This article was originally written for Dream Occasions but I felt it might be useful to those thinking about entering the wedding planning industry.

Wedding Planning Myths

• We spend our days at cake tastings and visiting bridal shops
• That the majority of our role is creative, buying pretty ribbons, creating mood boards and choosing table settings
• That we earn huge amounts of money
• It’s, fun, fun, fun

Wedding Planning Facts

• Yes you will  get sent beautiful samples in the post from cakes to cookies but honestly that isn’t that often
• Would it surprise you to learn that the role is 80% administrative? It’s spending circa 150 hours organising a clients event ensuring all key suppliers have been booked and within the clients budget. No point spending time choosing pretty ribbon if there are no napkins on order to put them round.
• Would it surprise you to know most UK planners can only manage 8-10 weddings per year? Let’s do some math, multiply 8 x 150 hours = 1,200 hours. Assuming you will take 4 weeks as holiday per year that’s 25 hours per week organising client weddings. The rest of the working week is spent “running your business” (marketing, accounts, PR, admin). Thus a planner needs to make sure she is earning enough from those 8-10 weddings per year to cover her N.I, tax, business running costs + her wage to cover her time. Don’t forget when you’re employed your wage is what you take home, when you run a business the fee you get from a client is not the fee you personally earn.
• You will be working evenings and weekends so make sure your family support you with this knowledge, take a day off in the week instead as a compromise
• It’s not the same planning your own wedding compared to someone elses, your tastes might differ. Can you deal with that fact?
• At times couples might take their stresses and frustration out on you, do you have the strength to shrug it off? Do you have the patience to guide them through any difficult decisions they are currently experiencing? Do you have the maturity to never take any such stress personally?
• You might be working on 8 weddings simultaneously, that’s approx.. 120-160 supplier emails, contracts, negotiations, schedules and meetings to arrange! If you’re not organised this isn’t the job for you.
• You are your brand , clients hire you because they like you, this is something we emphasis a lot in our training courses. If you’re shy, timid and lack confidence this isn’t the career for you. The wedding industry is people focused, think about it, a bride is going to choose the photographer that relaxes her AND takes fabulous pictures. If she isn’t relaxed, it doesn’t matter how good the photographer is, the photos are not going to look good.

If you are still interested in learning more about becoming a wedding planner then why not attend our training courses? Taught face to face this gives you the opportunity to ask a director or supreme member specific questions about the industry. We know our courses work and we’d love to see you at one so you can join the hundreds of past successful planners that have trained with us.

Photo Credit: Kerry Morgan