Planning a destination wedding? One of the biggest decisions you’ll make is choosing who will help bring your vision to life—a destination wedding planner or a travel agent. While the titles may sound similar, the services they provide can be drastically different. Understanding this distinction is key to a smooth, stress-free wedding planning experience.
Many travel agents refer to themselves as destination wedding planners, but they typically do not provide the comprehensive event planning services that a true wedding planner does. A full-service planner manages the entire wedding planning process from beginning to end and rarely hands couples off to outside vendors. They guide every detail with care, just like you would expect from a planner in a traditional, local wedding setting.
Considering how personal—and expensive—your wedding day is, it’s important to understand who you’re hiring and what they actually do.
Below we will take a closer look at what sets a full-service destination wedding planner apart—and why it matters for your big day.
Curious how much a destination wedding actually costs? Check out our cost breakdown for a wedding in Mexico.
Expertise and Experience
| Full-Service Destination Wedding Planner | Travel Agent |
|---|---|
| Experience: For example: We have over 24 years of wedding planning experience with numerous awards and features in magazines, radio and TV shows. | Experience: Primarily experienced in booking destinations and coordinating travel, with limited wedding planning experience. |
| Comprehensive Planning: A destination wedding planner has scheduled planning meetings with the wedding couple throughout the planning process. Provides hands on wedding planning and wedding design services. Communicates with all vendors on behalf of the couple. | Limited Planning: Helps choose a resort. May be able to refer a few vendors. Leaves wedding planning and communication with resort and vendors to the couple. |
| Vendor Coordination: Coordinates with all vendors, ensuring seamless communication and execution. A destination wedding planner has relationships in the destination that they rely on to make wedding magic happen. | Minimal Coordination: Couples must communicate with vendors and resort coordinators, which can be stressful and overwhelming. Resorts and vendors have 100’s of weddings each year. Often they will not work with a couple until 90 days before the wedding. |
Personal Attention and Customization
| Full-Service Destination Wedding Planner | Travel Agent |
|---|---|
| Personalized Service: As a full service wedding planner, my services are tailored to the couple’s preferences and vision for a unique wedding. | Generic Service: Assist with selection of host resort and turns couple over to resort coordinator. |
| On-Site Coordination: As a full service destination wedding planner, we travel to the destination ahead of the couple to meet vendors and ensure everything is ready for the couple and guests arrival. | Limited On-Site Presence: Does not travel to the destination, leaving the couple to manage details with resort staff. |
| Day-of Coordination: A full service wedding planner is managing all wedding details and vendor interactions on the wedding day, allowing the couple to enjoy the experience of getting married. | Resort Coordination: Day of coordination is left to the resort coordinator. Resort coordinators work with 100’s of weddings each year. There is little personalization and ofter couples need to enlist the help of family and bridal party for assistance if wedding should have many details. |
Additional Services
| Full-Service Destination Wedding Planner | Travel Agent |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive Package: In addition to the planning of the wedding as a full service destination wedding planner we facilitate the wedding group room block, build a wedding website, and book guests into the group room block. | Basic Package: Primarily focuses on booking travel and accommodations with limited involvement in wedding-specific details. They may provide a wedding website for guest booking. |
| Guest Coordination: We are the guests point of contact and keep guests informed about travel arrangements and to-dos, ensuring a smooth experience. | Guest Management: Minimal guest coordination, with most responsibilities falling on the couple. |
| Budget Management: A full service destination wedding planner will provide guidance on your overall wedding budget. | Budget Oversight: Does not offer detailed wedding budget management. Only works within the parameters of the guest room block. |
| Design, Production and Etiquette guru: As a full service wedding planner we design the wedding, bringing the couples’ inspiration to life by working closely with local production companies, sourcing entertainment, vendors and rentals. Additionally, we are your go to for etiquette do’s and don’ts. | Limited Design and Guidance: Does not get involved in the design aspect. The couple will source and manage on wedding day. The couple creates their own save the dates, invitations, print work etc. No guidance on wedding etiquette. |
Investment and Value
| Full-Service Destination Wedding Planner | Travel Agent |
|---|---|
| Service Fees: Destination Wedding Planning services generally fees start at $3500, with costs increasing based on guest count, overall budget, and the number of events. | Service Fees: May charge lower fees or FREE services for “wedding planning”, but with limited scope. |
| Value for Money: Comprehensive service, peace of mind, and flawless execution provide exceptional value. | Hidden Costs: Limited planning can lead to stress as the couple communicate with the resort coordinator, vendors and manages wedding details themselves. |
Conclusion
Not every couple will need the help of a full-service destination wedding planner—but if your wedding vision includes a custom design, multiple events, and a team of vendors, a planner becomes essential.
Choosing between a full-service planner and a travel agent offering limited planning services can greatly impact your wedding experience. A seasoned destination wedding planner offers expert guidance, personalized design, budget oversight, and day-of coordination, allowing you to fully enjoy your celebration.
For couples who want a smooth planning experience, less stress, and more time to enjoy their engagement, investing in a full-service destination wedding planner is the best way to bring your dream to life. Want to see how a real full-service wedding comes to life? Read about Carolyn and Seth’s Sexy all Black Attire wedding at Valentin Imperial here!
Let us handle the details—so you can focus on celebrating your love in one of Mexico’s most stunning destinations or just want more guidance: Need help building your budget? Use our destination wedding budget guide to get started.
