Planning Dream Weddings: A Guide To Becoming A Wedding Planner

If you're interested in becoming a wedding event planner, there are a few things you should know. First, it's important to have a love for weddings, love stories, and people. You should be driven to help create memorable and special moments for couples and their families. Being a wedding planner can be challenging and stressful, so it's important to be organised, dependable, and quick on your feet. Gaining practical experience in the field is invaluable, and you should consider creating a portfolio that showcases your expertise and style. This might include photos and descriptions of events you've planned, highlighting your attention to detail and creativity. You can also research the industry and different types of wedding planning jobs to understand the requirements and what the role entails.

You don't need a degree in event planning to become a wedding planner

If you want to become a wedding planner, you should first build your portfolio and gain valuable experience. You can do this through internships and volunteering. You can also gain practical experience through apprenticeships or working for an established firm. It's also important to be incredibly organised and to enjoy customer service.

As a wedding planner, you can decide to be an independent contractor or work with a planning company. As an independent contractor, you can either create your own agency or continue to work as a freelancer.

Gain practical experience through internships, apprenticeships or working for an established firm

Gaining practical experience is an invaluable step towards becoming a wedding event planner. While formal education is not always necessary, it is highly recommended that you gain some hands-on experience in the field before starting your own business. This could be through internships, apprenticeships, or working for an established firm.

One way to gain experience is to offer your services to friends and family at a discounted rate in exchange for permission to feature the weddings in your portfolio. This will allow you to build a visual resume that showcases your expertise and style as a wedding planner. Make sure everyone involved knows you are not yet a professional and that you are building your portfolio.

Another way to gain experience is to reach out to established wedding planning firms and offer your services as an intern or apprentice. This will give you the opportunity to learn from experienced planners and gain insight into the day-to-day operations of the business. You can also network and build connections in the industry, which can be invaluable when starting your own business.

During your internships or apprenticeships, pay attention to the skills and traits that successful wedding planners possess. A good wedding planner is organised, dependable, quick on their feet, action-oriented, curious, cool under pressure, in control, responsible, and level-headed. They are also logistical wizards and excellent at time management.

Remember that gaining practical experience is just one step towards becoming a wedding event planner. It is also important to familiarise yourself with the industry, understand the job requirements, and create a comprehensive business plan before launching your own wedding planning business.

Build your portfolio and gain valuable experience

To build your portfolio, you should include photos and descriptions of events you've planned, highlighting your attention to detail, creativity, and ability to execute memorable events. If you're just starting, consider offering your services to friends and family at a discounted rate in exchange for permission to feature the weddings in your portfolio. However, make sure everyone involved knows you are not yet a professional.

While formal education isn't always necessary to become a wedding planner, gaining practical experience in the field is invaluable and highly recommended before starting your own business. You can gain experience by offering your services to friends and family, as mentioned above, or by reaching out to established wedding planners and asking if they need any assistance. You could also consider volunteering your time to plan events for local charities or community groups.

In addition to building your portfolio, it's important to familiarise yourself with the wedding planning industry. Research different types of wedding planning jobs, from elopements to destination weddings, and explore wedding planners' websites and social media platforms to get a sense of their work. This will help you understand the job requirements and what it takes to be a successful wedding planner.

Another way to gain valuable experience is to take a course in wedding and event planning. These courses can provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed in the industry, and some even offer certification upon completion. For example, Lovegevity courses offer a Certified Wedding Planner course that includes a letter of recommendation and the professional Certified Wedding and Event Planning designation.

Finally, remember that building your portfolio and gaining experience is an ongoing process. As you plan more events, continue to update your portfolio with new photos and descriptions. Seek out feedback from clients and use it to improve your services. With each event, you'll gain more experience and confidence, and you'll be well on your way to becoming a successful wedding event planner.

You must be incredibly organised

To become a wedding event planner, you must be incredibly organised. This is a job that requires you to be a logistical wizard, quick on your feet, action-oriented, curious, cool under pressure, in control, responsible, level-headed, and good with time management.

On the day of the wedding, you will be responsible for coordinating with vendors and venues for the ceremony and reception, ensuring all parties arrive on time and prepared. You will need to create a comprehensive timeline for the day to ensure everything goes according to plan and that all the couple's preferences and requirements are taken into consideration.

It is also important to be organised when it comes to building your portfolio and gaining experience. Your portfolio is your visual resume and showcases your expertise and style as a wedding planner. Include photos and descriptions of events you've planned, highlighting your attention to detail, creativity, and ability to execute memorable events. If you're just starting, consider offering your services to friends and family at a discounted rate in exchange for permission to feature the weddings in your portfolio.

Finally, being organised will help you when it comes to researching the industry and understanding the job requirements. Familiarise yourself with wedding planners' websites and social media platforms to get a feel for what they do and the different types of wedding planning jobs that are out there.

You need to enjoy customer service

To become a wedding event planner, you need to enjoy customer service. This is because, as a wedding planner, you will be responsible for coordinating with vendors and venues for the ceremony and reception, ensuring that all parties arrive on time and prepared. You will also need to create a comprehensive timeline for the wedding day to ensure that everything goes according to plan and that all the couple's preferences and requirements are taken into consideration.

Wedding planners need to be organised, dependable, quick on their feet, action-oriented, curious, cool under pressure, in control, responsible, level-headed and good with time management. It's also important to be driven to help create something memorable and special for the couple and their families.

If you are just starting out, consider offering your services to friends and family at a discounted rate in exchange for permission to feature the weddings in your portfolio. This will help you gain experience and build a visual resume that showcases your expertise and style as a wedding planner.

There are also courses available that can provide you with a certificate, letter of recommendation, and the professional Certified Wedding and Event Planning designation. These courses can help you learn more about the industry and gain the skills you need to succeed as a wedding planner.

Frequently asked questions