Does one absolutely have to start a business to become a wedding planner(unexperieced)?

Or are there companies that hire entry-level wedding planners? Or even wedding planning assistants to move up?

Does one absolutely have to start a business to become a wedding planner(unexperieced)?
Here's the thing. Most wedding planners are just one or two people companies. They are the business, themselves. There may some true "companies" that are larger that do this in some of the bigger cities, but not in most cases.





I have been in the business for 17 yrs. In my area, brides hiring a wedding planner/coordinator has just really taken off in the past 5-6 yrs. I have been a lot busier and therefore just now needed an assistant. I have hired one who is learning as she goes, in the hopes that one day she can take on some of the weddings on her own.





I would advise you to start slowly. See if you can get a part time job at a bridal shop. This will really give you a clue into the drama and emotion that is involved in the wedding planning process %26amp; whether or not you will be able to handle the brides (and their moms). Work there for awhile. If you are not turned off by the mundane parts of the business, then try to find a reputable planner in your area to do an apprenticeship with. Work your way up to assistant, and then on to your own.





I do not recommend anyone just getting certified online %26amp; immediately opening a business. If you did this, you would probably be out of business in 6 mos. Brides care about actual hands on experience more than a certificate %26amp; a store front.
Reply:Get the names of Wedding Planners from synagogues, churches, hotels or any places that have weddings. Check out the Internet. Tell them you are looking for a job as an apprentice to a Wedding Planner. The movie "The Wedding Planner" is a romantic comedy, but the job is a lot of work, a lot of fire fighting, and some psychotherapy as well. Hours are awful, traveling is moderate, and work conditions are not bad.
Reply:If you can't even spell "inexperienced", I would worry about your skills at being a wedding planner. You might call up a few places and ask to "intern" with them (i.e. work for free for the training) Expect to work 18 hour days, run your feet off and be yelled at. The job is not all about setting tables and selecting flowers. good luck.
Reply:A good place to start is in a Church actually. Find a big busy church that does a lot of weddings and ask if you can be the coordinators assistant. This is a volunteer position but it does get you an up close and personal experience working on the day of biggest stress to see if you actually like it. I did that then ended up the actual coordinator for 2 years, then decided I LOVED it , took a course and viola a wedding planner I became! The hard part is marketing yourself! I just moved and have to start all over in a new town getting to know the good spots and vendors. Other than that, it is a fun but stressful business! Just pray you don't come up against too many Bridezillas!! :)





best wishes......................
Reply:I've looked around there are courses you can take in different cities.





I'm sure there are companies in big cities such as NYC and LA, you'd have to look in your local area to see if they have any. A good bet is to go and find a wedding planner in the newspaper that advertises and see if you can be her assistant. Or you could go to a big hotel that does weddings and see if you can work some of the weddings with the event planner.





I know there are a few things online that can send you a lot of information however I don't know much about them. My friend and I were in talks about starting a wedding planner business but we are far too busy lol.
Reply:YOU SHOULD HAVE SOME PARTY PLANNER BACKGROUND. WEDDING PLANNERS DO MORE THAN JUST PUT A WEDDING TOGETHER. YOU HAVE TO BE THERE FOR THE BRIDE HER FAMILY, THE GROOM HIS FAMILY THE VENDORS THE VENUE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE WEDDING COMES OFF WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. ALSO YOU MUST HAVE CONTACTS WITH LOCAL VENDORS. TRY DOING A FEW FOR FREE AND SEE IF YOU LIKE IT AND REMEMBER IT'S NOT YOUR WEDDING, BUT YOU HAVE TO TREAT IT HAS IT WAS.
Reply:It would be a good idea to gain experience of organising functions, you can do this by working in a hotel or function venue. Be prepared for hard work and long hours!
Reply:Wedding planning is more of an intimate thing so I would think there arent too many big companies doing it, but theres no harm in asking if anyone needs assistants.


I would tend to think you could start with friends, extended family, friends of friends etc, just to get you started.


But there is an advantage in starting a business in that you can advertise and get your name out there. You also seam more professional and reliable. Remember, Brides are very fussy so you want to be a serious and professional as you can be.
Reply:Everybody has to start somewhere....





Call some of the local florist shops and see what they do....
Reply:I know if I hired a wedding planner I would not want one who is inexperienced.