We’ve all seen the reality TV shows where a bride-to-be will be looking for the perfect gown to get married in. Or perhaps you’ve seen the reality show where the groom does all the planning and everything looks like it will be doomed thanks to his not-so-creative wedding flair. What if you were to be the person behind a wedding making sure everything goes to plan?
Being a wedding planner can be an exciting and rewarding job for many people, but there are a few things you may want to consider if you’re thinking it’s your next career choice.
There are quite a few different things you will be required to attend to and look after as a wedding planner. Some of these things include:
Some people seem like they were almost born to be wedding planners. Some people may have a passion for weddings and it’s a great fit for their career. What kinds of skills and traits should you have if thinking about being a wedding planner?
You’re not much for spontaneity and like to ensure everything is set in stone and planned accordingly. You may be highly organised and like to be the leader within your group of friends for ensuring that everyone knows when your outing is, what time you’ll be meeting up and exactly where. You’re efficient and some may feel like you take things too far when organising events. But, this kind of trait is perfect for wedding planning. If you love planning out events and like to know that you are on top of everything, wedding planning may be the job for you.
Weddings can sometimes bring out the worst in people. We’ve all heard of nightmare stories of “Bridezilla’s” where almost everything wasn’t right or to the standard of the bride. This is where it is important to be committed. Just like the groom, you’re going to see it through to the wedding day and ensure everything goes to plan. Even if your client is almost unbearable to work with, you need to ensure that you are committed to the couple and you’ll be there right through to the end.
It goes without saying that you should be pretty passionate about weddings. From the clothing, the dress, the suits and the flowers to the food, the music and the venues, you need to be passionate about it all. You love reading and finding out more about wedding trends and what couples are looking for on their big day. If you love everything about weddings, this could be what you need to do.
Even if you’re in a store with set prices, you’re likely to be that person still trying to squeeze a deal out of the salesperson. Whether it be a free couple of pillows with your bed purchase, free window tinting with a car purchase or a discounted price on some clothing, you’re usually the person asking for a bit of a sweeter deal. If you love negotiating, you may find that being a wedding planner is a great fit. You’ll be able to negotiate with clients and suppliers for all of the best prices in order to remain competitive and stay within budget.
Even if you think you know what you’re doing or you were fine when helping your sister to plan her wedding, understanding every part of being a wedding planner will take time and hard work. There are a few types of qualifications on the market that you can get which will help you to do a better job as a wedding planner. A wedding planning course will help you to understand where to get started when planning a large event; what will need to be organised; the timing of events; how to budget and quote for your clients; tips for setting up your own business; and how to market your new venture. With so much to cover, you really cannot go past quality training to prepared for your new clients.
Wedding planning business can take years to grow and build effectively. If you’re just looking for a job that pays at the end of the week, wedding planning may not be the best plan. Many wedding planners have chosen this type of role because weddings are what they’re passionate about. They love anything and everything about a wedding, including the not-so-glamorous parts such as misbehaving children, caterers going missing and fixing up the bride’s dress that got mud on it from walking outside during the photoshoot. Planning other people’s weddings is a major responsibility and many people will be dependant on you to make the day special. If weddings just “aren’t your thing”, you may want to consider a career that you feel more passionate about.
Once you’re qualified and ready to get started, you can start working on increasing your client base and getting your name out into the world. Get started with setting up an office and perfecting your online presence. It could be as simple as decking out a home office and organising social media accounts and a website. Working on your marketing to build your empire will help to gain new clients – and don’t forget to about items such as flyers and business cards to help spread the word. Once you’ve started working with couples on their wedding plans – and provided you’ve done a great job – word of mouth will start working its magic and you’ll be sure to hear from more new clients wanting your help.
Check out the wedding planner courses offered by ICI today to kickstart your career in this exciting industry.
Gladys Mae serves as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute. Gladys holds a degree in Mass Communication - Broadcast Media from the University of San Jose-Recoletos. She joined ICI in 2010 and has over the past 12 years been instrumental in providing leadership and guidance to staff and students alike. Prior to joining ICI Gladys led a multifaceted career with key roles in the banking and business process outsourcing industries.
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