Are you the type of person that loves weddings? Do you have a knack for creativity, when it comes to fashion design and decorating? If you can answer yes to both of these questions, you might want to consider becoming a wedding planner. Wedding planners are responsible for designing every aspect of the wedding, whether it’s the clothes, the layout or the food. They tend to have excellent people skills, which are needed both to draw clients and to negotiate payment prices with vendors. Yet, wedding planning, (like anything else), is a learning process. And if you do not go through the proper steps involved with learning to be a wedding planner, you won’t be very successful once you start it. Fortunately, if you haven’t taken the steps because you don’t know them, this article can provide you all the answers you need. In the paragraphs below you will learn three basic yet essential steps needed when learning to be a wedding planner. So, sit back, relax and read on.
1. Get an Education
Getting an education is probably the most obvious step involved when learning to be a wedding planner. It is best if you can get an education that directly relates to wedding planning. You can find most of these types of courses through correspondence schools, such as PCDI or Stratford University. Usually, schools of this nature will send you studying materials through the mail and/or online. You work at your own pace and at the end of the designated term, (which can be up to two years), you will earn a diploma, certificate or even an Associate’s Degree.
2. Get Real World Experience as a Wedding Planner Assistant
When learning to be a wedding planner, you will need as much real world experience as you do book knowledge. The best way to get real world experience is to look for jobs as a wedding planner assistant. Granted, things will be more of an administrative nature once you get hired, but usually you will be working one-on-one with the wedding planner, giving you an opportunity to fully understand what is involved in the business. It’s a great way to get your feet wet while still earning a more ‘guaranteed’ income. However, you will need a little bit of networking elbow grease to get a job as a wedding planner assistant, since they are not readily advertised on job boards. The best way to do this is to go through your phone book and let each company know you’re available for hire. You can also search through wedding planning enterprises on the Internet. If the business is out-of-state, see if they will accept a telecommuting arrangement.
3. Before Branching Out, Offer Free Services for a Couple of Weddings
After you have gotten thoroughly inundated with the wedding planning world, consider following an even bolder step when learning to be a wedding planner…. free wedding planning for one or two weddings. How can offering one’s services for free help when learning to be a wedding planner? Well, you’re not under as much stress to perform. Also, since you would only be working with just one or two weddings at a time, you won’t have to be overwhelmed with figuring out how you’re going to find time to meet the needs of dozens of other clients. Additionally, people tend to be more understanding if you’re offering a $1,500+ service for free, especially if they are your friends and family. They can overlook an occasional screw-up. Most importantly, you can use the free wedding to build up your portfolio.