If you’re a hungry entrepreneur looking for the next big business opportunity, consider making money on the business of love. Helping couples plan and arrange their wedding day is an honor as well as a lucrative industry for creative professionals.
Give your personality a chance to shine, and make other people’s lives brighter with your talents for planning. Consider becoming a wedding planner, and take a look at these crucial steps to finding your way along the path to success.
Educate yourself on the business side of wedding planning
There’s a whole lot more to planning a wedding than dresses and bridesmaids. After a couple has gone through the stress of choosing the perfect engagement ring and hosting an engagement party, they need to feel confident that you can handle the rest.
A competent wedding planner is the full package. You have to be able to manage budgeting, marketing, contract negotiations, know charter private jet cost, handle multiple responsibilities and many more.
There are diploma programs in which you can enroll yourself to become better prepared for the position. The American Association for Certified Wedding Planners also offers a certification program to add to your list of verified credentials as a professional wedding planner.
Find a mentor who is already active in the industry
While you’re still in the phase of honing your wedding planning skills, it will help to have a knowledgeable mentor who is actively practicing. There’s no better advice than that which comes from a seasoned veteran.
Try to get your foot in the door by working alongside another professional wedding planner for at least a year before starting out on your own. Hands-on experience always looks good to prospective couples, and will help you get more gigs, more often.
Build your credentials to look better on paper
Even after you begin your journey as a professional wedding planner, you should always keep track of your accomplishments. Hang them as a statement of your competence on your office walls, so couples seeking assistance can feel safe in your professional hands.
Consider choosing a specialty in wedding planning
Sometimes it helps to choose a specialization in your wedding planning career. Focus on a more specific population, and you can pinpoint your marketing efforts with more precision. You may choose to specialize in same-sex weddings, traditional, same-day, or even destination weddings.
Learn how to work with many different types of couples
Even if you choose not to stick with one specific type of wedding, you need to be good with people. You’ll experience a wide array of different cultures and beliefs working as a wedding planner, and you’ll have to know how to be respectful. Study up on a range of different cultures to become more culturally aware as a professional, and your business will benefit.
