subject: How To Become A Wedding Planner [print this page] Although wedding planning is stressful for many people, you may be someone who likes event planning. If you are entrepreneurial and well organized, then one possibility you might want to take into consideration is becoming a wedding coordinator.
You may be thinking, Is there demand for wedding coordinators in this economy? Gone are the days of wedding coordination solely for rich people. There is in fact a high demand for wedding planners who focus on finding inexpensive wedding services. An experienced wedding coordinator could for example, save a several hundreds of dollar on flowers and favors by establishing relationships with vendors. Most people are too busy working and doing other things to plan the entire wedding without outside assistance. You have the ability to help them with more important projects such as choosing their reception site to the smaller jobs like picking their wedding favors. Wedding planners also have event planning skills that allow them to plan other events. This means you can also expand your business to helping with bridal parties, house parties, anniversaries, and office holiday parties.
The next question you should ask yourself is, "What training do I need to be successful as a wedding planner?" Ask yourself these questions: Do you like people? Are you well organized? Attentive to detail? Creative? Do you have a lot of patience? If you answered yes, you could become a successful planner. A skilled wedding coordinator has all of these qualities and more. Your ability to network with other vendors is important as well as being a savvy business person. If marketing, accounting and overall financial management is not your thing, you may want to think about taking courses or hiring someone to assist you.
Next, ask yourself, "Do I have sufficient cash to get started?". Most wedding planners save a few grand before they get started and others save two years worth of expenses. You might need to volunteer or find a mentor at the beginning so make sure that you have enough money to survive for months when you wont get paid in cash but in experience. Training also can cost anywhere from $500-1,000 depending on where you go. Additionally, research online, read books on the subject and network with others to figure out how much you need to save.
Now that you know you have what it takes to be a successful planner, the next steps include getting educated and/or experience in this area. Look for reading material, courses, and information on business and weddings in general. You should also contact wedding shops such as florists, caterers or even other wedding coordinators and ask if you can work for them so that you can learn the business. Go to any wedding events and trade shows and make sure to have some business cards ready. You may also think about printing your own brochures and flyers offering your services. Network with marketing professionals as well as to help you get ideas on wedding planning and marketing.
Finally, make sure to let everyone know what you are planning on doing so that they can refer business to you. Sometimes your friends will be able to refer others to your business. If you are currently working full-time, offer to help plan your office parties and company outings. Remember, any experience you acquire planning an event helps. Then, make sure to take pictures of the event that you planned and add them to a portfolio. This will help potential clients get a good feel for your skills. Acquiring experience in event planning is a wonderful way to network, learn about wedding coordinating and is a definite step in the right direction to becoming a successful wedding coordinator.
by: Criss White
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