'Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?', 'Married Away' and other wedding planning shows have brought the career of a wedding planner into focus. I have had many requests from brides who enjoyed the process of planning their own wedding. Enjoyed it so much that after the wedding they wanted to make a career change and become a wedding planner. In all cases, the brides mentioned how much 'fun' it would be.
Being in charge of all the details that go into a life changing event is fraught with perils. The total responsibility for the success of the wedding falls on the shoulders of the wedding planner. Anticipating potential problems and readjusting at the last second comes with experience.
While being a wedding planner can be viewed as fun it is, at the same time, a serious business. The 'fun' part comes when you are fulfilling your passion and delight.
What many fail to realize is that a career as a wedding planner is multi-dimensional. All of the parts have to come together in order to have a successful business such as:
A level of style, taste and vision
A desire to be 'of service' to your clients
A basic understanding of how to run a business
A sense of how to market and promote your business effectively
I asked Adrienne Meredith, the Publisher of Luxurious Wedding, to share her thoughts on getting started as a wedding planner:
"I always recommend starting with a job in the banquet planning department of the most luxurious hotel or venue in the area. Working in this type of a situation is an excellent way to learn how to deal with different personalities who are in the process of planning an event. It also provides insight into the timing, which is a critical element of wedding planning. It will give you first hand experience in working with vendors who are good/bad, what a planner contributes, and generally learn what a business is all about. If one is successful and feels that this is their true passion, they will have garnered a wealth of experience and established a reputation that can be used when opening a wedding planning business."
Photography by The Luxurious Wedding Photography Team.
