How to Start a Wedding Planning Business From Home

Wedding planning is a good business to run from home.

Wedding planning is a moderately easy profession to enter as there are no state or national requirements within the industry. While becoming a wedding planner is easy, becoming a successful wedding planner is slightly more challenging. Running a wedding planning business from your home, as an on-site consultant, instead of through an event center, requires vigorous advertising and work in order to get your name out to potential clients.

Instructions

1. Take classes through a bridal association to learn the basics of wedding planning. This will teach you methods of organization, marketing and money making to help you get your business off the ground. The Wedding Planning Institute and the Bridal Association of America are two bridal associations that offer online classes and certifications for wedding planning.

2. Purchase a business license from your local chamber of commerce. This will establish your credibility to clients and ensure you are running a legal at-home business. At this time, also decide what your rates will be. Rates may be hourly or a percentage based on the total cost of the wedding.

3. Create a name and logo for your business. You can use your legal name as your business title or create an entirely new name. Have business cards created with your business name, logo and contact information.

4. Advertise your business in local wedding catalogues and through local vendors by leaving a stack of your business cards with them. Bridal shows are another venue to use, as these will give you the opportunity to meet with potential clients face-to-face. By putting your name out into the industry in your area, potential clients will be able to find you.

5. Create an organized home office that will look professional to clients. An office is important to have as this will establish your professionalism in the industry and will provide you with a place to meet with your clients. This will also give you a place within your home to work from when organizing wedding details and confirming arrangements.

6. Create a portfolio as you gain experience planning weddings that can be used as a visual aide when meeting with potential clients. This could include photographs of venues you have worked at or weddings you have planned. If you have very minimal experience but have a good eye for design and decor, take photographs of reception table setups you create in your home.

7. Create a website as you gain experience planning weddings to document your style, organization and planning experience. Include testimonials from clients you have worked with if possible. If testimonials are not immediately available, be sure to add them at a later date, as first-hand testimonial to your professionalism and style will attract clients. When potential clients are searching for a planner, this will give them a basis for comparison against other wedding planners and make contacting you easier.

References

• Top Wedding Sites: Becoming a Wedding Planner
• Student Now: Become a Wedding Planner