Wedding Planner Career: Where To Live And Thrive

Planning a wedding can be a stressful and time-consuming process. Wedding planners are there to make sure everything runs smoothly and that the happy couple can enjoy their special day without worry. But where should you live to have a successful wedding planning career?

The best U.S. city to be a wedding planner is Minneapolis, Minnesota. The city boasts first-class wedding venues, including the famous Van Dusen Mansion, and has a high number of wedding venues per 100K residents, while also having low competition and a reasonable cost of living. St. Louis, Missouri, and Washington, D.C., are also great options, with beautiful venues and plenty of job opportunities.

On the other hand, cities in California are the worst for wedding planners, with a high cost of living and lower-rated wedding venues. Oklahoma City, despite its charms, also makes the list due to a lack of venues and lower demand for elaborate events.

Weekend and evening work

Wedding planning is a demanding job that requires a lot of dedication and hard work. It is not uncommon for wedding planners to work on weekends and evenings, especially when the big day is approaching.

During the week, wedding planners are usually busy with tasks such as crafting timelines, contacting vendors, booking new clients, and meeting new vendors. However, the weekends are typically dedicated to ensuring that the event goes off without a hitch. This can involve working long hours, sometimes up to 12-hour days, and being on-call to handle any last-minute issues or problems that may arise.

For example, a Day of Wedding Coordinator job posting in Etobicoke, ON, Canada, mentions that the role is mostly on weekends, with some weekdays, and the workday can be 12+ hours on the day of the event. Similarly, a wedding planner in Beverly Hills, CA, mentions that their work involves weekends as needed.

Wedding planners need to be prepared for unexpected situations and be able to problem-solve quickly, especially when time is of the essence. It is essential to have excellent time management, organisation, and planning skills to succeed in this industry and effectively manage the numerous responsibilities that come with planning a wedding.

While it can be challenging, wedding planning can also be a rewarding career, allowing individuals to turn a couple's vision into a reality and build long-lasting relationships.

Physical and mental hard work

Being a wedding planner is a physically and mentally demanding job. It requires long hours on your feet, quick thinking, and the ability to remain calm under pressure.

Physical Demands

Wedding planners often work long hours on their feet, sometimes up to 15 hours, which can be exhausting no matter your level of fitness. This physical demand can become more challenging as you get older. After a wedding, you might feel like you've run a race and gone out drinking all night. In reality, you're likely dehydrated, sore, and tired.

Mental Demands

Wedding planning is consistently ranked as one of the most stressful careers. It requires multitasking, organisation, and the ability to remain calm and make decisions in high-pressure situations.

Dealing with difficult clients can also take its toll mentally. It's a stressful job, and when you have clients who add to that stress, you might question why you chose this career.

Wedding planners also need to manage their own expectations. It's an emotional industry with emotional brides, grooms, and parents, and it can be hard not to take things personally if something goes wrong or if your clients aren't 100% happy with your services.

How to Manage the Physical and Mental Demands

To succeed as a wedding planner, it's essential to develop excellent self-care practices. This includes finding time for activities that help you relax and recharge, such as yoga, meditation, or drawing a bath. It's also crucial to stay hydrated and well-nourished, especially on the day of the wedding.

Additionally, setting boundaries and learning to say "no" are important skills to develop. You might need to turn down clients who aren't a good fit or set clear expectations with family and friends about your availability outside of work.

Finally, staying organised and managing your time effectively can help reduce stress levels. Using checklists, spreadsheets, or wedding planning books can keep you on track and ensure you're not taking on more than you can handle.

Despite the physical and mental demands, many wedding planners find their career extremely rewarding. Seeing months of hard work come together on a couple's perfect wedding day is one of the most fulfilling experiences for wedding planners.

If you have a passion for weddings, love stories, and people, the rewards of being a wedding planner might just outweigh the physical and mental challenges.

Emotional connection

An emotional connection with your clients is crucial for a wedding planner. You will be responsible for managing your clients' wedding, and you want to ensure that you can inspire and bring their vision to life. It is important to feel confident and excited about the person you entrust with one of the most important days of their lives.

Face-to-face meetings

Having a face-to-face meeting or video call with your clients will give you the opportunity to gauge how well you connect with them and whether you can understand and share their emotions and ideas. Pay attention to their body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice – these can all give you important clues as to whether you are genuinely empathetic and excited about their wedding.

Testimonials

When searching for a wedding planner, couples often look for emotional testimonials from other couples to see what feelings they had when remembering their luxury wedding day. Look for recurring themes or specific moments that stand out. Are couples raving about how the planner made them feel at ease, or how they managed to create an atmosphere that was uniquely personal? These are the types of experiences you want to offer your clients.

Effective communication

Another aspect to consider is your communication style. Are you responsive, attentive, and willing to listen to your clients' ideas and concerns? A wedding planner who communicates effectively and takes the time to understand their clients' unique vision will be better able to create a wedding that truly reflects their emotions and desires.

Trust your instincts

Finally, trust your gut. Sometimes, feelings are difficult to put into words, but if you have a strong positive or negative reaction to a particular client, it’s important to listen to that instinct. A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and your clients deserve to work with someone who makes them feel comfortable, understood, and excited.

Empathy

While anyone can learn the systems and procedures and acquire the skills needed to plan weddings, what sets a good wedding planner apart from an excellent one is empathy. As a wedding planner, you may function as a quasi-therapist, listening to and validating your clients' feelings before helping them move forward. Someone who strives to make others feel important and cared for is key to success in this industry.

It's not your wedding

As a wedding planner, it's important to remember that it's not your wedding. Your role is to bring the couple's vision to life and ensure their day goes smoothly. This means that you may have to put aside your own preferences and opinions at times and focus on what the couple wants.

• Be Flexible and Adaptable: Remember that your main priority is to make the couple happy. Be open to their ideas and willing to adapt your plans if needed. It's important to have a clear understanding of their vision and expectations so you can deliver what they want.
• Communicate Effectively: Strong communication skills are crucial. Listen carefully to the couple's wishes and ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand their vision. Communicate regularly and provide updates to build trust and ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Manage Expectations: Be realistic about what you can deliver and manage the couple's expectations accordingly. If there are any limitations or challenges, be transparent and work together to find solutions.
• Stay Organized: Wedding planning involves juggling many details and vendors. Stay organized by creating timelines, checklists, and budgets. This will help you keep track of everything and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• Offer Guidance: While it's not your wedding, you can still offer guidance and suggestions when appropriate. Use your expertise to make recommendations, but ultimately respect the couple's decisions.
• Stay Calm and Professional: Wedding planning can be stressful, and it's important to maintain a calm and professional demeanor. If any issues arise, work behind the scenes to resolve them without adding to the couple's stress.
• Build Relationships: Wedding planning is a collaborative process. Build positive relationships with the couple, their families, and your vendor partners. Strong relationships will make the planning process more enjoyable and help create a supportive team.
• Remember the Couple's Personality: Keep the couple's unique personality and style in mind throughout the planning process. This will help you create a wedding that truly reflects them and makes their day memorable.

Remember, while it's not your wedding, you play a crucial role in making their dream wedding a reality. By staying focused on their vision, flexible in your approach, and dedicated to providing an exceptional experience, you'll be well on your way to a successful career as a wedding planner.

You are not a people person

If you're not a people person, the role of a wedding planner may not be for you. Wedding planners need to be excellent communicators and networkers, with the ability to work a room and manage a variety of personalities.

However, if you're determined to pursue this career path, there are some ways to make it work. Firstly, you can focus on the organisational and creative aspects of the role. Wedding planners need to be highly organised, with strong attention to detail and time management skills. They also need to be creative, with an eye for design and an interest in weddings. These skills can be learned and refined through hands-on experience and continual learning.

Additionally, you can develop your people skills over time. Interpersonal skills such as leadership, empathy, and the ability to stay calm under pressure are crucial for wedding planners. While these may not come naturally to you, they can be built upon as you grow into the role.

It's also important to note that wedding planners often work with a team of vendors and suppliers, so you won't be solely interacting with the couple and their families. Strong communication and collaboration within this team are key to ensuring a successful wedding.

Lastly, if you're not a people person, you may want to consider specialising in a specific aspect of wedding planning, such as design and decor. This type of wedding planner focuses primarily on the aesthetic aspects of the wedding and has less interaction with the couple and vendors.

Remember, while certain skills and qualities are essential for wedding planners, others can be developed and strengthened over time with dedication and a willingness to learn.

Frequently asked questions