If you’ve ever considered event planning jobs then you’ve definitely thought about being a wedding planner. It’s a fun, flexible career that involves preparing one of the most important, intimate moments in a person’s life. The wedding and event planning profession can seem daunting at first because there is no single path to success. Here are some tips to help you prepare for an exciting career as a wedding planner.
1. Get Started And Take Action
The single biggest step in launching your career is the first. You need to stop dreaming of your dream career and take action. Figure out what concrete steps you need to take to launch your career and build a plan. In the near term that includes doing some research online to understand how to secure roles in the industry. You’ll find that the key is a mix of education, experience, and networking. Along the way you’ll realize that not all wedding planners are the same. Some specialize in weddings within a particular geographic area. Others coordinate destination weddings or weddings with demanding, high net worth families. Whatever part of the industry, wedding planning starts with education.
2. Education Is Your Launchpad
The next big step in pursuing a wedding planning career is education. You need to map out your educational journey and decide what learning format best suits your needs. The best online wedding planning schools provide a detailed course of study that includes both wedding planning processes and the intricacies of running a small business. Aside from knowing how to create wedding packages or negotiate contracts, you’ll also need to know how to put out your own shingle. Most wedding planners develop their own book of business and wedding planner assistants help manage those relationships. To be a successful in wedding or event planning jobs you’ll need to develop solid business and financial acumen. You’re building a business from scratch and can face financial failure without the right preparation. Once you’ve completed a wedding planner assistant course and gotten certified, it’s time to think about practical experience.
3. Experience Can Be The Best Teacher
Learning how to become a wedding planner requires more than just education. Having experience owning your own projects from starts to finish shows that you can handle the workload of a wedding planner assistant and help put together a successful event. You may not have much control of your workflow in the beginning stages of career but over time you’ll have more freedom to select projects. Try and pick a few areas of specialization that complement your skill set. That might be venue scouting, floral decorations, food selection, or other critical components of a successful wedding. Try and prioritize projects in your chosen focus area to help build greater specialization. Think about what planning work you really enjoy and start becoming an expert.
4. Build A Great Portfolio
You need to have a clear, well-formatted resume. That single sheet of paper spells out your most significant accomplishments and helps you get the first interview. After that, you need to really show off your creativity and passion for wedding planning. That’s why a good portfolio is vital. You need to highlight a wide range of skills and demonstrate why you’re the right person for the job. Your portfolio needs to demonstrate your ability to select a venue, screen catering services, manage client expectations, and operate under pressure. That means highlighting successful events you’ve managed in the past and proving you can meet tight deadlines. Your portfolio can also include recommendations or testimonials from satisfied clients. A good portfolio can give you momentum in the early stages of your career and help you advance more quickly.
5. Become A Networking Pro
Most people don’t enjoy networking but it’s critical to develop relationships and create new career opportunities. One of the great things about a wedding planning career is flexible hours. That means times for family and time for developing new relationships in the industry. Having coffee chats with more experienced wedding planners can help you better understand what skills you need to develop and find your own niche. Try using LinkedIn or referrals to set up informal chats. Make sure you’re prepared with a list of questions and be respectful of the other person’s time. Also remember to send a thank you note and remain in touch. You can also attend industry trade shows or social events to network on a larger scale. These events tend to attract the same people so you are likely to run into familiar faces over time. Do your research and identify who you want to speak to in advance. Who you know matters, but who knows you is even more important. You want to be top of mind when that next great opportunity arrives.
