The main job for a wedding planner is to remove the stress from the couple getting married, to ensure that the day runs smoothly, keeps to the brief provided by the clients and is a truly memorable event. This sounds simple but it actually involves quite a few variables plus varied skills and talents. Wedding planning does not fall into the 9am to 5pm category – you will need to be flexible and meet clients in the evening and on weekends, from the time they book you until after the final clean-up after the wedding.
A wedding planner’s job:
- Is more about hard work than glamour
- Requires patience and diplomacy
- Demands exceptional organisation and management skills
- Requires financial management skills and the ability to work within a budget
- Requires some artistic flair
- Is to be knowledgeable about the industry and what is on offer in terms of: venues, the latest trends, common themes, decorations and decorators, transport, photographers, musicians, florists, accommodation for guests and so on.
Other Duties:
- Meeting the couple and parents (especially if parents are paying for the wedding) and the wedding party
- Assessing the clients’ needs and expectations including: the budget, venue, food, type of service, religious aspects, theme, dress codes, number of people attending and so on.
Having a broad understanding of what the clients’ expectations are and whether their budget will meet this.
Risks and challenges
Wedding planning can be highly stressful, both with dealing with the bride and groom, as well as managing issues that arise leading up to the event and on the day. There is a lot of pressure to get everything absolutely perfect, and even minor mishaps may result in disaster. You will need to be able to think on the spot, stay calm under pressure, and have strong interpersonal skills for dealing with highly stressed, emotional brides (and possibly grooms!).
The demand for wedding planners can fluctuate, particularly due to seasons – weddings are generally most popular through the summer months, as well as spring and autumn. Even within those seasons demands can fluctuate, so the wedding planner may go from being flat out to no work from week to week and month to month.
Working as a wedding planner can involve long and unsociable hours. They will often be required to liaise with clients in evenings and weekends. Leading up to the wedding they may be required to work into the night to get everything ready, and wedding s are generally held on the weekend, so wedding planners will often be required to work on Saturdays and Sundays.
How to become a Wedding Planner
There are no set educational requirements to become a wedding planner, however many wedding planners will complete training in event management, wedding planning, hospitality, or similar.
Much of what a wedding planner does can be learnt through on the job training, and many wedding planners will have a background in hospitality or event management, until they develop skills to specialise in wedding planning.
Most people will feel more comfortable hiring a wedding planner with experience, so you will need to gain experience through work experience, putting on weddings or friends or family, or working under an experienced wedding planner.
A wedding planner will need to develop exceptional time and financial management skills. Completing a business course may help to develop the necessary skills.
They will also need exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. They will be dealing with a wide range of people in preparing the event, and will be required to manage a team of workers on the day.
Networking is incredibly important for the wedding planner, in order to gain the best prices on services, as well as to gain new clients.
A wedding planner will also need marketing skills to market their business. One of the most powerful forms of marketing is word of mouth, so you will need to ensure you do an exceptional job every time.
You will also need to have a creative flair for making wedding theme suggestions and organizing décor and decorations. You will need to be familiar with religious customs so you can arrange an appropriate ceremony. You will also need to keep up to date with the latest wedding trends.
Most couples feel more comfortable hiring a wedding planner with experience
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