Meet The Team

Tara, Owner and Managing Director of WanderLuxe Destinations, began her professional career in luxury travel after deciding to transition from the non-profit world where Tara worked for the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, liaising between Seton Hall University and the State of NJ. While travel has always been Tara’s passion, she came to a crossroads where she decided to transition her passion into a career and became a Luxury Travel Advisor with Travelong of Summit in Summit, NJ. As she quickly adapted to the business and her client base grew, Tara was offered a Sales Manager position with Wegner Associates, and began juggling both sides of the trade until fully immersing herself into representation; something she quickly fell in love with! Wendy Wegner and Tara began discussing the succession and future of Wegner Associates, and in March of 2019, Tara acquired ownership, rebranded the company and launched WanderLuxe Destinations on July 1st of 2019.

Travel has been such an integral part of Tara’s life from a young age. Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, her father was a mechanical engineer that traveled the world. She would flip through his photo albums as a child and be in awe of his photos of the Sphinx in Egypt, the Great Wall in China and the Taj Mahal in India. She can remember vowing to herself as young as the age of 5 that travel would be a very important part of her life.

Tara attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated with dual degrees in Political Science and International Studies and minored in both East Asian Studies and Mandarin. Immediately after graduation in 2002, she traveled to China for 6 weeks to begin work on her Masters, exploring Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Dongguan and Hong Kong. Tara always had an appreciation for culture, ethnicity and diversity, however, this trip just solidified that drive within her to make her life one of travel and wanderlust.

Tara resides with her husband, Sal, her children, Salvatore and Ava, and her adorable Himalayan princesses, Lulu Belle and Nala Blu, in Florham Park, NJ. As a family, they travel at least twice yearly to exotic destinations, and Tara and Sal believe that giving their children the privilege of travel will impact both their hearts and minds, shaping them profoundly into the people they will be moving forward. Tara also considers her WanderLuxe family as an extension to her immediate family, as the time spent traveling together, working together, communicating nearly daily and the friendships made are immensely important in her life. As Tara is often quoted, “WanderLuxe is my third baby…and I nurture it the same way as I have my own children”.

In addition to travel, Tara enjoys cooking, gastronomy, wine, cocktails, fashion, interior design and the arts. You can see Tara opening her life and business through her own social media and WanderLuxe’s social media, as living “out loud” is a way we can all connect in the luxury travel industry!

Salvatore D’Agostino is thrilled to begin his journey in the luxury travel industry by recently joining WanderLuxe Destinations, a luxury hotel representation company. A New York native, Salvatore has enjoyed a lifelong passion for travel and cuisine, and has wondered in the moments when those two worlds have been able to collide.

He holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and a minor in creative writing from the prestigious Babson College in Wellesley, MA. He continued his eduction by earning a Masters Degree in Communication from The Ohio State University.

Salvatore spends most of his free time while not traveling or working by being engrossed in a good book, or by trying to perfect his golf swing.

Jamie was born and raised in Bucks County, PA (a suburb of Philadelphia), but knew she would end up in the South. She earned her BA from Elon University in North Carolina where she spent a winter term in Greece and semester abroad in London. Jamie and her husband spent 6 years in Palm Beach County, FL before settling in Charleston, SC where they reside with their two boys.

Jamie has a passion for enhancing relationships between advisors, suppliers, and consortia to strategically improve and grow the business for all parties through education and resource development. She believes that travel enables collaboration, innovation, education, and celebration.

Olivia joins the WanderLuxe Destinations team with over 8 years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry.

As the child of avid travelers, Olivia’s passion for travel was ignited early on. Her parents didn’t let having three children dampen their adventurous spirits; instead, they brought Olivia and her brothers along on their crazy adventures! Ever since, her love affair with exploring the world has grown and deepened.

Olivia graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BA in International Studies, immediately relocating to Nashville to manage a luxury home-exchange company. Her work there inspired her to pursue a career as a travel advisor, assisting clients in-depth with every component of a trip.

She now lives with her husband Steve, and Fletcher (a 105lb “lapdog” of a Rottweiler) in Milwaukee, WI. When not travelling, Olivia enjoys baking (and eating), photography, reading, hiking, and doing DIY projects around the house.

Katya grew up in the travel industry and first moved abroad with her parents at the age of one. She lived in several countries and traveled to more before the age of 16. Curiosity about the world and wanderlust are in her blood. She has recently returned to travel after a successful career as a Global Relationship Manager in finance and international banking where she most enjoyed fostering successful relationships. Katya is excited to contribute her passion for inspiring connection and collaboration to relationships between advisors and suppliers. She also loves being a Travel Advisor. Katya believes that life is made richer through travel and service. She travels extensively and has volunteered for many years with Habitat for Humanity, and Building Trust International on sustainable design, housing advocacy, community development and advancing economic opportunities for women. Katya lives in Los Angeles with a base in San Francisco. She enjoys being active in nature, a beach day, taking photos, cooking for people, a great conversation, dancing, practicing yoga and teaching a weekly yoga and meditation class. She’s excited about inspiring others to embrace more mindfulness and joy in life and travel. Katya feels extremely grateful that through her actions she's able to make a positive impact in the world and help people realize their travel dreams and greatest potential.

Denise Buchanan is a seasoned travel professional with over two decades of experience in the industry. Since beginning her career, she has amassed a diverse range of expertise, having worked in various capacities at ski resorts, luxury hotels, and destination management companies (DMCs). Denise's journey in the industry has taken her to different corners of the globe, where she has gained invaluable cultural insights and a deep understanding of the travel landscape.

Lauren joins WanderLuxe Destinations as both a travel enthusiast and lover of numbers. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and has several years of experience in client financial services. She has partnered with finance teams around the world and cross-functional team leaders, resulting in a deep appreciation for understanding the client’s background and needs in order to curate successful relationships. She has always had a drive to combine her financial strengths with her global passions – she went to University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she majored in Accounting and minored in French. Her deep-rooted passion for exploring the world started as a kid, traveling to campgrounds around Wisconsin with her family. She visited Europe for the first time in high-school, and after living in Paris for 6 months during college, her pursuit of that invigorating feeling of stepping foot on the ground in a new location hasn’t stopped. She loves anything and everything in the outdoors, and always makes sure to spend time exploring nature in every place she travels to. Lauren is a born and raised Wisconsinite, and currently resides in Milwaukee, WI.

Born in Boston and holding dual Italian citizenship, Sophie discovered her passion for travel and hospitality while studying in Rome and working at a boutique hotel. She began her career in New York at the Starwood Global Sales Office, later representing iconic properties like Jumby Bay, Rosewood Little Dix Bay, and L’Ermitage Beverly Hills. Her journey continued with roles at Viceroy and over seven years at Aman, where she most recently served as Director of Sales & Marketing at Amanyara. With a global perspective and deep industry experience, Sophie is dedicated to building lasting partnerships and delivering exceptional travel experiences. When not traveling, she enjoys food tours, staying active, and spending time with her husband and two Bernedoodles.