Photo by Nikki Closser Photography
“How do I become a wedding planner?” – That’s one of the most commonly asked questions that I receive from aspiring wedding planners. With such a low bearer to entry, basically anyone can become a wedding
planner without much training or education but that does not necessarily translate into a successful wedding planning business. When I’m looking to a hire new team member, I look for someone who took the time to get an education and who has experience in a professional business setting or has worked in the event or service industry. Planning her own wedding is a nice inspiration for becoming a wedding planner but that doesn’t necessarily mean that she is cut out to do it as a career – especially if she is unprofessional, isn’t willing to get her hands dirty and doesn’t naturally serve others.
Having experience working in the event industry in an area other than wedding planning is extremely impressive to me because that person can understand how it is to be a vendor working for a planner rather than just having experience being the “planner in charge”. In my opinion this can help to shape someone into a planner who is more of a team player and a boss lady who is willing to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty. I always recommend that aspiring planners try to get a part-time job, internship or simply volunteer to work for an event industry company where they can experience the manual labor side of events, such as a catering company or a florist. Plus, the more experience you have in other areas of the wedding industry the more skills and knowledge you’ll bring to the table when you are in the role of being a wedding planner!
{Photos by Barrie Anne Photography and by Sawyer Biard}
Being a wedding planner means that you are often in a place of serving others which is why I also look for experience working in the service industry, so don’t leave that waitress or barista gig off your resume! Your number one goal should always be to serve your couples, catering to their wishes and helping to correct situations that go astray. Weddings are an emotional time and dirty laundry often gets aired, so sometimes couples and their guests can be overly sensitive which means you will need to be able to respond with a smile on your face and not take anything personal – having experience working in the service industry can help to prepare you for those meltdown moments when impeccable customer service is essential.
On the topic of serving others, I strongly believe that a wedding planner’s role includes serving the vendors who are working to make the wedding perfect for your couple. Simply bossing people around is not what you should be striving for at all and it’s one of my biggest pet peeves with this job title. When I work a wedding, I want my vendors to view me as a resource, team player, encourager, and someone who is willing to go outside my “job description” to help pull off a successful wedding. We’re all in this together and there shouldn’t be someone who is “above” pitching in and helping out in whatever way is needed. A successful wedding is not the result of the wedding planner’s genius but a result of an amazing team of wedding vendors who pooled their talents together to create something special. Keep this mindset at the forefront of what you do and you’ll already be off to a successful start to being a wedding planning boss lady!
Cheers!
Holly