As a part of Destination Wedding University’s inaugural graduating class, Dana Braun was part of a select group that participated in the Playbook Retreat, the first start-to-finish destination wedding training weekend in the industry.

Tiffin, OH, October 8, 2019 – The world-renown travel entrepreneur Richard Branson is famous for saying, “The best way to learn about anything is by doing.” And this is precisely the idea behind the Destination Wedding Playbook Retreat — a unique, first-in-the-industry weekend that offers travel agents the opportunity to see and practice exactly what goes into a destination wedding from beginning to end.

The Playbook Retreat is an elective capstone event for a select group of graduates of Destination Wedding University, which is a 16-week intensive program that takes students through every aspect of becoming a destination wedding expert.

Only DWU graduates can register for this immersive weekend. This year, interest was so high that the Playbook Retreat sold out in a mere four hours, filling all 32 available spots. Dana Braun, part of the inaugural graduation class, was one of the lucky participants.

The moment they arrived at Hard Rock Resort on the Rivera Maya, students were welcomed in style. There were happy hours, a mariachi band, dancers, and even the ultra-luxe Rock Star Suite.  For three full days, in gorgeous surroundings, participants learned and experienced directly all the aspects of a destination wedding — welcome parties, food, decorations, music and entertainment, the ceremony itself, and even luxury farewell cruises.

Representatives from Hard Rock Resort’s wedding department partnered with the Playbook Retreat and led classes, sharing their motivation and expertise on everything from social media marketing to booking and videography.

Response to the unique training weekend was hugely enthusiastic. The consensus seemed to be: this is not your regular familiarization (FAM) trip. The retreat was created by Will Medina, a Florida-based destination weddings expert who is also the creator of Destination Wedding U. “I really wanted to design an experience that was exclusive and intimate and that would give my amazing agents a real-life, hands-on look at what goes into making unforgettable weddings.”

As he looked around the industry, he saw many large conferences and seminars that offer information — but they often encourage competition rather than collaboration and mutual support among agents. After 16 weeks working together, his students at DWU had formed a tight bond, and he wanted to maintain that environment of positivity and passion. He even incorporated a training to help students face their biggest fears.

“I have traveled extensively to gain insider knowledge of the countries and properties I specialize in — but as beneficial as those trips have been, I understand that traveling and tours alone are not enough to have the expert experience needed to be a leader in the destination wedding sector. This retreat was an invaluable program to attend – not only witness the behind-the-scenes running of a beach wedding, but to have first-hand experience of what it feels like to attend a wedding from the guest’s point of view. It was an true honor to have been invited.”

– Dana Braun

Enrollment for Destination Wedding University is expected to triple next year, with registration opening in January of 2020. Ms. Braun knows that being part of the first group to experience something as unique as the Playbook Retreat will give her invaluable insight into exactly what makes for an unforgettable destination wedding.

To learn more about Dana Braun Travel Design’s range of services and to schedule a consultation, visit www.danabrauntravel.com 

Dana Braun Travel Design is an award-winning travel agency located in Downtown Tiffin, Ohio, specializing in creating and managing destination weddings, honeymoons and group travel itineraries in Mexico and the Caribbean.