As something beautiful and sacred, marriage is able to give plenty of career opportunities and jobs in various aspects. One of the most popular is professional wedding planner business or professional wedding coordinator. There are many people dream of becoming a wedding planner but most of them do not know where to start to learn how to become a wedding planner. Basically, become a wedding planner is not difficult nor is it an easy dream to be realized, but there are some important things to consider before you actually decide to learn how to be a wedding planner.
Find out if being a Wedding Planner is a Good Career Choice for You.
Wedding planner must have – here are some criteria needed to become a professional wedding planner:
1. Love the things about Marriage
This is the most important aspect that you should have. Not only about the people wearing the gown and tuxedo binding oath of allegiance, but also about other things that support it, such as catering, photography, decorations, and others. Passion will help you in creating perfect wedding party and make your clients feel lucky to have you.
2. Courage to Bet with Personal Matters, Give Yourself, Even in The Long Term
When you say “yes” on a contract, then that’s when you should really give the totality of your abilities on planning a wedding. Some people decide to use the services of a wedding planner from 9 to 18 months before the wedding day. You have to decide to concentrate on their wedding plan, and get ready to the possibility of losing some of your plans in a long period of time. It is a commitment that you should keep to prove your dream of becoming a wedding planner.
3. Communication and Negotiation Skills
Communications capabilities would be an important factor that become popular answer when talking about how to become a wedding planner. You will work with others, plan to one destination, so you must be able to coordinate a lot of opinions and problems that may arise. Verbal communication, writing, and listening ability are also being important skills for a professional wedding planner. You should also be able to be assertive and still being fun around.
4. You Care to Details
A marriage is not going to look beautiful by itself. There are so many little things that are sometimes taken for granted, but can affect the marriage itself. Getting rid of food waste, producing a perfect image, avoiding a late schedule, are some examples of details that you must take care about. But it would not be a problem if you really love being a wedding planner.
5. Interpersonal Ability
A wedding planner will not make the clients happy without hearing what client’s expectation. Your team work will not succeed if you are working on your own. Make sure you have a good relationship with each other and find a good road when communicating.
6. Always Preparing a “Plan B”
Maybe your plan on a wedding does not always run smoothly. The wrong foods, the time which was too late because of traffic—and more sudden changes should be your problem that you have to anticipate. You have to think of everything quickly and critically, make changes without reducing the comfort of the guests as well as your clients.
7. The Ability in Business
Wedding planner is not just a profession; this is a great business that will not stop. People will not stop marrying, right? You will become a leader for the “enterprise” of your own, and should not be remiss in seeking clients. Make sure you always work with a maximum ability. You must be keen to see a variety of opportunities, and spend a lot of your time to develop your skills. Expand your network, so that people will more easily see you.
How to Become a Wedding Planner – What to Do
You already know a lot about marriage, know about some criteria needed to become a successful wedding planner and now we’re going to discuss how the initial step that is right for you to become a wedding planner.
1. Learn More About the Wedding Planning and Gain some Experience
Cost information on catering, decorations, photography, and flowers are being the fields that you have to understand. You can try to become a wedding planner assistant first and work at many places to gain knowledge and experience on planning a wedding. It would be better if you learn more often by reading a bridal magazine or visit bridal shows which are sometimes held. You can also get information from people who you think are more experienced and know a lot of weddings.
You may need join wedding planner courses or wedding planner school that usually provide you a wedding planner certification after finishing your training with an excellent result. You will be taught about some things that are important to be known by a wedding planner, such as invitation, wedding customs of many religions or cultures, relationship with vendors and clients, and many more wedding details. They may also help you to get your first client or job quickly, because some of wedding planner courses or schools may have some customers who trust their graduates.
2. Develop the Abilities You Have
There are many capabilities that should you have in becoming a wedding planner. You should be able to continue to increase your communication skills, as you will work with different types of people. Give special attention on developing your organization ability, and make sure you are trying to be a kind of person who act smartly.
3. Create a Portfolio
The results of your work as a wedding planner will sometimes be questioned by a lot of people before they used your service. You can start to documenting your work through some photos and displayed on your portfolio. Become a professional wedding planner is related to how well you are able to design your own job prospects as well. This portfolio also allows you to offer your services, look for your newest client and start your own wedding planning business.
How to Become a Wedding Planner – Starting Your Own Wedding Planning Business
Become a professional wedding planner and starting your own wedding planning business will definitely be your final achievement. Opening your own wedding planning business will be a challenge for you to prove your abilities. You probably already know how to become a wedding planner, but you also need to know these things below if you want to starti you own professional wedding planning business:
1. Prepare Your Wedding Planning Business
Determine your wedding planner business’ name, the system you will use, and office location you desire. You should consider the location of your offices to be different location of your home, to improve the optimization of your work as a wedding planner. Prepare everything that you need, such as room and a dedicated phone. You can also use some resources such as the U.S. Small Business Administration to help you establish a good business. Make sure you have decided what services will available in your wedding planner business. You should consider many things well before going to the next step.
2. Next step: Get Your Wedding Planning Business Registered
There are some specific steps that may be held by your state if you will set up your own business. Obey the rules that apply and make sure your wedding planner services legally registered and licensed.
3. Promote your Wedding Planner Services
In addition to making business cards for your wedding planner services, please feel free to advertise your services through some magazines and through several people. You can follow ads in online media—not limited to print media. Follow a few sites of marriage while continuing to expand your network. Keep your services listed in the yellow pages and join a few bridal shows to look for opportunities to have a new project.
4. Create your own Web Page.
This is almost equal to promote your business, but with way more detail. As in real life brochures, web pages can provide important information of your office to many people. You can use some of the services of a web page maker and write down the address and phone number of your office. Make sure you write clearly about the profile of your office, along with the photos that you can provide as your portfolio. Your web page will help you get clients by the online way which is currently widely used.
5. Have a Good Relationship with Vendors.
As a provider of goods or services, vendors are an important part of wedding you are going to do. Make sure you continue to develop relationships with vendors and use the opportunity as possible. Vendors may be an important influence in the implementation of a successful marriage.
6. Talk to Clients.
You can use various ways to introduce yourself. You may have made some business cards for your wedding panning services, your web page, use the services of vendors, and other ways. However, you can not just get the client to directly work on them. You must finely communicated on them, being a consultant for a while—consulting on the type of wedding they want and other things that will support. Talk to clients about the fees you are using, and achieve the necessary agreement.
7. Legally Protected.
As a business, it would be better if you make sure your business has been protected by a larger law corporation. Try to have a lawyer who can assist you in anticipation of legal cases that may arise. In addition, use of insurance that can help you to protect your business from some of the losses and damages which may arise suddenly.
8. Association of Wedding Planner.
There are many wedding planners who work professionally. You might think them as a kind of rivals, but you can learn many things from them. Join some wedding planner associations like the American Association of Wedding Professionals, ACPWC, AFWPI, and others.You can follow some information that might arise and make it as reference material for your work. In addition, by joining an association like this, the chances that you get is your services will be more widely known and it will open up more opportunities to have new clients.
And now, after you read all guide above, do you still think that you need more detailed information about begin a career in the wedding planning industry? Still think you have what it takes to become a wedding planner? Don’t worry, our team is working on more detailed information here: wedding planner courses and school, wedding planner certification, wedding planner jobs, wedding planner salary, wedding planner checklist, how to become a wedding planner FAQ
Can’t wait for updates? Read wedding planner book by FabJob, Guide on How to Become a Wedding Planner and Start a Wedding Planning Business.