How Do Resorts Use ABM for Destination Wedding Planners?
Resorts use account-based marketing (ABM) for destination wedding planners by treating each planner, agency, or planning firm as a high-value account—aligning packages, content, and outreach to their couples, preferred destinations, and booking cycles to convert them into repeat, multi-wedding partners.
Resorts apply ABM to destination wedding planners by building planner-centric journeys, not just couple-centric campaigns. They prioritize the planners and agencies that influence multiple weddings per year, then orchestrate targeted outreach, curated venue content, pricing guidance, and co-branded experiences that make it easy—and rewarding—for planners to recommend their resort again and again.
How ABM Changes the Game with Destination Wedding Planners
The ABM Playbook for Destination Wedding Planners
Resorts that win with ABM build a repeatable system that aligns wedding, sales, and marketing teams around the planners who can deliver the most weddings over time.
Identify → Map → Personalize → Engage → Expand
- Identify priority planner accounts: Use CRM, inquiry history, referrals, and industry lists to find planners and agencies with high wedding volume and ideal-fit couples for your resort.
- Map stakeholders and needs: Understand who makes decisions (lead planner, owner, operations, marketing) and what each cares about—budget, logistics, guest experience, or creative control.
- Personalize content & offers: Develop planner-specific landing pages, playbooks, and sample packages that match their typical wedding size, style, and seasonality.
- Engage with coordinated plays: Run touch patterns that combine email, social, events, FAM trips, and 1:1 outreach from sales and on-property wedding specialists.
- Expand the relationship: Track performance by planner, celebrate shared wins, co-create content, and introduce multi-property or multi-destination options across your portfolio.
Resort ABM Maturity Matrix for Destination Wedding Planners
| Dimension | Planner-Responsive | Planner-Focused | Planner-Led Growth Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Strategy | Respond to planner inquiries as they arrive. | Maintain a list of key planners with periodic outreach. | Formal ABM tiers with individualized plans and goals per planner or agency. |
| Segmentation | Basic separation by geography or event type. | Segments by volume, wedding style, and budget level. | Behavioral, lifecycle, and potential-value segmentation with dynamic tiers. |
| Personalization | Standard venue brochures sent to all planners. | Planner-specific decks and sample packages. | Hyper-personalized journeys with tailored content, pricing narratives, and incentives. |
| Engagement Plays | Occasional email blasts and trade show meetings. | Coordinated outreach around new packages and seasons. | Always-on ABM plays (FAM trips, styled shoots, joint content) triggered by planner behavior. |
| Data & Measurement | Track weddings per year loosely by planner. | Report on bookings, room nights, and average spend by key planners. | Full account-level pipeline, forecast, profitability, and multi-property influence. |
| Business Impact | Unpredictable planner-sourced volume. | Growing share with a handful of planners. | Destination planners become a sustainable, compounding growth driver. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use ABM for destination wedding planners instead of broad marketing?
A single planner or agency can influence dozens of weddings over multiple years. ABM helps resorts prioritize those relationships, personalize engagement, and grow long-term revenue instead of chasing one couple at a time.
What data do resorts need to run ABM for planners?
Key data includes weddings per year, average spend, preferred destinations, lead sources, close rates, seasonality, and the mix of couples each planner typically serves (luxury, budget, micro-weddings, large groups, etc.).
How do resorts measure ABM success with wedding planners?
Resorts track pipeline and bookings by planner, room nights, F&B and ancillary revenue, repeat bookings, referral volume, and portfolio adoption across multiple properties or brands.
Ready to Build an ABM Engine Around Your Best Planners?
Align your resort’s marketing, sales, and wedding teams so destination planners become a predictable source of high-value bookings.
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