Some things you will need
To begin any type of business where you deal with people, you must have people skills. Developing your people management techniques and interactive skills will be one of the most important things you do. Remember: your business is YOU. People will be trusting you to plan one of the most important days of their life. Some will be stressed, and perhaps difficult to deal with - so put on your patience hat before you begin any project.
You'll also have to understand the many traditions associated with weddings. The local library should have a lot of material about Protestant, Catholic, Military, Jewish, Afro-American, Hispanic and Orthodox weddings. You'll have to know how to incorporate the traditions and rituals of each type of ceremony so you definitely have some homework to do before you take on all types of weddings. Fortunately, there are resources on line you can use to learn these important techniques.
Find Local Suppliers
With your knowledge of the different types of weddings, you must then build your knowledge of local resources and suppliers. For example:
- Printers for wedding invitations and placards
- Caterers
- Flower shops specializing in wedding bouquets
- Decorators & decorating supply stores
- Wedding dress makers
- Tuxedo rental shops
- Wedding Cake Suppliers
Manage and Promote Your Business
The above represents just the basics. You'll also need to have business forms and contracts in place to manage your business. What about brochures and advertisements to promote your business? These should be built into your costs too (remember the business plan!).
Promoting your business can be done in many ways. Once you have built a relationship with some of the vendors you know, they will help you to find new clients. For example: leave your brochures in flower shops, catering companies, print shops, jewelry stores, wedding dress vendors and other locations where newly engaged couples are likely to visit.
Learn from those who know
Obviously this is not a complete guide to becoming a wedding planner. Placing an actual on line course in this site would span many pages. However, now that you have an overview of the basics, you are ready to continue your education. Here are some excellent resources we have found where you can learn to be a wedding planner:
WeddingsBeautiful.com - Offers an on line course for you to become a Certified Wedding Specialist.
WeddingPlanningInstitute.com - Offers numerous on line courses related to wedding planning and a full certification program.
