What to Consider Before Becoming a Wedding Planner

Some of us are born with it.

The innate ability to celebrate life’s biggest moments through pretty details, creative use of spaces and total fulfillment in chaos! We make people feel valued and celebrated through parties and events. We thrive in logistics and overwhelm and have an uncanny way of remaining calm when everyone and everything around us is melting down.

But being a successful wedding planner is so much more than pretty details and a big smile. Before you jump head first into your new business, here are 5 things you should consider:

1. We don’t get weekends off. This may seem obvious but I can’t tell you how many planners I’ve hired that think they’re ok with working every Saturday until they actually work every Saturday. While friends and family are out boating, BBQing, and livin’ it up we are working. Often 12-14 hour days or more are spent on site on wedding day in addition to the Friday night rehearsal. And Sunday?? Forget it! This is when you will experience what we like to call “the wedding hangover”. It’s real and it will kick your booty!

2. It’s listed in the Top 10 most stressful jobs in the world. I’m not making this one up! Forbes lists event planner as the 5th most stressful job in the world behind police, firefighter and military personnel. What the heck?? This job is certainly not for the faint of heart!

3. It’s not the most well-paying profession you could consider. The average salary of a wedding planner is $40-$44k annually. While some make more and some less, if you’re looking to get wealthy, you will need to supplement your income with other revenue streams.

4. You need a keen business sense. Creating a successful wedding planning business is SO much more than planning weddings. In reality, only about 50% of your responsibilities will actually be planning weddings. The rest will be accounting, HR, social media, sales, networking and so much more!

5. You must like roller coasters. The wedding industry is very seasonal. The high seasons are incredibly busy and the low seasons are so low. You will need to be able to manage your time wisely in busy season and manage your finances wisely in low season!

Did I scare you off? I certainly hope not! Being an wedding planner may not be the easiest career choice you can make but it is one of the most rewarding!

Nothing will ever top the most perfect moments of every wedding day…the moment the groom sees his bride for the first time, the moment they see the reception space in all its glory, and the laughs on their faces as their friends toast (or sometimes roast!) them.

You either love it or hate it but there’s rarely an in between. Which side do you fall on?? All in or all out??

For me, I’m ALL IN! I’ve wanted to be a wedding planner since I was a little girl and while some days are harder than others, there is literally nothing else in the whole world I’d rather do!!

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