How to plan your first wellness retreat

Six months out: decide what you can deliver

Choose one audience, one clear theme, and a format you can run well. A one-day local event is a perfectly good first retreat. Ask your community about dates, budget, accessibility needs, and how far they are willing to travel before booking a venue.

Make a cost sheet: venue, food, collaborators, equipment, insurance, processing fees, tax, marketing, and contingency. Divide total costs plus your desired pay by the realistic number of guests to find your minimum ticket price. Do not base it on selling every seat.

Five months out: check the practical details

• Visit the venue and check capacity, step-free access, bathrooms, quiet space, weather backup, and dietary options.
• Get written agreements with the venue and collaborators. Review insurance, first aid, permits, and your cancellation policy.
• If travel or lodging is involved, say exactly what is included. Check local travel-package rules with a qualified professional before taking deposits.

Four to three months out: shape the day

Build an itinerary that alternates guided sessions with meals, transitions, and unstructured time. Plan how guests arrive, what they need to bring, and who handles questions or emergencies. Share accurate photos of the real venue, not an idealized stand-in.

For a local day, a simple outline might be arrival and tea, an opening practice, a break, a workshop, lunch, quiet time, a second session, and a closing reflection. Adjust it to your practice and guests rather than filling every minute.

Two months out: invite people in

Once dates, venue, pricing, and terms are confirmed, tell your existing community first. Your page should state who the retreat is for, exact dates and location, what is and is not included, accessibility details, price, payment terms, and how to book. Share the itinerary and answer real questions publicly, without inventing scarcity.

One month out: care for guests

Send a confirmation, directions, packing list, dietary-request deadline, and an emergency contact process. Reconfirm suppliers and accessibility arrangements two weeks before. After the event, thank guests and ask what they would change next time.

This is a starting framework, not legal, travel, insurance, or medical advice. Have qualified local professionals review contracts and obligations before collecting payments. For help announcing your event, see the social media guide.