at your own pace and take longer if you need to.
And if your goal is to establish your own destination wedding planning business, you can begin building it gradually while maintaining your current employment.
Many of the early steps — researching your market, developing your services, creating your business structure, and preparing your marketing — can be completed before you're ready to take on clients.
As your business develops, you can decide how much time you'd like to dedicate to it and whether you want it to remain a part-time venture or eventually become something more.
You don't have to change your whole life to get started. You can begin building something new alongside the life you already have.
How do I know which Academy enrollment option is right for me?
That depends on what you'd like to accomplish!
The Academy Certification Course — $697 CAD
If you want to learn how to professionally plan destination weddings, this course gives you the knowledge, practical tools, Academy-issued certification upon successful completion., and six months of mentoring to get started.
It's an especially good fit for travel advisors who already have an established business or agency supporting them and simply want to add destination wedding planning to their services.
The Business Builder Bundle — $1,397 CAD
If your goal is to start your own destination wedding planning business, the bundle may be the better fit.
It includes the complete Academy Certification Course, additional training in establishing and operating your business, and 18 months of mentoring and community support.
You'll learn not only how to plan destination weddings, but also how to develop your services, establish your pricing, market your business, and begin working with clients.
Neither option is better for everyone. The right choice is the one that supports what you want to build.
Do I need to live in a destination like Mexico or the Dominican Republic to plan weddings there?
Not at all! You can plan destination weddings while living in Canada, the United States, or elsewhere.
Much of the planning process can be managed remotely, including client consultations, destination and venue research, budgeting, timelines, guest coordination, and communication with resorts and vendors.
The key is developing reliable relationships with local venues, wedding teams, and trusted professionals who can help bring the couple's vision to life.
Some weddings may require you to travel to the destination, depending on the services you've agreed to provide. Others can be coordinated with experienced local partners who handle the on-site details.
The Academy will help you understand how these different planning arrangements work so you can decide which services you want to offer.
You don't have to live where the wedding takes place. You need to know how to plan, communicate, coordinate, and work with the right people.
Do I need to be creative or know how to design weddings to become a destination wedding planner?
You don't need to be a florist, decorator, photographer, baker, or designer to become a successful destination wedding planner.
Wedding planning is really a form of project management. Your job is to understand what your couple wants, help them make informed decisions, bring together the right professionals, and coordinate all the moving pieces.
You'll learn how to research wedding styles and trends, communicate with vendors, manage budgets and timelines, and organize the details that turn a couple's vision into a celebration.
Creativity can certainly be helpful, but you don't need to know how to make a floral arrangement or design a wedding cake. That's why we work with talented professionals who specialize in those things!
You don't have to create every element of the wedding yourself. You need to know how to bring all the elements together.
Can I earn an income as a destination wedding planner?
Yes! Destination wedding planning is a professional service, and planners can charge fees for the knowledge, time, organization, and coordination they provide to couples.
You can develop different service tiers depending on how much assistance your couples need, from wedding planning consultations and planning support to comprehensive wedding planning and coordination.
If you're already a travel advisor, adding wedding planning services may allow you to generate additional service-fee revenue from destination wedding clients you're already working with, rather than relying solely on booking more travel.
And if you're starting your own business, you can develop your services and pricing around the type of weddings you'd like to plan and the amount of time you want to dedicate to your business.
Your earnings will depend on factors such as your pricing, experience, marketing, client demand, and the services you provide. Completing the Academy doesn't guarantee bookings or a particular income.
The opportunity is to build a business around a valuable professional service — and decide what you want that business to look like.
Ready to See Where This Could Take You?
When I started Destination Dream Weddings at 50, I had a dream, a wedding planning certification, and a whole lot to learn.
I didn't know every venue, every vendor, or every challenge I would face. But I believed I could build something meaningful, and I was willing to learn what I needed along the way.
Ten years later, I've planned beautiful celebrations, worked through challenges I never could have anticipated, and discovered just how rewarding this profession can be.
Now, I'd love to share what I've learned with you.
Maybe you're looking for a new career. Maybe you want to create something of your own. Or maybe you're already a travel advisor who knows there's an opportunity to offer your couples more.
Whatever brought you here, you don't have to have everything figured out today.
You just have to decide whether this is something you'd like to explore.
The Destination Wedding Planner Academy is here to give you the knowledge, practical tools, and support to take that next step.
And if this feels like the right opportunity for you, I'd love to welcome you to the Academy.