Starting Your Career as a Wedding Planner

Thanks to the Jennifer Lopez movie “The Wedding Planner”, wedding planning has become big business, with the job market more than tripling since the movie came out. For these people, helping couples plan their special day sounds like an ideal job. What could be more wonderful than helping two people start their new life together? If you think this sounds like the perfect job for you, read on, and I'll take you through the steps to becoming a successful wedding planner. First – Decide if this work is right for you. Sure, the planning weddings can be a lot of fun, but it is going to be a lot of stressful work as well. To really succeed in this highly competitive business, you will need to have extreme attention to detail, exceptional organization skills, and patience. You can't loose your cool when the bride tries on her 98th wedding dress. If this sounds like you, then read on. Second – Become certified or take some training courses. There are several associations that offer courses to become certified, including June Wedding, Inc., An Association for Wedding/Event Professionals, Association of Bridal Consultants, and The Association for Certified Professional Wedding Consultants (ACPWC). Third - Familiarize yourself with your local vendors. Develop a professional relationship with the companies you will commonly be working with. Know everything all their deals and offers, and get brochures to show to clients. If you can help bring them customers, businesses will be happy to work with you and may even be able to offer discounts to your clients if you are consistently sending money their way. Fourth – If you want to make this your career, you may decide to register your business with the government. This will give you an Employer Identification Number to use on your taxes (if you decide to stay freelance, you will just use your social security number), licenses and permits, and the ability to hire employees to help you. Fifth - Advertise your services. Many local businesses have cork boards for people to post fliers regarding community services and events. Take advantage of this sort of free advertising, especially in wedding related stores like dress or flower shops. Have your friends spread your wedding planning services by word of mouth. Place an ADD in your local newspaper. Sixth - If you want any sort of serious business, you are going to need to create a website. Include your contact info, and some of the services you offer. If you can get reviews from previous customers, those would be a great way to convince potential customers. Consider having a way for each couple to keep track of the details of their wedding online. Your increased business will be well worth paying someone to set up a professional looking site for you. To really be a successful wedding planner, you need to have your clients best interests at heart. If you work to create a special experience for each and every couple, you should have no problem getting clients.