Have you ever helped plan a friend or relative’s wedding and thought to yourself, “I wish I could do this for a living!” Or you may already be in the event coordinating business and wish to expand your business to include weddings. If so, you will be thrilled to know that anyone who is passionate about weddings, good business skills and is well organized, can start a wedding planning business.
You could be thinking, “Is there a real need for wedding coordinators in this economy?” Gone are the days of wedding coordination solely for the wealthiest people. Saving money is an important skill for planning a wedding. A skilled wedding coordinator can for example, save a several hundreds of dollar on flowers or favors by negotiating with vendors. Most people are too busy working and doing other things to plan the whole wedding without outside assistance. You have the skills to assist them with bigger projects such as choosing their wedding location to the smaller tasks like selecting their wedding favors. Wedding coordinators also have event planning skills that give them the ability to plan other events. This means you can also expand your business to helping with bridal showers, graduations, anniversaries, and office holiday parties.
The next question you should ask yourself is, “What skills do I need to succeed as a wedding planner?” Ask yourself these questions: Do you like being around people? Are you well organized? Detail-oriented? Creative? Patient? If you answered yes, you could become a successful planner. A successful event planner is all of these and more. You should also be skilled at finding the right suppliers and working out savings. For any business, someone will have to do marketing and bookkeeping, but you can always outsource those things if necessary.
Next, ask yourself, “Do I have sufficient money to get started?”. When initiating a business, it is wise to have at least one year or two worth of money saved up just in case it takes longer than expected to starting making money. Finding a mentor or taking classes can help you become succesful faster. Classes also can range anywhere from $500-1,000 depending on where you go. In addition, read articles online, read books on wedding planning and network with other people to figure out how much you need to save.
Having the will to start your own business is an important factor in success, but you will also need to acquire skills and experience. There are a variety of online courses that give details on how to start your own business and that give you useful tips from those who worked as wedding coordinators. You should also contact bridal vendors such as flower shops, caterers or even other wedding planning companies and ask if you can work for them as an assistant. Go to any wedding events and bridal fairs and make sure to have your business cards handy. You may also consider printing your own brochures and flyers to promote your business. Network with other business professionals as well as to help you form ideas on wedding planning and marketing.
Finally, be sure to let everyone know what you are planning on doing so that they can help and support you. Sometimes your friends can refer others to your business. If you have a full-time job, offer to organize your office parties and corporate outings. Keep in mind that any experience you acquire planning an event counts. Then, make sure to take pictures of the event that you planned and add them to a portfolio. This will help potential prospects get a good idea of your skills. Acquiring experience in the field is a wonderful way to network, learn about wedding planning and is a definite move in the right direction to becoming a successful wedding coordinator.
Criss White is a professional writer on baby, wedding, and parenting topics. For more related articles and for wedding favors (http://www.bridalandweddingfavors.com), visit bridalandweddingfavors.com.
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