Be a Wedding Planner (Without Having to Find a Job)
Do you want to be a wedding planner? You do not have to look for a wedding planner job, you can be a wedding planner and work for yourself.
Steps
Set Up Your Own Wedding Planning Business
- Attend a Wedding Planning Course: By far the easiest and most popular way to become a wedding planner is to undertake a decent wedding planning course and set up in business on your own. This is because more than 90% of wedding consultancies in the UK are small 1 or 2 man bands who have little need for an extra pair of hands.
- Understand vacancies do arise within wedding planning companies. Competition is fierce for the positions that do crop up wedding experience is practically a prerequisite if you are to land such a coveted job, but, its okay, you dont want a job.
- Take heed-as in any industry, the route of self-employment is not for the faint hearted and a diverse set of skills are required in order to succeed in running your own business. As a wedding planner you must possess first rate administrative, organisational and planning skills, alongside the ability to multi-task effectively. Exceptional research and sourcing skills are also essential.
- Have the right attributes. Be well organised, adaptable, a people person - have good taste, be diplomatic and cool-headed.
- Research: this is key. The more research you undertake the better your knowledge and understanding of the wedding planning world you are about to enter.
- Develop business skills - setting up and managing a business on a daily basis; dealing with accounts, the bank and HMRC for instance.
- Be competent in marketing and advertising.
- Honr you negotiation skills. You need to be able to get your client the best possible deal from a wedding venue or wedding service/supplier. This often requires a somewhat 'hard nose' and a willingness to push the boundaries even if you don't necessarily feel comfortable about doing so.
- Be proficient with a range of computer software (Office, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator for example).
- Possess an outgoing, personable nature with good empathic skills. You must be able to communicate and get on with everyone at the wedding - from the lowly glass collector to the Father of the Bride who might manage a high profile law firm in the City.
- Be able to display a creative and artistic flair with an eye for detail.
- Have the ability to keep calm under pressure, think on your feet and thrive on stress.
- Have positive, can do attitude. Stay optimistic!
Tips
- Get on Google and type 'wedding planning courses' for a shortlist of options.
- Be realistic. Many new wedding planners start up each year yet few manage to make it to the second year of trading simply because they fail to set realistic, achievable or practical targets for themselves. It takes time and a huge amount of effort to set up and grow a business, in any industry you care to consider.
- Be prepared to work long, hard hours, particularly during the first couple of years when starting up your wedding business.
- For an alternative route into this industry one should consider applying to local wedding venues (hotels and country houses for instance), for a position as an in-house assistant wedding planner.
- Consider contacting local catering firms or even large, local florists. Many catering firms and some florists offer a full planning service and may be looking for an extra pair of hands during peak season or on Saturdays.
- Request brochures from a variety of top course providers such as The UKAWP, Absolute Perfection, QC or the INST. Then carefully evaluate each course's content and structure.
