- Wedding planners need certain characteristics to be successful in the event-planning field. They should be social, friendly, organized, efficient, trustworthy and creative. A wedding planner functions as a friend to the bride, a negotiator when dealing with vendors, a therapist in crisis situations and a manager at the event.
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There are no specific educational requirements to become a wedding planner; however, some degree programs provide a helpful background for this specialized career. A degree in business or in hospitality and tourism management would be useful for wedding planners. There are certificate programs that wedding planners can complete to show they have knowledge about the field.
To gain experience in the wedding-planning business, you can start by working for an established event-planning company. Some of these companies hire interns or take on volunteers who want to learn about the line of work.
Some event planners specialize in certain events, and it always helps to take related classes. Wedding planners can expand their training by taking courses in cooking, wine education, business, photography and floral design. -
Wedding planners can break into the field in several ways. An event planner can work for an established company through an hourly or salaried position. Those who wish to have more independence can start their own event- or wedding-planning businesses. Starting a small event-planning business usually does not require a huge amount of overhead or investment.
If you're starting your own wedding-planning business, consider the cost of advertising, registering your business, designing a Web site, the location of your office, and legal issues. -
A wedding planner is the organizer of the event. She must organize the time-line of the wedding day, keep track of the spending and inform the couple about the budget, and coordinate with all of the wedding vendors. The wedding planner manages the occasion and is the point person that all other vendors refer to when they have questions and concerns.
The wedding planner must network with other vendors and maintain good relationships with them. A couple who is planning a wedding usually looks to the wedding planner to recommend photographers, caterers, venues, a florist and more. The wedding planner should be able to recommend trustworthy vendors to the couple. An established wedding planner should have a list of dependable vendors for each task.
Many wedding planners pride themselves on their creative skills. They are the wedding day stylists, and they coordinate every detail on the big day. On the wedding day, the wedding planner ensures that every vendor arrives when he is supposed to, takes care of any last-minute details, fixes problems and keeps the wedding running on time. - There are three different types of wedding-planning services. Most wedding planners provide full-service, partial-service or day-of-wedding planning. If you hire a wedding planner for full-service planning, she will be with you every step of the way. She will accompany you to appointments and plan the event from the beginning until the end. If you hire a wedding planner for partial-service planning, she will provide some services. Usually you determine these services with the planner. This is the perfect option for couples who have already done some of the wedding planning on their own and want help in the last few months. Day-of-wedding planning services usually entail one or two meetings before the wedding, assistance at the rehearsal and wedding planning on the big day. Couples who can do the wedding planning on their own might choose this option as a backup to ensure the wedding day runs smoothly.
