How to Become a Wedding Consultant

A bride usually hires a consultant to make her wedding day be as organized and efficient as possible. Brides also rely on wedding consultants to help them save time and money, and take care of stressful activities such as following up with vendors, drivers, caterers and others involved in orchestrating the wedding. Thus, a wedding consultant must be organized, responsible and able to work in a high-stress environment.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Take a bridal consultant training course. Many certified organizations offer home classes. Online courses are also available and can be completed in a few short months. The courses will teach you various aspects of wedding consultation including knowledge of religious and ceremonial customs; how to negotiate the best price for flowers, decorations, entertainment, and catering for the wedding, and all aspects of party planning such as organizing and budgeting.

2. Get your credentials. Once you have completed your online or home classes, you will receive a certificate of completion. This certificate will give you legitimacy and help you get more work as a wedding consultant. The certificate is particularly important as a license to set up your personal wedding consultation business as well as prove your legitimacy to others in the bridal consultation industry. It will make the bride and groom and other wedding planners take you more seriously.

3. Begin a marketing campaign to inform people of your services. Post flyers at the bridal shops in your area and in the local newspaper, create a website and pass out business cards to get your name and service out into the marketplace.

4. Attend bridal shows or bridal conventions. You will meet other wedding consultants and planners as well as prospective clients. You will also meet and develop relationships with photographers, caterers, decorators and floral arrangers who will be an essential part of your consultation business. Meeting and speaking with professional wedding consultants will help you gain more knowledge and experience. You may even want to train under an established wedding consultant or serve as an assistant for a short time until you feel confident to branch out on your own.

5. Work as a freelance wedding consultant or establish your own business. Setting up a business takes capital; however, you can start out small by transforming a room in your home into an office where you can take meetings, make phone calls and conduct other business. If you choose to be a freelance wedding consultant, you will be responsible for organizing the entire bridal party as well as providing your clients obtain great deals on the catering, entertainment such as a live band or DJ, and location on a case by case basis.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you have a love of weddings, particularly the planning involved if you want to be successful in this occupation.
• Don't get discouraged if your client list is very small in the beginning. Keep networking and advertising and your business will grow.