I want to start a wedding/party planning business. I have my certificate so where do I go from here?

I am currently planning a wedding and I'm checking out how much other planners charge in the area.

I want to start a wedding/party planning business. I have my certificate so where do I go from here?
When I started my business (Pampered Chef) I found that my biggest breaks came from word of mouth. I threw my own "Grand Opening" party and invited almost 100 people. At first I was dissapointed with the turnout, but over the next few weeks I realized that everyone I invited got the news about my business. Soon people I hardly knew were telling me that thier sister-in-law (friend, aunt, etc.) wanted to have a show. Someone else who I barely knew couldn't make the grand opening but offered to have a show of her own. It led to 4 more shows, which led to an open house, which led to a recruit! She is now a great friend!





I also got a table at some local vendor fairs %26amp; always had a raffle at the table. When people filled out the raffle slip they gave me their contact info for my mailing list and answered a few questions, such as "are you interested in earning free and discounted products by hosting a fun cooking show?" This was a great help in building a customer base.





My suggestion - throw your own "Grand Opening" and invite TONS of people. Use raffles to boost your customer base.





P.S.


Pampered Chef does wedding registeries with great benefits. Send me a note at heatherkrey@rcn.com if you'd like to network so we can both get more customers. (that is, I recommend you, you recommend me.)
Reply:Get some caterers and live performances. Than put your add on Craig's List.
Reply:you may want to offer your services at a lower cost or even pro bono for a short while so you can get together a portfolio and references so that others will want to hire you...
Reply:build a relationship with local vendors. Attend bridal events and make new friens. Word of mouth is the best way to get this information out.





Good luck!
Reply:Put an add in the news papers, bullitons around towns, and make flyers. You'll be sure to get some responses.