The business of weddings is booming! Every year, almost 2.5 million people get married in the United States. On average, each couple spends $20,000, making weddings a $72 billion business. Planning and organising a wedding is still a big job, and many couples don't have the time to do it themselves. They are happy to let a professional handle the planning.
Demand for wedding planners is also growing quickly. About 15% of couples now use a professional wedding planner. Being a wedding planner lets you be your own boss. Most people think it's a fun and rewarding job, and you don't need any special training or education to do it. About 10,000 people in the United States say they are wedding planners for a living.
As a wedding planner, you are in charge of everything about the wedding, including the flowers, photography, food, and maybe even where out-of-town guests will stay. As a wedding planner, you also need to like working with people, since that's what you'll do most of the time. And maybe one of the most important things is to be efficient and well-organized. You don't want to forget to book the caterers for the big day!
Starting a wedding business is not much different from starting any other kind of business, except that most wedding businesses have low start-up costs. You will need a small office or a quiet room in your home to work from. Keep in mind that clients may come to your home to meet with you. You will need basic things like a separate phone line, fax machine, and business cards. You may also need to register your business in your county or state. Having a website of your own is also important.
You can also show potential clients your work by giving them a portfolio. If you don't know where to start, offer to help family and friends in exchange for taking and using their photos. Your portfolio should have pictures of weddings you helped plan, from the flowers and table settings to the food and venue. Reference letters from clients who were happy with the service are always a nice touch.
The best way to get good at wedding planning is to learn as much as you can about weddings and what makes them work. Talk to the people who work at the wedding, like the caterers, photographers, and florists. Try to make as many connections as you can because you will need them in the future. You should also try to get discounts from some of the people you know. You can also go back to school and learn everything you need to know about the job.
Now that you're a wedding planner, how do you find people to hire you? Your network of contacts in the business world is one of the best ways to find potential clients. Make sure that caterers, florists, and bridal shops can see your business cards. You could put an ad in the local paper and leave your business card in places like libraries, community centres, and places of work. And every small business owner knows that word-of-mouth is often the best way to get people to notice their business.
And one of the best parts of planning weddings? Many people's wedding day is the happiest day of their lives, and you get to help them plan it.
