How To Kick Start Your Own Business As A Wedding Planner

Do all things love and romance sweep you off your feet? Have you got a keen eye for wedding trends and finding the perfect decorations for any event? If so, starting a wedding planning business might just be the thing for you!

Wedding planning has grown in popularity over the years, with more and more couples choosing to hire a wedding planner to successfully plan their wedding day.

To succeed in starting your own wedding planning business, you must have a love of weddings (of course!) and be extremely organised. Attention to detail plays an important role, as you will essentially be orchestrating every aspect of a wedding – from the guest list to the buffet. Going into business as a wedding planner is achievable for anyone who has a passion for wedding planning.

Key steps to help you get your wedding planning business started

Get the right training and certifications

No formal education is necessary to become a wedding planner. However, completing a Certificate in Wedding Planning will help you to learn the ropes and gain the crucial skills needed to ensure you have a successful wedding planning business. 

On top of vocational training, you will also need the proper licensing and legal requirements to become a wedding planner. This includes a registered ABN for your business taxes, along with any licenses or permits that you may require such as service of alcohol, event music licenses and any permits for the lease of public land (if, for example, you’ll be hosting a wedding at a botanical garden). 

Have a business plan

The first step to starting a wedding planning business is coming up with a business name. Once you’ve come up with one, you can then set up a business plan.

Your business plan will help you to determine your goals, target audience and finances. It can also include your marketing strategy including your website and any type of advertising you might want to harness such as online, social media or print-based advertising. 

You should also consider what packages you will offer your clients. Do you wish to do full wedding planning, partial wedding planning or strictly wedding consultations?

Promote your business

Once you’ve established your business name and plan, you can think about whether you’ll have a business logo that you can print alongside your website or business card information. 

Your company image should reflect your particular niche. Think about the couples you wish to appeal to and tailor your business logo and tone of your brand to attract those clients.

There are so many wedding planners out there. How can you stand out from the rest?

Your visual branding (including your website, business logo and social media profiles) can win your target audiences over from day one. For that reason, consider hiring a graphic designer or website designer to come up with the most visually impactive brand that will attract paying clients. 

Scoring your first customer

One of the biggest challenges to starting a wedding planning business is landing that first customer. 

There are a few ways to go about this:

  • Word of mouth: Start small. Reach out to your immediate social circle including friends, family and work acquaintances. If there’s no one in your circle in the market for a wedding planner, you can still ask them to share your business website or information on their social media feeds in hopes they will know someone who will know someone who is looking for your services!
  • Promoting on social media: Try offering a special discount for the first few customers who book a consultation.
  • Reach out to wedding vendors: From your local florist and catering group, ask their permission to share your business details with their customers. 
  • Attend networking events: Advertise and promote your business at local wedding expos. 

Build a portfolio

One of the main ways you’ll sell your services as a wedding planner is with an online portfolio. 

With your portfolio, you want to create a visual representation of your wedding planning expertise. From photos and videos of weddings, you’ve orchestrated to decorations and wedding cakes. Your portfolio is your opportunity to showcase your familiarity with wedding trends and your attention to detail when it comes to choosing the right vendors and programmes for the big day. 

If you haven’t planned a wedding prior to compiling your portfolio, you may wish to include photos of a mock wedding. This will showcase your ability to plan a dream wedding and will get clients excited and eager to choose you to plan their wedding for them. 

Also included in your portfolio:

  • A sample wedding programme and timelines
  • Testimonials and feedback from past clients
  • Your certifications and memberships
  • Example wedding budget breakdown
  • Sample wedding invitations
  • A list of wedding rentals you offer

Ready to start your dream business? 

Getting into the wedding planning business is an exciting career move! You’ll be helping couples achieve their dream fairytale wedding and be able to work from virtually anywhere since no two weddings are the same.

ICI offers a Wedding Planner Certificate online course that will help you with everything you need to know to venture out and start your own business as a wedding planner. You’ll be given insider knowledge along with important skills and training to be able to set up your business, market your business and land your first clients.

Online, career focused education that suits your lifestyle.

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Gladys Mae

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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.