How to Start a Wedding Planner Business
With the average cost of a wedding in the United States running at $24,000 in 2010, according to statistics produced by The Wedding Report, it is little wonder many couples employ wedding planners to make sure their big day goes without a hitch. A wedding planner needs to be a good listener, a competent organizer and a strong negotiator. She must be able to deal with the smallest of details and yet possess broad, creative vision. Above all, she needs to empathize with and support her clients. If you possess the necessary skill-set, you can start a profitable---and enjoyable---wedding planner business with minimal investment.
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Instructions
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Contact established wedding planners, buy a book and search online to learn as much as you can about wedding etiquette. There are dos and don'ts in many areas of wedding planning, including invitations, seating plans and the wedding gift registry.
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Gain experience. Offer to work with an established wedding planner free of charge in return for advice and a reference. Organize the wedding of a friend or family member as your wedding gift to the couple. The more experience you gain, the more clients will put their trust in you.
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Build a portfolio to showcase your skills. Include letters of thanks from couples whose weddings you have organized---or helped to organize. Add photographs of venues, table settings, wedding favors and flowers. Make your portfolio both visually appealing and informative.
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Create a wedding ideas book. Clip pictures from bridal magazines, add your own illustrations, include fabric samples and color-scheme ideas. Make each page a testimony to your creative flair. Visit wedding fairs to obtain ideas and collect sample products.
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Develop contacts with vendors. You will need to know where to source everything---from cars to cakes, from marquees to makeup experts, from photographers to favors---at the right price, of the right quality and at the right time. A supplier is less likely to let you down if you have an established relationship.
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Set up a website for your business. Focus on providing a mix of stunning visuals, factual information and advice. Provide links to trusted suppliers in exchange for reciprocal links. Include information about you, your background and your passion for your work---this is a people business and clients like to know something about the person they are dealing with.
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Create an area in your home for meeting clients or ask a local venue for occasional, free use of a suitable room---the manager may be happy to help if you add her establishment to your list of vendors.
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Promote your services by supplying leaflets and business cards to bridal shops, wedding venues, limo hire companies, florists, photographers and other businesses involved in weddings.
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Tips & Warnings
You can charge a flat fee for your services---or base your charges on either the hours worked or a percentage of the budget.
Visit the Small Business Administration website to discover the necessary formalities for setting up a business in your state.
Be prepared to deal with highly stressful situations---clients' emotions can run high as the big day approaches.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
