Although wedding planning is stressful for most people, you may be one of those people who enjoys coordinating events. If so, you will be pleased to know that anyone who is passionate about weddings, strong business skills and is well organized, can start their own wedding planning business.
You might be thinking, “Is there demand for wedding planners?” Wedding planners are no longer solely for affluent people. There is actually a strong demand for wedding planners who focus on saving money. A skilled wedding planner can for example, save a couple thousands of dollars on flowers or favors by establishing relationships with vendors. Most folks are too busy working and doing other things to plan the entire wedding themselves. You have the time to assist them with more important projects such as selecting their reception location to the smaller jobs like selecting their wedding favors. Wedding planners also develop event planning abilities that allow them to plan other events. This gives you the potential to expand your business to include helping with bridal showers, house parties, funerals, and office holiday parties.
Knowing that wedding planners are in demand, you might ask yourself, “Do I have the necessary skills to be a wedding planner?” Here are a few questions you should ask yourself: Do you like people? Are you organized? Detail-oriented? Creative? Do you have a lot of patience? If so, you are on your way to becoming a successful coordinator. A skilled wedding coordinator is all of these and more. You must also be good at finding the best suppliers and negotiating discounts. If marketing, bookkeeping and overall financial management is not your cup of tea, you might want to think about taking classes or outsourcing to someone to assist you.
Launching any business requires time and money. Before you leave your career it’s important to take into account how much savings you will require to start. When initiating this type of business, it is a good idea to have at least one year or two worth of money saved up just in case it takes awhile to get things going. Getting a mentor or professional training can help you become succesful quicker. Training also can cost anywhere from $500-1,000 depending on where you go. You can also speak with other people in the wedding industry or retired wedding coordinators to get their input on what you will need to start.
Having the will to start your own business is a powerful factor in success, but you will also need to acquire skills and experience. There are a variety of online classes that give information on how to start a business and that give you useful advice from people who worked as wedding coordinators. You might also contact bridal suppliers such as florists, caterers or even other wedding planners and ask if you can work for them so that you can learn the business. Attend any wedding events and bridal fairs and be sure to have your business cards handy. Think about how you want to promote your business and consider things like networking, forming partnerships with vendors, and word of mouth. Network with other business professionals as well as to help you get ideas on wedding planning and marketing.
Finally, be sure to let all your friend know what you are going to do so that they can refer business to you. Sometimes your friends can refer people to your business. If you have a full-time job, offer to organize your office holiday events and company picnics. Keep in mind that any experience you get planning an event helps. Then, make sure to take photos of the event that you helped coordinate and create a portfolio. This will help future prospects get a good feel for your abilities. Obtaining experience in the field is a wonderful way to network, learn about wedding coordinating and is a definite step in the right direction to becoming a successful wedding coordinator.
Criss White is a professional writer on baby, bridal, and parenting topics. For more related articles and for wedding favors (http://www.bridalandweddingfavors.com), visit bridalandweddingfavors.com.
