Becoming a wedding planner may seem all glamour and excitement. However, managing a wedding is like overseeing any complex project - it's detail driven. Coordinating a wedding requires significant in-depth knowledge of the bridal industry and excellent people skills. Despite the stress, being a wedding planner is a highly rewarding career filled with lots of happy couples.
What Does A Wedding Planner Do?
A wedding planner handles all of the arrangements leading up to the wedding and ensures the successful running of the event on the wedding day itself. The wedding coordinator can handle several or all aspects of the wedding including flowers, catering, finding the band or DJ, assisting the bride in picking out a wedding gown, choosing attire for the bridal party and more. The wedding consultant can also coordinate contractual negotiations with the vendor to ensure the best deal for their client.
Some Unusual Duties of the Wedding Consultant
You may find yourself in the middle of a battle royale between the bridal party, the bride and the groom's family or the bride and the groom themselves. Remember, weddings are highly emotional affairs and feathers may get ruffled during the planning process. You may find yourself with a hysterical bride (or groom) because they don't like the appetizer selection that you have chosen. Being a peacemaker is one of the unspoken duties of a wedding planner. Knowing how to diffuse tense situations is one of the skills that a planner absolutely must cultivate.
On the wedding day, you may be called upon to perform any number of duties from lugging champagne crates to help the catering staff set up the bar to holding the bride's train as she uses the ladies' room. A good wedding planner knows that he/she will do whatever it takes to get the job done.
How To Become a Wedding Planner
There is nothing like hands on experience for learning the bridal industry. It is far better to shadow experienced wedding coordinators and learn the business firsthand than to strike out blindly on your own. However, there are some certifications available through professional organizations such as the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants.
Advertise Your Services As a Wedding Planner
There are several ways to advertise your services as a wedding consultant. The first step is to join your local chapter of ACPWC to make the necessary industry contacts. You can then choose to partner with other vendors to build your portfolio and exchange recommendations. You can also choose to list yourself in one of the numerous directories of wedding professionals available on the Internet.
You will find as your reputation grows as a wedding planner, new clients will come to you via word of mouth. However, take note that it will take time, effort and hard work to build a self-perpetuating business.
