Did you know that over 50% of the U.S. population is, or has previously been, married as of 2021? That means over half of the people around you (depending on where you are) are likely to be married!
With so many marriages happening in the United States, there needs to be someone who knows how to arrange weddings to make them all the more memorable. That’s where a wedding planner comes in.
If you find yourself interested in how to become a wedding planner, there are a few things you should know before attempting to do so. This article will cover just a few of the basics.
What Does a Wedding Planner Do?
There’s so much that goes into planning a wedding beyond what many people might think of at first glance. An engaged couple needs to arrange catering, hire a photographer and DJ, order a cake, decorate, pick out their venue, choose the best attire, and so much more.
A wedding planner is someone who assists the couple in all the tasks necessary to have an amazing wedding, such as the tasks listed above and more.
Take a Look at Your Experience and Education
Every job needs experience, that’s pretty common knowledge, right? Well quite interestingly, wedding planners are often jacks-of-all-trades, since they typically know how to organize other events too. If you have experience in general event planning, becoming a wedding planner should be a walk in the park.
Education is something you might also want to consider. It’s not necessary to have a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or even an Associate’s Degree to become a wedding planner. But with that being said, getting a degree in general event planning will massively increase your knowledge and expertise in the field.
Other things you can consider for experience and education:
- Internships
- Online courses
- Shadowing esteemed wedding planners
- Join an association or group
You can also get tips from forums and blogs online!
Acquire a Certificate
Much like a degree, a certificate is not a necessary step to becoming a wedding planner. However, it makes you more knowledgeable and shows your clients that you are trained and can be trusted. These are much shorter than degrees and can be earned through trade groups.
Who Will You Work For?
One of the best parts about becoming a wedding planner is that it’s an extremely flexible career. You can start off at an association, move to an assistance wedding coordinator, then become a fully-booked planner!
Or, you can do freelance planning and control everything yourself. This is definitely the more difficult route, and not recommended for beginners. But it usually gives you more freedom with both your income and business choices.
Take Location Into Consideration
This one ties in nicely to the last point, where will you work?
Some smaller cities will obviously not have that many weddings due to a more minuscule population. On the other hand, bigger cities are more competitive and it’s easy to get drowned out by already established wedding planners. Choose somewhere in the middle where you think you can fit in nicely.
Tools and Skills Necessary to Become a Wedding Planner
A wedding planner’s arsenal is full of different tools and skills that are fundamental to getting the job done right. Some of these include:
- A wedding checklist for individual client’s needs
- Connections to other businesses, such as cake bakeries
- Good communication skills
- Good organization skills
Some tools might also help more than you think. One such tool is a wedding floor plan maker, which changes your wedding floor plan from paper to digital!
Some Motivation and Additional Tips
There is so much more than can be said about how to become a wedding planner. This includes, but is not limited to, considering salary and pay, what clients you will take, how often you will work, and much more.
The best advice you can take is to commit to it despite any odds and pursue the field with a fiery passion. Your dream career won’t flourish unless you make the choice to let it!
For more career and business-related tips, please visit the jobs and career section of our blog.
