Last weekend I trained a wonderful group of ladies on our Step by Step training weekend in London; half of the group had already attended our Business Practicalities course either recently or over the past year so it was lovely to see some familiar as well as some new faces. Our courses are always very honest and open and full of interaction. I do notice a trend in the questions which are asked time and time again by students so I thought I’d write about the top three that always crop up.

How many weddings should I aim to plan a year?

An established wedding planner working full time, might reasonably manage 10 weddings per year and earn a good income although the number of weddings will vary according to the budget of each wedding also. It’s not sensible to aim for that level in the first couple of years though, a good start would be  2 or 3 full planning weddings in year 1, increasing that gradually over the years.

What uniform do you wear on the wedding day?

Always a tricky one as you want to look smart and respectful to the fact that it’s a wedding yet be comfortable enough. The job generally entails lifting, packing, sticking and carrying of some form or another so comfort is key, as are flat shoes in my opinion. The Directors of UKAWP generally wear black trousers, a coloured shirt (not white or you look like waiting staff) and flat smart shoes. A comfortable black dress might also be a good option.

Will I get any clients without a portfolio to show of past work?

Yes, you won’t get every client as some will prefer to use a tried and tested planner who can demonstrate their work but people never think the same and some clients will see this as a benefit that you don’t have any pre-conceived ideas and have bags of enthusiasm; think of ways around not having a portfolio that can still demonstrate your creativity and past working experiences.

For more information on training courses  go to http://www.ukawp.com/planner_training.htm