How to Become a Wedding Planner

A wedding planner is hired to help engaged couples plan their dream weddings--if you become one, you'll do all you can to make every couple's special event run perfectly. Doing this type of work requires special skills and knowledge. This guide will offer information on how to get started in the challenging yet rewarding career of wedding planning.
How to Become a Wedding Planner Tips
1. Be certain that you have the skills required.
2. Gain certification through a reputable organization.
3. Get a job that will provide experience with weddings.
4. Build a portfolio by coordinating weddings of friends and family for free.
5. Work on other special events, such as anniversary celebrations and corporate parties, to gain event planning experience.
6. Obtain proper state licensing for your business.
7. Give every bride and groom you work with an unforgettable and happy event to look back on!

Introduction
- Planning a wedding is one of the most important and stressful times in a couple's lives. A wedding planner (also called a bridal consultant) is hired to help ease some of this stress by coordinating all aspects of the wedding for the couple. While it takes a person with special skills and drive to be a wedding planner, this career can be financially and personally satisfying.
Step 1: Understand What's Involved
- A wedding consultant has a lot of responsibilities to the engaged couple. A good planner will have the ability to help couples plan their entire wedding day.
1. A keen eye for detail is a must, as you will be asked to coordinate flower arrangements, music, location, caterers, cakes, photographers, and more to meet the needs and desires of the couple.iVillage: Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner
2. Excellent organization and people skills are key, as you'll be attending the rehearsal, ceremony and reception to ensure there are no problems at any of these events. The ability to remain cool under pressure and think on your feet will help you quickly and effectively solve any problems that do arise.iVillage: Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner
3. You will need a good fashion sense and excellent communication skills.About.com: Here Comes the...Wedding Planner iVillage: Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner
4. It helps to have a strong background in business financing to ensure that all arrangements are made within the couple's budget and help you effectively maintain your own business records.Entrepreneur.com: How to Become a Wedding Consultant
5. Salary ranges vary depending on your demographics. You can expect to make $1,000-$5,000 per wedding or $10,000-$50,000 per year.iVillage: Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner Entrepreneur.com: How to Become a Wedding Consultant: Income and Billing
Certification
- While it's not a requirement achieve certification to become a bridal consultant, it is certainly an option that you may wish to pursue to gain knowledge in running this type of business. There are a variety of institutions that offer this type of certification.Entrepreneur.com: How to Become a Wedding Consultant
1. Association of Certified Wedding Consultants: Offers a home study course for $895 that takes about 3-4 months to complete. They also offer an in-class option for the same rate.Association of Certified Wedding Consultants: Certification Training Fees and Requirements
2. Weddings Beautiful: Offers a home study course that costs $645 and takes about 6-8 months to complete.Wedding Beautiful: FAQ: How Long Does it Take to Complete the Course They also offer other options if you are interested in just taking a few lessons instead of the full course.Wedding Beautiful: Home Study Enrollment
3. June Wedding Inc.: Offers a home study program or in-class training that costs $1,000. They offer discounts for certification of more than one individual from the same company.June Wedding Inc.: Become a JWI Certified Professional
4. Association of Bridal Consultants: Offers a home study course that costs $475. An additional course in running a business is available for $129. You can also elect to take individual courses instead of the full program.Association of Bridal Consultants: Educational Materials
Step 2: Get a Job and Build a Portfolio
- A job in the wedding industry will help to develop the skills needed to run a wedding planner business and help you to determine if this field is right for you.About.com: Be a Professional Wedding Planner Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner
1. Create a resume that highlights your experience and abilities. You should adjust your resume to highlight the skills needed for various employers.About.com: Resume Writing
2. Apply for jobs with businesses often used for weddings such as florists, photographers or caterers.About.com: Be a Professional Wedding Planner
3. Offer to work as an apprentice for an established wedding planner or event planner to gain knowledge and experience.About.com: Be a Professional Wedding Planner
4. Offer to coordinate weddings for free for friends and family.iVillage: Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner
5. Purchase a professional photo album and begin collecting photographs of the weddings you coordinate to use as a portfolio.About.com: Jumpstart Your Wedding Planning Career with Networking
6. Request permission from family and friends you have assisted to use them as references for potential clients. Ask that they not mention that your services were provided on a volunteer basis.About.com: Jumpstart Your Wedding Planning Career with Networking
Step 3: Start Up a Business
1. Except to pay between $2,200 - $10,000 in start-up costs. These costs will vary depending on the location of the business and the type of equipment purchased. Possible start-up expeneses include licensing fees, office supplies, advertising fees, training and rental equipment.Entrepreneur.com: How to Become a Wedding Consultant: Start-Up Costs iVillage: Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner
2. Contact your city's business license department to inquire about the necessary licenses and permits to run a wedding planner business.Entrepreneur.com: Business Licenses and Permits
3. Think of a unique and catchy name for your business and then register with your secretary of state.Entrepreneur.com: How to Name Your Business
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120. Write a business plan. See Mahalo's page on How to Write a Business Plan for instructions. Then view a sample wedding planner business plan.BPlans: Wedding Consultant Business Plan
121. Hire an attorney to help you draft contracts and ensure that your business meets legal standards. You may also need an attorney to consult and act on your behalf in case any litigation issues arise.Entrepreneur.com: Hiring an Attorney
122. If you require start-up capital, apply to obtain financing through a bank or the Small Business Administration.Small Business Administration: Financing a Startup Entrepreneur.com: Banks and Other Loans You can also seek financing through friends and family or other sources.Entrepreneur.com: Borrowing From Friends and Family Enprepreneur.com: Other Sources for Financing a Startup
Step 4: Advertise Your Business
- Once you are established and ready to begin recruiting clients, you will need to get your business name out to the public. You can do this through a variety of advertising means.
1. Consider creating a niche to specialize in. This could include theme weddings, destination weddings, discount weddings, cultural-specific weddings, etc. Clients seeking a wedding in your specialty may be more likely to call on you first.Bella Online: Five Marketing Tips for Wedding Planners
2. Brand your name and business by creating a logo and slogan to add to your business cards, letterhead, website, etc. Choose a slogan that briefly explains exactly what you do.Bella Online: Five Marketing Tips for Wedding Planners
3. Create a brochure that highlights your business and services. Include images and descriptive text in an easy-to-read font.About.com: Advertising Your New Wedding Planning Business
4. Give your business cards and brochure to the wedding coordinator of venues in your community and ask that they distribute them to potential clients.About.com: Jumpstart Your Wedding Planning Career with Networking
5. Rent a booth at area bridal fairs. You will have the opportunity to meet many brides and potential clients. Follow-up with these potential clients with a post card, phone call or email.About.com: Advertising Your New Wedding Planning Business iVillage: Hot Home Business: Wedding Planner
6. Place an advertisement in wedding publications. This can be expensive and it may be worthwhile to run a schedule of ads.Entrepreneur.com: How to Become a Wedding Consultant: Marketing
Conclusion

Being a good wedding planner means having the ability to interact positively with many different types of people. It is important to continuously research new trends in fashion, decor, flowers, cakes, and everything else involved in such special events to keep up with current demands. If you have the skills and drive that are necessary for this type of career, wedding planning can prove to be a rewarding and long-lasting career.