How to become a wedding planner

How to Start Your Own
Highly Profitable Wedding Planning (Consulting) Business

Are you thinking of starting your own business? If you like to work with people, enjoy planning big parties, and are good at negotiating and networking you might consider becoming a wedding planner (also known as a wedding consultant or bridal consultant).

With millions of weddings taking place every year in the United States, the wedding and bridal industry brings in billions of dollars of revenue annually. And you guessed it, that means there is high demand for wedding planners!

This fast-growing industry is also contributing to a major boom in related industries, such as musicians and photographers; businesses in the food and hospitality industry; beauticians and seamstresses, etc.

How much do wedding consultants earn? According to the Princeton Review, "Depending on the size of the wedding, income can be quite high. The average wedding today costs $25,000- at 15 percent that's a $3,750 commission. Wedding consultants who organize just two $25,000 weddings a month, earn more than $90,000 a year.

A story in the LA Times notes that "consultants set a fee based on the amount of time they estimate the job will require. They may also receive commissions from the vendors they subcontract for their events. Consultants working on hourly projects, charge from $45 to $75. In general, the average consultant works on 20 to 40 weddings per year.

Planning the perfect wedding day requires not only creativity and a sense of style, but excellent business and organizational skills.

Before you get around to that beautiful wedding day, you must spend many hours planning, preparing and coordinating each and every detail, negotiating with wedding vendors, dealing with your clients and their families, as well as gracefully handling every twist and turn you may encounter along the way. It is a demanding career choice, but one with great rewards.

As long as you have the desire, you can become a wedding planner. No special education or experience is necessary to break into this career and succeed. If wedding planning sounds like the career of your dreams, here are some steps to follow.

Many wedding planners learned the business by, attending and helping out with as many weddings as possible, visiting bridal shows, reading wedding magazines, and conducting informational interviews with clergy of various faiths, recently married brides and anyone else connected to the wedding business such as florists and caterers.

Even if you plan to start your own business, consider getting a job in the industry first. Besides employment benefits, these positions can be used as a stepping-stone to gain valuable experience and contacts. Wedding coordinators are hired by hotels, country clubs, and churches across the country.

Some of the more exciting options include working as a wedding coordinator at an attraction such as Disney World or at a resort in a location such as Hawaii, Las Vegas, Europe or the Caribbean. Many other job opportunities for "bridal consultants" are available with companies that supply products and services for weddings including bridal shops, department stores with gift registries, florists, and caterers.

Set up your own business

Setting up a wedding planning business is not much different than starting any other business, with a few exceptions. You should be able to work from home as long as you set aside an office space free from interruptions from children or pets. This is especially important if you plan on holding meetings with clients there.

Set up costs will be minimal but you will need a computer, fax, business phone line, cell phone, business cards, and marketing materials such as a website. Before setting up your business, take advantage of the free advice offered by agencies such as the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Vendors are suppliers of any product or service related to weddings, such as limousine companies, musicians, photographers, party supply companies, invitation printers, etc. Vendors can be a valued partner in planning a successful wedding and a great networking ally.

Conduct informational meetings to learn about their services, and what discounts they can offer you as a wedding planner. Before recommending a site for a wedding ceremony or reception, visit and inspect the premises. Always follow up with vendors after the wedding with a thank you note or to discuss any changes you want for future.

Successful wedding planners are always interested in learning new ideas they can use with their clients. Consider joining a professional association for wedding planners to keep up with new developments in the industry.

Clients will be impressed with your affiliation to a professional organization, especially if it certifies you as a professional wedding planner.

(Jeri Joynor is a long-time wedding planner and author of the successful and respected book, make money "Learn How To Become A Wedding Planner.")

Learn From Jeri Joynor...Step-by-step wedding planner tasks in planning a wedding.