Don’t judge us if it sounds beaten, but wedding day is one of the most special moments in every person’s life. Many girls dream about it from early childhood, while playing with friends and dressing up dolls, imagining something completely special.
When it comes to real life, wedding checklist gets longer every day and the question “Where to start planning a wedding?” causes nothing but despair. In such moments, wedding planner becomes a superhero (or maybe a fairy godmother?), who knows exactly how to plan a wedding and deal with stress.
The number of people, who would rather hire a professional than handle everything on their own, is constantly increasing, as well as those interested in how to start a wedding planning business. If you’re curious how to become a wedding planner, here are the couple of things to remember.
What should I expect?
Wedding planning business is much different from manufacturing and sales in terms of both daily routine and business plan. It is suitable for people, who like to interact with others, understand the needs and desires of others, have a clue about design, and keep the balance between empathy and sense.
A typical day of a wedding planner involves tasks and activities that are very diverse. It may start with setting realistic budget, continue with coordinating florists and bands, and end up with guiding a couple through different locations in town to find the one that suits them.
Wedding planners need to find the way to explain that certain “perfect ideas” do not match with an announced budget. They need to be realistic and flexible. They should be ready for paperwork and explaining, for designing invitations and become supervisors on that special day.
How does it work?
Some are aware of how to be a wedding planner, but aren’t sure how to make money with this occupation. The simplest explanation: you charge customers for planning and execution of what is “the best wedding” for them. However, you need to define the amount of charges wisely.
Some planners set a flat fee, regardless of wedding type, cost, and efforts spent. Some decide to charge the percentage based on the overall wedding cost, which is fair but not always appropriate for a couple. One more option is to charge clients by hour.
An average income varies depending on region and time of the year, but the growth potential is steady. May, June and September are the most popular months for weddings, so get ready to be much more busy during this period than you usually are.
How to start?
- Start as an on-site coordinator. Study the industry from the inside to get better understanding of it. It is an entry-level position, but the best way to learn the nuances and gain the complete understanding of wedding planning.
- Additional education is welcome. It is not obligatory, especially if you have some experience in the field. Nevertheless, completing courses or getting a degree on event planning will be helpful, as well as learning the basics of finance and management.
- Figure out financial details. Plan your business by defining target market, initial costs, contacts and cooperations, and how soon you are planning to get the first salary.
- Make it legal. Establish a legal entity, obtain required permits, register for taxes, and get an insurance to prevent problems with state bodies, certification and liability.
- Set up business accounting. Besides a bank account, you should record all expenses and sources of income to keep it clear for you and especially for clients. They want to see a clear list of things they have paid for.
- Create a brand. Now, it’s time to introduce your company with its specific style, values, aspects that make it different from competitors and so on.
- Go online. Web presence is the most effective way to find clients. Moreover, it is the first criteria of your company’s credibility. You can use social networks, but make them an extra, useful for marketing purposes.
Wedding planner business plan is not precise and definite, for the success depends rather on how well you establish connections with people than how big is your starting capital. Actually, the expenses are only for launching the website and legalizing documents, and prices may differ depending on location.
What’s next?
As you can see, starting a wedding planning business is neither expensive nor complicated. The most challenging task is to find partners. Make a list of all required supportive services – restaurants & locations, confectioneries, florists, decor specialists etc. Find professionals among your friends and acquaintances. Talk over the terms.
Then just wait for the first couple and make their wedding day special.
