If you’re looking for a new career which will allow you to use your people skills and organizational skills in order to succeed, you’ll benefit from learning how to be a wedding planner.
This job isn’t for
everyone – it requires a great deal of networking, dedication and tact. After
all, people who are getting married typically want perfection in terms of their
wedding day experiences and dealing
with individuals who do want perfection is often tricky.
After all, life isn’t perfect!
You’ve probably heard about Bridezillas – well, there are also Groomzillas, and it will be part of your job to deal with clients who have very high expectations about their upcoming nuptials. Naturally, just as many clients will be lovely, calm and rational!
To help you get the honest inside scoop on how to get into wedding planning, we’ve created a very factual and detailed guideline. Our goal is to map out the process of becoming a wedding planner, while also spending a bit of time talking about what the job entails, as well as its pros and cons.
Once you’ve read our guide, you’ll be primed to make a wise and informed decision about whether or not a wedding planner career is a proper fit for your talents, abilities, and ambitions.
How to Get Started
Wedding planning is basically event planning. So, you’ll need the right tools for the job. In the modern age, this means the right technology. For example, you should have a good computer with a modem and a fast Internet connection. As well, you should have a printer, a scanner and a smartphone with Web access.
Great communication is a vital facet of the job. This means that you’ll need to be responsive to your clients and take care of an array of tasks, many of which may be performed online. Some planners also have digital PDAs which help them to stay on track with project timelines and tasks.
Some planners work from offices and some work from home. Others are employed by larger event planning companies. It’s up to you to decide how you want to work. If you’re going it alone, having the right technology at hand will be crucial as your employer won’t be providing you with what you need.
Next, you need to understand the job inside and out…
How to Get Training
It’s best to get formal training in this field and many colleges, such as tourism colleges and community colleges, may offer educational courses for aspiring marriage planners. If you can’t find specialized training in your area, online education which is related to the wedding planning business may be available.
This is one other reason we recommend having the right hardware and software at hand right from the start. It will make it simpler to complete your studies, especially if you’re studying remotely. Taking online courses may be very convenient, as it will allow you a bit more freedom. Some people hold down other jobs or perform childcare while they study, so having the ability to access online education may be very practical.
The benefits of getting training as a wedding coordinator are twofold – you’ll learn how to do the job and you’ll also gain a valuable credential which helps you to get hired by other wedding planner companies or to hang out your own shingle as an independent wedding planner.
Training will boost your confidence and help you to organize a wedding flawlessly. In most cases, tasks related to wedding planning are not complicated. However, as with any event, there will be a lot of “moving parts” and organization will be the key to ensuring that everything gets taken care of.
Just a handful of tasks which are related to planning a typical, large-sized wedding includes booking a venue, arranging for catering, putting together guest lists, hiring wait staff for the reception and booking a band for people to dance to.
Knowing in which order to complete tasks will be one of the keys to success. Training will help you to understand the details associated with making this type of event successful for bride, groom and guests. In this day and age, same-sex couples may also be clients, so a professional wedding planner should be open to all sorts of couples, regardless of the planner’s beliefs and/or religion. Being an all-inclusive wedding planner is the politically correct thing to do!
Once you’ve gotten formal training, you’ll be one step closer to performing this job part-time or full-time. Look for a training program which grants you a certificate upon completion. You may also be granted permission to sit a formal examination which, when passed, gives you the title of certified wedding planner.