How I Made $4,461 in Additional Income This Year (Without Taking More Weddings)
If you’re a wedding planner who feels like you have maxed out your calendar, you’re not alone. At a certain point, it becomes physically impossible to take on more weddings — and raising prices isn’t always the solution you want during slow seasons or unpredictable economies.
This year, I made $4,461 in additional income without adding a single wedding to my roster…and I made a whole video about it.
No extra weekends.
No extra assistants.
No late-night timelines.
So… how?
I started earning commission on something I was already doing for free: helping my couples with hotel room blocks and honeymoons.
And the tool that made it possible (and super easy): Fora Travel.
👉 If you want to become a travel advisor too, here’s my referral link to get started: https://www.foratravel.com/c/fora-referrals?referral=ABDPNH
Wait… aren’t we already acting like travel advisors?
Think about it:
✔ We recommend hotels near the venue
✔ We connect couples with room block contacts
✔ We give honeymoon suggestions when it comes up at meetings
Most planners do all of that for free.
With Fora, you can earn a commission from those same hotel bookings without it costing your clients anything extra. You’re not “selling” travel… you’re getting compensated for the recommendations you already make.
How It Works (aka exactly what I do)
Here’s the basic flow I follow:
Reach out to hotels that are on the Fora portal or any boutique/local hotel you like working with
Ask if they offer a commission (10% is common)
Confirm rate, required room count, and attrition terms
Present options to the couple (I usually give a low, medium, and high price range)
Share the booking link with the couple
Get paid after the room block closes 🎉
The best part? This is passive. Once the booking link is shared, your job is done.
Why Room Blocks Are the Real Gold Mine
Of my $4,461, the majority came from room blocks.
Even small weddings can generate a surprising amount.
Couples already trust you so booking through you is easier for them than researching on their own.
Some planners even turn this into a paid add-on:
Room Block Setup: $250 + hotel commission
Others (like me) include it as a perk to enhance their package.
Either way, it’s a win-win.
Honeymoons: A “Wedding Part Two” Moment
You can absolutely book honeymoons through Fora too — hotels, excursions, car services, luxury upgrades, you name it.
A honeymoon planning add-on might look like:
$500–$1,000 planning fee
PLUS hotel commission
If a couple has a $30,000 honeymoon budget? Girl. 🤌🏻
Even without flights (Fora only pays commission on business-class airfare), the commission can be chef’s kiss.
I’ve even used ChatGPT to build surprise itineraries and fun mood boards for couples who want something extra.
So how do payments work?
Fora pays commissions after the stay — meaning:
You sign the room block contract
Submit it through the portal
After the wedding, Fora verifies how many rooms were actually booked
You get paid based on the final number (not the initial estimate)
It’s simple, transparent, and honestly feels like the easiest money I’ve ever made in my wedding business.
What Does It Cost to Join Fora?
You’ll see the pricing on their site, but here’s the quick version:
Pay yearly and it’s typically $249–$299 with a discount
You earn that back fast with just one room block
It’s a business write-off (talk to your CPA, of course)
Certification is done through short training videos in the portal — I finished mine in a weekend.
And once you're certified, you can choose to move up to Advanced and eventually Pro, which comes with incentives like FAM trips (yes, the dreamy travel-advisor trips where you tour luxury resorts and excursions so you can sell them to clients).
I am manifesting that stage hard.
Final Thoughts: If you’re not doing this, you’re leaving money on the table
Becoming a travel advisor didn’t replace my wedding business — it enhanced it.
I serve my couples at a higher level
I make their lives easier
And I get paid more without working more weekends
And if that’s not the business model we all want as planners… I don’t know what is.
Want to Join Fora?
If this sounds like the move for your business, you can apply here:
👉 https://www.foratravel.com/c/fora-referrals?referral=ABDPNH
If you want the deep dive — how I negotiate room blocks, what emails I send hotels, how to talk pricing with couples, and how to market this add-on — I’m hosting a YouTube Members–Only mini-series + live Q&A on exactly this.
Come hang out with us inside the membership… it’s like business coaching for wedding planners but fun and affordable.
If you use my referral link to join Fora, message me so I can cheer you on!
XO Gabby
