These days, it seems like every time you turn a corner you meet a young woman (maybe an older one) that wants to be a wedding planner. The fact is, it can be a great profession (or even serious hobby) for the right person. It can also be incredibly frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive. Becoming a wedding planner can make for a great future but only if its right for you.
Many people believe that becoming a [tag]wedding planner[/tag] is all about using skills they already have to help people plan their weddings. This is only partly true. It will also take a lot of planning, advance research, and hard work.
Before you take your first client, research all the vendors in the area. Introduce yourself and begin to build a rapport with them. Having a good rapport with vendors is almost as important as having a good rapport with your clients. Be ready with suggestions and advice for your first clients. Because wedding planning is a very referral-based line of work, it’s important that you eliminate as much of the learning curve as possible.
Once you’re ready to start planning weddings, there really isn’t one right way to do it (besides licensing yourself and purchasing a few business cards). The most important thing to remember is that your style needs to change in order to be as compatible as possible with the bride and groom (often, mostly the bride). You’ll want to match the intensity level of the decision-makers. It is just as important to match the intensity of a low-key bride as it is to match the intensity of a so-called “[tag]bridezilla[/tag].”
Finally, never forget that your end result will be the biggest day of at least two people’s lives. [tag]Planning a wedding[/tag] isn’t like planning a business function or a Halloween party. If it goes badly, your clients are going to remember it for the rest of their lives (and tell their friends, too).
It could be valuable to plan your first wedding for a family member or close friend, someone in whom you have a personal stake. Do it for free or at a reduced cost. When you’re having a tough summer month three or four years down the road, just remember what it was like to plan that wedding; if you can duplicate it for the rest of your clients, you’ll be one of the best wedding planners around.
The team at Signature Wedding Aisle Runners