Interning For A Wedding Planner
There might be a wedding planner local to youand if so, great! Wedding planning companies range in shapes, sizes, and opportunities. The first place to gain some on the ground experience would be with a wedding planning company.
During the decade I owned by business, I hired many interns. Here are some tips on approaching a wedding planning business that’ll increase your odds for getting hired as an intern:
- Do Your Research: Before you apply, do your research about the company and it’s owner. Understand who they are, what types of clients they serve, and the opportunities available. Many wedding planning companies will have a careers’ webpage or instructions on how to submit your resume.
- Be Personable: Wedding planners get tons of applications to intern/assist. Stand out by being personable. Don’t send a canned email addressed to Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir/Madam. Know who you’re emailing and be personable in your approach.
- Follow Them On Social: Become one of their fans on social media and show an interest in their content and marketing.
Because wedding planning companies come in all shapes and sizes, many of them being small, there might not be an opportunity to intern with a company. And if you desire to start your own wedding planning business many planners in your area will be guarded. The next best opportunity if you can’t get an internship with a wedding planner?
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Become A Wedding Planner:
Do you need a degree to be a wedding planner?
No, but it certainly doesnt hurt. Your level of education depends on the type of wedding planning business youre trying to be a part of. If your goal is to be your own boss and run your own one-person business, no college degree is required. However, a degree in a hospitality or event-planning field can help better prepare you for the industry, and it may be preferred by some organizations.
How do wedding planners make their money?
Most wedding planners earn their money by charging a flat fee, an hourly rate, or a percentage of a couples wedding budget.
How long does it take to become a certified wedding planner?
It depends on the type of certification. A Wedding Planner Certificate from Online Courses Australia, for example, takes an estimated 12 study hours. On the other end of the spectrum, the Wedding Academys Certificate in Wedding Planning takes approximately three months.
How Do I Get A Wedding Planner Job
Many wedding planners are self-employed, so it’s not unusual to set up your own practice early in your career.
However, wedding planning companies do exist and often advertise vacancies on their websites – alternatively you can send a speculative application. Your first job could be as an assistant wedding planner. Search the internet to find relevant companies in your area.
You should try to get some experience to help you land a job. Offer your services to a local wedding planner or wedding venue, just to get your foot in the door. Show them what you can do and before long, a permanent position will be yours for the taking.
You’ll typically earn around £17,000 to £20,000 when you first start out as a wedding planner, rising to between £20,000 and £25,000 with some experience, according to the National Careers Service. Once you build your reputation and get even more experience, you can earn more.
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Get A Hospitality Job
Work at the front desk of a hotel, wait tables in a restaurant or banquet facility or offer assistance to a florist or rental company. Get dirty. Get yelled at. Power through a rough weekend and challenging customers, and live to tell the tale. Get kudos and big, cash tips. Make sure youre comfortable working nights and weekends, while everyone else is having fun.
How To Become A Wedding Planner: The Definitive Guide
Do you always get excited when your friends are getting married, only because you want to help plan the wedding?
Do you dream of the day that you will walk down the aisle, just so you can pick the colors, theme, and flowers that you want?
If this sounds like you, then a career as a Wedding Planner may be just what you are looking for.
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Gemma Has 2 Weddings Booked Plus 1 Engagement Party
I just wanted to say a quick thank you for my wedding planning course. I have had it for just over 1 week and to be honest i couldnt be loving it more! To top it off, I am already booked for the planning of two weddings and an engagement party! I cant wait to finish the course to send in my assignments In beyond excited!
Gemma Forsythe
Take Education Classes And Obtain A Certification
Many couples who are going to hire a wedding planner want someone who has specific training and certification. Being able to produce this isnt required, but it certainly wont hurt you to go through the process. You can learn tips and techniques that can help you as you address the issues that are likely going to come up as you plan weddings.
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How To Get Started
Easily, the most popular question I am asked is how I got started in all of this. The truth is, this is not the career path I had envisioned for myself growing up. In fact, I graduated college with a very unrelated degree.
My family is filled with entrepreneurs who started at least one successful business. I didnt realize it back then, but being my own boss was always in my blood.
Going into college, I had dreams of being a meteorologist. I love, and still love, the weather and forecasting. Ironically, this comes in very handy as a wedding planner. I left college with a degree in Political Science and thought about going to law school.
After spending years as a matrimonial paralegal I quit my job and walked out.seriously, I packed up my office and left because I didnt care for how I was being treated.
I have both a professional modeling and acting background, but I was not cut out for the audition lifestyle. The desire to be in a different state every other week for modeling, or running around NYC for auditions 5 days a week, just wasnt me.
Im a Taurus. Stability is a thing for me.
Looking back over my life, I realized that I had been planning events and parties for years. Not only that, the planning I did satisfied the acting and modeling side of me. One morning I simply woke up and said to my then boyfriend that I think Id make a great wedding planner.
Want To Know More Watch This Video
With todays global situation and time-starved lifestyles, couples are realizing the importance of working with a Professional Wedding Planner and Coordinator. A certified wedding planner can help conserve a couples time, understands the industry, can protect their investment, liaise with other wedding professionals, bring their vision to fruition, and manage their expectations.
Wedding Coordinator, Wedding Planner, Wedding Consultant, Wedding Designer whatever you want to call yourself, couples need properly trained, regulated and certified Professional Wedding Coordinators!
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So You Still Want To Be A Professional Wedding Planner
After reading through this blog, what do you think? Is this still the profession you wish to pursue, or is it looking less like a match? What strong traits do you have that would help you be successful?
I mentioned earlier that Im constantly in the process of writing an E-book about becoming a professional wedding planner. If this is something youre interested in, be sure to drop any questions you have in the comments section below. Id love to feature them in my book or an upcoming blogwhichever comes first!
What Training Do You Need To Become A Wedding Planner
You can take different routes to become a wedding planner, such as a wedding planner course through the open university. At Lovegevity, we ask that you have access to a computer for our online courses, as well as an understanding of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and/or Google Docs, and access to the internet.
You can also complete your course at one of our accredited colleges or universities. No matter which route you take, you can partake in an optional internship where you may have the opportunity to shadow and gain hands-on experience. In some cases, it can even lead to a job.
At Lovegevity, we teach you what you need to know to become a successful wedding planner. This includes creating a portfolio of business contacts, presentation tools, pricing, and packages to give you everything necessary to get started booking and working with real clients.
Youll also learn how to gain a competitive edge in your local market, as well as being proficient in prospecting, marketing, and contracting with wedding and special event clients.
By the end of your course, youll be able to set up a legal wedding planning business and be knowledgeable about business structure. Youll also know how to market, publish, and use public relations to promote and increase awareness about your business, helping you to be as successful as possible.
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Do You Recall Any Humorous Moments From Working As A Wedding Event Planner
I had a groom show up for the ceremony , and I asked him if he had the ring and everything went into a downward spiral. He insisted on having the ring rather than using a prop from our emergency kit, but then he became so panicked that he couldnt find his car, then when he got to the hotel and found the ring, he couldnt find his car keys he was a wreck. We laugh now, but at the time we were very worried for him.
Have You Dreamed Of Becoming A Wedding Planner
You are not alone. Many people want to become a Wedding Planner, but do not know where to get started or how to get certified.
We will teach you about the planning and coordination of a wedding, how to create your own Wedding Consulting, Planning, and Coordination business, and most importantly, how to get and keep clients!
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Do I Need Specific Skills And Qualifications
There are no particular qualifications required to become a wedding planner – it’s much more important to gain experience. You won’t be hired to plan somebody’s wedding if you don’t have a history of successfully organising events.
You may be able to get some experience by planning your own wedding or those of friends and family. Another option is to search for local wedding planners and ask them for work experience or opportunities to shadow them.
While not essential, an academic background in hospitality and event management will help you develop the right skillset. Find out about event management courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. If you choose the university route, get involved in societies and clubs and be proactive in organising their events.
For specific tutoring in wedding planning, short and online courses are available through organisations such as:
If you intend to be self-employed, look for courses that include modules on setting up and running a business. Learn more about self-employment.
You’ll need to have these key skills if you want to be a successful wedding planner:
Think About Your Abilities
Wedding planning takes a specific skill set. You have to be able to budget, negotiate, and organize. You need to be good at solving problems and managing your time. You may need to oversee a team of workers and others who are handling specific duties at the wedding and related activities. You also need to have a keen eye for understanding color schemes and themes that brides and grooms are trying to relay to you.
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How To Start Your Wedding Planning Business
Starting a wedding planning business is an exciting adventure! Careers in wedding planning are popular and appeal to many people. Many wedding planners start their own business as a part-time side gig and build it up to a full-time career.
Before you can take on clients, you want to learn all you can about planning and coordinating a wedding. If you do not have much experience in this area, consider building relationships with experienced planners and inquire about assisting at their events. You can also hire a wedding planner business coach and use tools such as the Wedding Planners Toolbox to guide you and give you the confidence to plan and coordinate events. You dont want to risk ruining someones wedding day because you promised more than you could deliver as a planner.
In addition to learning how to actually plan and coordinate a wedding, you may be learning how to start and run a business for the first time.
Wedding Planning In 2021
According to The Review, this momentum has no plans of stopping. In fact, its looking like there will be an even bigger boom for the demand for wedding planners in 2022!
Author, Reid Masson, states: The wedding industry in Ontario lost an estimated $780 million in revenue in 2020, according to a study by the insurance comparison platform Hellosafe.ca. The study showed that only 39,764 weddings took place in Ontario in 2020, compared to 66,257 in 2019. Those numbers are expected to rise to 48,000 weddings in 2021, before booming to more than 70,000 in2022.
In the United States, The Atlantic reported similar findings. In addition to countless wedding planners claiming to already be booked well into 2022 and beyond, The Atlantic also noted that post-pandemic, along with this rush to the altar comes a returned desire for the wedding industrys traditional trappings, including large guest counts and lavish cakes. Gone are the days of intimate elopements necessitated by travel bans and capacity restrictions.
Theres never before been a better time to become a wedding planner!
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Be Organized And Attentive To Details
Wedding planning requires you to be uber-organized and attentive to details. After all, so many components go into the event from schedules to menus to playlists. These skills or traits can be built on as you grow into your role, says Dorman. They are muscles that can get stronger as they are flexed. If you dont have these traits naturally, consider an internship or entry-level job to help you develop them.
