Our Story
The story behind Dahlia Destinations
from our founder Dahlia Runco’s passion sprouted in her childhood.
Many of Dahlia’s early childhood memories involve her mother devoting hours to meticulously planning menus, cooking for guests and scrutinizing every party detail - from the napkins to the speciality drink, for even the smallest of occasions. This almost second nature to create a memorable gathering left an indelible mark on Dahlia.
Having always worked in events in one fashion or another - first as an event planner at one of New York’s top universities to project manager opening and developing new restaurant concepts for a Danish restaurateur, and most recently as a marketing director for a New York based hospitality group - when it came time to plan her own wedding in 2018 on Croatia’s little island of Brac, Dahlia thought why not?
She knew her experiences living and working abroad in Europe along with her fluency in English, Italian, and Danish, would be invaluable.
The whole journey from aligning with her then fiancée on the vision, orchestrating every single detail, combatting language barriers with vendors, problem solving all the little challenges (or big ones - such as her mom not being allowed on her flight from New York due to an expiring passport) - was an immensely enjoyable and rewarding process. The three day wedding celebration was not only magical - but it was the transformative moment that inspired the inception of Dahlia Destinations.
Dahlia Destinations is a harmonious union of event planning and passion (and curiosity) for immersive, off the beaten path travel experiences. We not only curate and execute beautiful seamless guest experiences but we love creating moments of intimacy and connection - which are the heartbeat of any great celebration. Whether a lively wedding reception or an elegant intimate 40th birthday dinner, we live for that special instance when the lights are dim, the wine is flowing, laughter fills the air, and people are smiling from ear to ear, intoxicated in conversation.
Our mission is to create for others magical celebratory moments that last a lifetime.
