Destination Wedding Travel Agent KLR Travels || Vendor Spotlight
As a travel-lover, Destination Weddings are one of my favorite things to recommend to couples that want to have their wedding in an incredible location, while bringing their friends and family along for the ride. Combining your favorite people with an incredible vacation sounds like a dream. The added logistics, however, might turn many people away from the idea. But that’s where a destination wedding travel agent would come in clutch. Allow me to introduce one of my favorite vendors from that category — Katie of KLR Travels.
More about Katie…
Based in Toledo, Ohio, Katie is a highly-experienced, top-producing travel agent with Travelmation. In her years with the company she’s racked up a number of different awards including a spot on the 2023 Travel Agent Central 30 Under 30 list and being in the top 20 of Travelmation for both 2022 and 2023.
Not only do I recommend Katie to clients, but I also have had the pleasure of using her to book my own travel. The booking process was easy and straightforward. She also supplied lots of tips and tricks that really helped when I was visiting Mexico in 2022 and then again for Spain in 2023.
Her immense knowledge of travel stems from the fact that Katie is CONSTANTLY on the move. It feels like every time I see her pop up on my socials, she’s headed somewhere new for research or trainings in her niche. If you’re looking for a travel agent that’s done the work and actually traveled to most of the resorts and locations she recommends, look no further. Her specializations include Sandals and Beaches resorts, Disney & Universal Theme Park vacations, boutique hotels across the United States and Europe, cruise lines such as Virgin, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Disney, and Princess. Her favorite things to do include booking honeymoons and destination weddings.
An Interview with my fave Destination Wedding Travel Agent:
Learn a little more about Katie from KLR Travels…
What made you want to be a destination wedding travel agent?
To go into the weeds of it… I was planning Disney trips for me and my friends and not getting paid for it. And my husband said why don’t you just do it? At first I didn’t think I had the time, as I was getting my masters degree at the time. But I gave it six months and things just happened. I signed up in February of 21 and by the end of summer, I was in the top 20% of my company. I was booking a lot of honeymoons and destination weddings and loving it.
What does a travel agent do?
I like to say that a travel agent is basically a travel advisor that has your best interests in mind. I don’t work off the best commission, I work in best interest of my clients. We guide you to make the best decisions and find you the best deals. When it comes to your wedding, that doesn’t end at booking. It means pointing you in the right direction, answering questions, and even traveling to the resort for your big day.
Why do people need a travel agent? Specifically a honeymoon or destination wedding travel agent?
It’s true that you can book your travel on your own using google and other resources. But with a travel agent, you gain so many advantages. For one, travel agents have direct contacts with these huge companies. I have contacts with Disney, Royal Caribbean, Sandals & Beaches, Universal… the list goes on. In some cases, I have direct phone lines. I’ll be the one making calls if something goes wrong. As travel agents, we’re your advocate to make sure your trip is seamless. At the end of the day, it’s a personal service. I’m dedicated to the details of your trip, both big and small, and prior and during travel. This is especially true for weddings and honeymoons. It’s such a pivotal moment in your life, so there’s that added layer of stress. Having a travel agent on your side is so important.
How do travel agents get paid?
We get paid a small commission by the vendors and then we have a small planning fee to make sure that our time is valued.
What does a day in the life look like for you as a travel agent?
My first priority is making sure that my in-destination clients are happy. I text all the ones in-destination to make sure they’re happy, check in every few days so as to not disturb their vacation. Then I’ll go through my emails and make sure that any new promos that are happening get applied to my clients. Then I look at the calendar to process payments, and make sure that my automated system is working properly. I also go through all my outstanding inquiries and take care of everything that they need from a quote, to more information, to making sure transfers are set up. I definitely handle a lot of different trips in a matter of one day. It can go from Disney to an all-inclusive to an Alaskan cruise to piecing together a Europe itinerary.
When a client asks a question that you don’t have the answer to, what do you say?
I find the answer or I contact someone in the industry. I have so many agent friends that have the knowledge about destinations that I might not. My goal is making sure that my clients have an amazing time on their trips and if that means I have to talk to other people to figure it out, I will.
What kind of things can you book? Is there anything you can’t book?
I can realistically book anything under the sun. The only thing I can’t and won’t book is Airbnb because I can’t guarantee quality and they’re unreliable.
How do travel agents know so much about all these places?
Self-discovery and trainings. So much of this job is going out and learning it, and making sure that you travel yourself. A lot of this is spending your own money on these trips.
So if you’re dreaming of a destination wedding and need a little bit of assistance bringing your vision to life, hiring a travel agent like Katie is an incredible step in the right direction. Make sure you head over to her website and get in touch.
And if you’re looking for a photographer that has ALL of the vendor recommendations, from talented florists to live wedding painters to planners, you’ve found your girl. Head over to the blog to check out some more Vendor Recommendations.
Some more vendor information for you…
leave a comment!