There is no disagreement that weddings and planning them have to be the most challenging jobs ever. Jokes aside, wedding planning has dominated the event planning industry for quite a long time, and that makes sense because it is amongst the most enriching events.
Wedding planners are concerned with every detail involved during the event and have the heavy responsibility of making it a dream wedding for that couple.
We cannot deny that this business also has specific challenges; however, it is also quite beautiful when you help realize someone’s dream and give them a surreal experience for a day.
So, if you have always fancied this and want to pursue it as a career, we have a few simple steps that you can take to become a wedding planner.
1. Be Clear About Your Goals
As with any business, being a wedding planner also requires a certain degree of commitment and perseverance. All of these traits rest heavily on how clear you are about your overall business goals.
Perhaps you have always dreamed of being the wedding planner for celebrities? Or is it that you want to make the special day extra magical for people in your area only? Or, perhaps you aspire to be an international wedding planner.
Whatever it is that you envision for your wedding planning business, it needs to be specified. So, it is of utmost importance to have clear goals chalked out and formulate a business plan.
2. Get the Research Done
It goes without saying that whenever you are about to embark on a new journey, you should have all the facts (or as many as you can lay your hands on). After defining the goals for your wedding planning business, it would be imperative to conduct some research.
You may want to start with some questions that add to the knowledge you already have about the wedding planning industry. Maybe you want to look for courses for wedding and event organizers, or perhaps you just want to make sure that this business is in demand around your area.
It overlaps with the goal-setting activity, but for this one, you will be setting out to find answers to the list of questions.
3. Go for Training!
It is not mandatory to get training or certification for this, but if you are an absolute newbie with no experience in the industry, you may benefit from training a great deal.
You may already have a few options from your research about this industry. Short courses or certifications will help you learn handy tips about this business and will make the start much smoother for you.
4. Have a Business Plan in Place
You can use many details from the goal setting and research activities and formulate a holistic business plan. If you are unsure, then searching online for a template may also be a helpful step.
Ideally, your business plan should have an executive summary with your mission statement, a company summary, and details of services (or products) that you render. It should also have details of your target audience, a sales strategy, and a forecast or milestones.
If you want, you can also include a financial plan and management summary, but if this is not your forte, then you can outsource this.
5. Set a Marketing Plan for Success
Without proper marketing, you cannot hope for a successful business these days. To market your business as a wedding planner, you need to understand what your customers (the couples) want in such a service.
An excellent place to start is social media (especially Pinterest) to gather ideas about the trends and preferences of your ideal customers.
You may also consider starting a blog or seeking testimonials from past clients. Whatever steps you have to take, you must plan for them beforehand.
6. Tools and Tricks of the Trade
This is something quite essential to your wedding planning business and its existence. You must know how to navigate your way through the business challenges.
You have to establish a relationship with vendors, venue owners, or other local planners before your business begins to receive any noticeable traction at all.
Furthermore, you must develop some connections because you will find that they are all worth the time and effort in the long run.
7. Keep Learning
Like any other business, trends and tools are pretty dynamic in the wedding planning industry as well, and it would be sole to your benefit to never stop learning.
Because once you stop, your business ideas will become monotonous and lose the creative touch and the trendy feel. Attend industry conferences, workshops, or webinars and take courses if you have to stay updated.
To be a successful wedding planner, you have to make sure that you are dedicated to the industry.
Having a high level of commitment pays off in the long run because you want to go the extra mile. If it is your dream business, then you should work towards achieving it.