Wedding Planners...how did you go about so you could be one?

I love weddings w/ all my heart...so I've been thinking about being a wedding planner...I'm not sure where to begin or what the proper steps to take would be...I want to thoroughly plan this...a brides dream is to have a perfect wedding and i want to be sure that i can do this for them (I'm also going to further my studies in photography)...I love this industry w/ all my heart and totally want to do this...Thanks In Advance

First off, ask yourself can you handle the stress that comes with doing a person's wedding. If you say yes, then might I suggest going online to see if there is a college or school nearby that has the course on event planning or wedding coordination to attend.

It will surely help. Everyone is saying great things but before going into the whole business & getting contacts, try out by becoming a volunteer for a wedding or event & see the different aspects of it. Believe me, a lot of people see it as being all fun & when the real work appears, it has them running the other way. I can say this because I am a certified wedding coordinator & event planner. I took courses, planned events and then while doing this, my name from referrals got there (from family & friends or from colleagues who saw my work).

I have a link to a great school if you are in Canada on my website (and you can see some of the weddings I've done there too. www.turningpageevents.com )

The key to being a great planner or coordinator is to stay calm in ALL situations & be a quick problem solver. Brides get flustered if you are not organized or know what you are talking about. Keep up-to-date with magazines or seminars in the area & do get to know folks in the industry like the florist.

Having the niche of being a photographer will also be great. Folks will like the ability to see what you can do with photos while you can give them guidance with the wedding. Yet don't do both at the same time.. you will spread yourself thin.

Hope to help you with more on this one.

I would take some business courses and prepare a business plan first and foremost. Then, I would start developing contacts in the wedding industry in your area. Without the contacts, you can't be effective. You need to do the research to know who's good, who to recommend to your clients and who to stay clear of. One bad recommendation could ruin your business because a lot of wedding planners get clients by word of mouth.

Check out a local community college. They usually have adult continuing education classes in the bridal industry such as event coordinating and floral design. There are many certificate programs available online also. You may want to check out an exisisting wedding planner service in your area and see if they can take you in as an apprentice. You might have to volunteer your time and labor as an apprentice in return for the hands on experience. Many places do not require that you be certified, however in many big cities you are required a certification of event coordinator and experience. Barnes and Nobles carries many books on how to start your own business in the bridal industry also. Good Luck!

I agree with the two post above me as well but also try family, friends and co-workers that know someone who is getting married to get yourself out there. Also with the photographers, videographers, decorators, florist, bridal shops, etc. etc. ask them to recommend you or leave a business card for when people come in and request wedding service from them. Ask them to mention you by saying oh do you need or have a wedding planner and then they can give your card to them. Just a thought.

well, you have to know people who know alot about the scene. knowing florists, tailors, different banquet hall owners, churches, and all that good stuff. one you put a name out for yourself, peoplewill come to you. or put ads out everywhere

You could use a lot of resources. Make a list of wedding vendors and suppliers. a list of different bakery's in the area
and wedding favor sites. I would recommend getting a DBA
From a bank and set up your busniess with a website
feel free to use our site as a resource anytime, www.jordanalmondflowers.com