It is days, weeks or maybe months that you have a single question in your head. How to become a wedding planner? If you don’t miss the passion for organization and business acumen, maybe you are the right person to start this career. That’s why more and more people decide to entrust the organization of their wedding to a wedding planner. If you’ve grasped the potential of this market and want to know how to start a wedding planning business. This is the article for you!
It will be for the emotions that every marriage offers, or maybe it will be for the gains that can be obtained. The fact is that more and more people dream of becoming a wedding planner in their country.
But be careful. Becoming a wedding planner means doing business in all respects. With all the benefits and risks that this entails. If you don’t want to risk failing and losing money, I suggest you read my free report immediately. Find out how to start your own business successfully without risking losing your money!
How to start a wedding planning business?
We will discover together what are the real opportunities of the wedding organization sector. Who is really and what does a wedding planner do? How to become a wedding planner with and without dedicated courses? How much it costs to start up the business? ANd understand the real earning potential for you who are preparing to launch into this millionaire business.
Ready? Let’s go!
Organize weddings in the market
If you’re thinking of getting into this new business, one of your fixed nails will probably be this. Is the wedding market still thriving? Although marriages are falling compared to 10-15 years ago, this does not mean that there are no good opportunities in this sector.
Precisely for this reason, those who marry do so with greater conviction and with the dream that the day is true “the perfect day” and is willing to invest more to realize the dream of a lifetime.
Moreover, even if the traditional marriage is less frequent, it is also true that international law today makes possible new ways of formalizing the life of the couple, like the so-called civil unions.
Even those who choose a more “alternative” union can rely on a wedding planner to celebrate their ceremony in the best possible way. I’m talking about tourists from all over the world who choose postcard locations like Tuscany, Venice or Lake Como to celebrate their special day.
A business in the business, relatively recent and growing, which has made the fortune of many young wedding planners in! Organizing weddings for foreigners is something that you should consider if you are thinking of becoming a wedding planner.
How to become a wedding planner?
Many people do not have a clear idea of ​​how to become a wedding planner, especially because it is a fairly new figure. There is no specific course of study.
But then becoming a wedding planner is a fortune of a few? Or maybe you can simply improvise and then pull off 10,000 dollars bills at a wedding? Obviously better than no …
Although there is no requirement for certification or to attend a specific course, it may be the case to attend one. Now, you’re probably wondering, to become a wedding planner exactly what it is for?
Let’s find out now together …
Regulations and documents needed to become a wedding planner
Whether you want to become a wedding planner in Rome, Milan, Turin, Naples or Florence, just change. To carry out the activity of the wedding planner, it is necessary, as for any activity as a freelancer, to open a VAT number. It is also necessary to register in the Business Register of the Chamber of Commerce.
You can aim to get a special certification. To enter the exam, after which the certification is obtained, you must possess these requirements:
- High school diploma or degree
- Training course from 80 to 24 hours (depending on work experience)
- 1-year work experience (80 hours of course), 2 years (60 hours of course), 5 years (24 hours of course)
- Presentation of 3 projects carried out during work activities (attention, however, documents that prove their actual performance are needed)
In reality, the certification is not essential to carry out the activity. It will be helpful, especially at the beginning of your career, if you want to have more credibility and become a successful wedding planner.
Courses to become a wedding planner: do you need them?
Although, as with any other profession of reading books and attending the courses can give you an edge, it is certainly possible to become a wedding planner without classes.
As I said in a previous paragraph, the courses for becoming a wedding planner are mandatory only if you want to get the quality certification. But you don’t already have experience in this field, somehow you will have to start taking your first steps and a course for wedding planners could be the ideal solution.
In any case, whether you do it for help or to get certified, be careful to choose the right courses! It is easy to come across poorly qualified proposals that would be useless. There are several private courses that you can attend to become a wedding planner and which you can attend if you think fit.
For more information, I suggest you contact the main trade associations, such as the Wedding Planners Association and the Association of Professional Wedding Planners in your country.
But before spending your money, I suggest you try to understand better if you need it. Try to carry out a small survey among friends and acquaintances already married or who are planning to do so to understand what are the desires and fears of the protagonists of this unforgettable day.
You will need the survey to draw up two lists, one of the desires and one of the difficulties. It will help you to understand better the main critical aspects that you will need to know how to manage in your future activity.
Naturally, even attending a ceremony in person will allow you to observe to learn as much as possible the operational dynamics of the organization of a wedding.
Making experiences in the sector in which you have chosen to work is always useful. You know how to draw the right lessons from every experience.
What does a wedding planner do?
In reality, it is a complex figure, which carries out various tasks and to which various skills are required. You must have a clear understanding of all the various facets of this figure, even to understand if it corresponds to what you want to do.
The definition of a wedding planner comes from the United States, where it is usual practice to rely on this professional figure for organizing the event. Everything starts from a preliminary meeting with the future spouses (or the future couple, in the case of civil unions), which could also be attended by the parents of one or both members.
During this meeting, the wedding planner must try to understand what exactly the bride and groom want to make their most beautiful day truly perfect. This aspect is fundamental because it is precisely based on this that you will have to set all the strategy and planning to make their ceremony impeccable and memorable.
It could be that in this regard some contrasts emerge between them, or between them and their respective parents. In this case, having a smattering of psychology and mediation techniques will surely help you to resolve conflicts and lead the couple serenely to the finish line.
Remember, they come to you to avoid discussions and stress. You will need to be able to manage every situation of this type in the best way and you will be decisive in avoiding any kind of friction between them.
But it could also be that in reality, your customers do not have ideas, either because they are not particularly gifted with imagination, or because they have no time to devote to preparing for the event. They will expect you to make proposals and it is good that you have prepared a list of ideas to submit to their approval.
I want to become a wedding planner: what will I do exactly?
Once you have clarified your customers’ desires and expectations, the second step will be to find a location that is suitable for the purpose. In addition to the classic restaurant, many ancient villas and special locations, such as castles or parks, have been converted to this use in recent years.
I advise you to create a map with the characteristics of each of the possible places. The more beautiful and popular they are, the longer the wait is likely to belong! Once the event frame has been identified, you will have to take care of identifying the suppliers:
- Florist for decorations
- Catering provider
- Photographer
- Dining room staff
- Musical complex
- Other figures for guest entertainment
Also, it is good that you have a list of suppliers that allows you to range not only according to the tastes and spending abilities of your customers. It is also to be able to use another supplier if the one has chosen is not available on the appointed day.
Having a network of trusted contacts to turn to for all these things will be crucial to the success of your work. When the big day arrives, you will be the director of the ceremony: if you are asked, you will have to be present and make sure that everything runs smoothly, thus unloading the spouses and their guests from any task.
This role requires a great capacity for problem solving, which means staying calm even if unexpected problems arise and being able to find immediate solutions.
What a wedding planner does?
Other tasks that you will have to take care of are planning the wedding list and the honeymoon, helping the bride and groom in choosing their wedding clothes, up to the organization of stag and hen parties.
As you can see, the job of a wedding planner never fails! In summary, here’s what a wedding planner does:
- Agree and schedule the event in all its details
- Look for the most suitable location
- Identify suppliers and deal with them
- Organizes the timing and various suppliers
- He directs the ceremony
- Plan the wedding list
- Organizes the honeymoon
- Organizes bachelorette and stag parties
- Assists the spouses in the choice of clothes
How much does it cost to become a wedding planner?
If you have read carefully up to here, you should have a fairly accurate idea of ​​the main activities performed by a wedding planner. Now let’s see how much it costs to become a wedding planner and the expenses you will have to bear to start your own business and start up your new business.
Here is good news for you! Starting a wedding planner activity in no way involves large investments. An office can be useful, but it is not essential. Customers often want to be met at their home.
If this is not possible, you could alternatively turn to structures that rent one-off meeting rooms or have you hosted by some trusted supplier who has premises suitable for the purpose.
He will have greater visibility for free and you your office at no cost! A computer with an internet connection, a means of transport and a mobile phone will be your fundamental work tools.
In addition to the costs for the ‘ opening of a VAT and accountant, you should particularly to allocate the necessary budget to take classes or rely on a skilled professional to set the best marketing strategy immediately to find new customers for your business.
Don’t be afraid to invest today because if you invest well, you will collect twice as much tomorrow! And it is precisely this aspect on which you will have to concentrate more if you want to start a profitable business.
Real earnings
Now that you understand how to become a wedding planner, it’s time to talk about the earnings. You can expect if you decide to undertake this activity. I already imagine that after reading this whole article, now you are wondering.
But when does a wedding planner earn? To try to quantify it, you could create some “packages” to offer to your potential customers.
In this regard, you can take my list of activities that a wedding planner can do and prepare offers by combining them in different ways.
There could be a “basic package” with the minimum necessary activities at a lower cost, to then arrive at more and more complex proposals and higher costs.
One way to increase your earnings or close customers with a smaller budget can be to agree with individual suppliers on a percentage of the payment for the service you have provided.
In conclusion, a wedding planner also earns a few thousand dollars per marriage (generally between 1,500 and 10,000 dollars). It all depends on the target customers and the services requested.
Furthermore, your ability to deal with suppliers with a percentage of earnings on the services they offer thanks to your mediation will also be fundamental.
To get a clearer idea of ​​the expenses you will incur and the revenues you can earn, I suggest you read this article on how to do a business plan.
How to become a successful wedding planner?
Even if it certainly takes a bit of luck and a lot of work to become a star like Enzo Miccio, your wedding organization activity can still give you great satisfaction.
Anyhow…
If you want to start a successful business, you must have a clear plan. For example, to start a successful business, you must first analyze the competition and understand your target market.
Moreover, I will never tire of repeating it: it is essential to offer value to our customers! But how to do it?
First of all, it is essential to get to know your customers well. If you want to start a successful business, I advise you not to underestimate this aspect.
And above all, try NOT to make the mistakes that lead to the failure of most new activities in a very short time.
Download now my free guide, where I will explain in a very simple and effective way the first steps to do to start your own business successfully.
Choose a niche for your business
Also, identify a range of potential customers who do not find specific proposals for their needs can be a success factor. For example, sensitivity to ecology and respect for the environment is highly developed in certain bands today.
So why not propose an event entirely characterized in this sense? From the dress of the spouses to the favors, to the honeymoon, every aspect should be evaluated and reconsidered, taking into account this particular sensitivity, which, among other things, is also good for the planet.
Another category, certainly smaller but probably willing to pay higher amounts, is that of people who want to distinguish themselves at all costs and who dream of a wedding on the seabed or the arrival of the “prince charming” on a white horse.
You could then give vent to your imagination to propose themed weddings with unusual solutions for a ceremony that will remain truly unforgettable.
Find suppliers to organize the perfect wedding
That of the suppliers is a very delicate aspect to which you will have to devote time and attention. This way, you will surely avoid risking a fool for faults that are not yours! Learn well about those who will have to work with you.
The world is full of florists and photographers, but you don’t want any florist or photographer. True? So before making a choice, try to get to know the people you are working with side by side.
Ask them for references, no one better than someone who has already experienced their services can give you a judgment based on reality and not on “they say.”
Try to have more suppliers for each type of service! It will expose you less to blackmail. It will be useful when you have more events all taking place on the same day and maybe at the same time.
How to promote your wedding planner activity
It is a key point for the future of your business! You can offer the best service of all, but if nobody knows it, it won’t do any good. A constant online presence and a good internet site, where to advertise your business and your services, are essential.
But this is not enough …
Today several marketing strategies guarantee you a potentially unlimited audience of customers. And don’t forget that we have beautiful places that envy us abroad and that are often chosen by foreign couples to fulfill their dream.
Is becoming a wedding planner worthwhile?
If you have read this long article so far, that is a real manual on how to become a wedding planner. You will surely understand the great potential of this market.
If you’re still wondering whether or not you want to start this type of activity, you must first ask yourself if this is an activity that reflects your personality.
The correct question that you should ask yourself is not whether becoming a wedding planner is appropriate for you and your specific needs and ambitions to do so.
If you don’t like dealing with people, it’s better to think of some other business idea that is more suited to your character.
In this regard, I suggest you read my article where you will find several interesting business ideas and suggestions that you can inspire.
Advantages and disadvantages of becoming a wedding planner:
- It is an activity that does not require large initial investments.
- Competition has certainly increased in recent years, but it is an obstacle with which you clash in any activity
marriages are diminishing, but other forms of legalization of unions that are celebrated and celebrated are increasing. - Divorces are also increasing and some are also celebrating this stage that was once lived more privately and today instead is seen as a new beginning to celebrate.
- The activity of the wedding planner requires different skills and competences, in particular, the ability to listen and mediation, organizational capacity and “problem solving,” but also creativity and taste.
- The market is growing and will probably be for the next few years
After reflecting on the last piece of advice I can give you is to move to action before someone else does it for you! The future is around the corner and only you are responsible for what tomorrow will bring.
It all depends on you. You can continue to live a life that will always be conditioned by the decisions of other people. Take the reins of your life now and start working today to develop your business idea and build a better future.
In the end,
Whatever type of activity you want to start, some steps will be crucial to your success. The startup phase is the one that contains the greatest difficulties and that too many people face without adequate knowledge.
If you want to learn in an easy, fast and safe way how to transform your business idea into a real and profitable project in the shortest possible time, find everything you need in my advanced guides.
If you want to start today to change your life for the better and understand how to start a wedding planning business successfully, start now! Now it’s up to you. I wish you good luck with beautiful projects!
