Answer
May 04, 2018 - 07:19 AM
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average salary for a wedding planner in the U.S. in 2004 was $44,260, there is an opportunity for a higher salary depending on your skill level and your time in industry.
The wedding industry in the United States is gigantic. There are over 2 million weddings taking place across the country every year and over 80 billion dollars spent annually.
With that much money being thrown around it has to be going somewhere, and while most of it is spent on one-time purchases such as dresses, décor and location, a big chunk of that is making many wedding planners very wealthy.
Working as a wedding planner takes grit and determination, you have to learn to be thick skinned as you will be working with people who are expecting the greatest day of their life and in some cases cannot be pleased.
The work does pay off for those in the know, but the field is still unknow to most people on the outside looking in.
How Much Money Can a Wedding Planner Actually Make?
Top wedding planners can earn over $120,000 every year. The wedding industry is an enormous one and because most people only hope to be married once they are willing to pay as much as it takes to have their dream wedding, and in demand wedding planners have the luxury of naming their price. This is what happens when clients fight for the privilege of obtaining their services.
Skills you need to be successful:
You must be well organized, you must be a people person and be able to pay attention to detail.
1. Make good image of yourself
Some people say that we should not judge the book by its cover, but many of us actually do. For a wedding planner, this is in fact a good thing. People will judge you and think high or low of you within the first minute you meet with them. Even when the would-be bride and bridegroom don’t do that, many times it is good to assume that they do. There is always a preconceived notion of what a wedding planner should look like and behave. Wedding planner is neat, organized, knowledgeable, and business-savvy. It means your overall image has to be up-to-date and sharp.
2. Grow professionalism
There is indeed a big difference between “look like a professional” and “act like a professional”. In your case, both are equally important. Similar to other professions, you have to carry the professional image to your everyday life. A wedding planner is not like a police officer or firefighter who gets easily recognized at work by the uniform. You don’t have a uniform, but the way you interact with people can determine who you are. A good wedding planner is a person who has social skills of surpassing excellence.
3. Get organized
At times when you have many wedding to think about, get some sort of organizational system with which you can prioritize the closest event without neglecting the others. One of the easiest ways to do that is to have a specially-made calendar filled with all your responsibilities.
If that is too old-fashioned, use event management software on your computer. Let us not forget that you can store your data in the cloud, making it easily accessible anywhere. In case it is still too cumbersome, you can download even planning software or app compatible with your smartphone. There are many of them available; some are free and others are not. Full-featured app may also include registration functions. Even when you can’t find one with such function, there is plenty of stand-alone event registration software to choose.
4. Create marketing strategy
The best marketing strategy is one that’s low on cost but high on returns. There are websites and social media where you can post your profiles or create professional company image. If your wedding planning business works on special niche such as indie brides, eco-friendly wedding, ethnic events, etc, advertise to blogs that cater your target markets.
5. Broaden your network
Investing your time and money on marketing is good, but building good relationship with other wedding planners in your area is also a smart business move. Joining professional associations of catering services or event organizers can provide easier way to know more venues, caterers, photographers, and other professionals related to your field.
The wedding industry in the United States is gigantic. There are over 2 million weddings taking place across the country every year and over 80 billion dollars spent annually.
With that much money being thrown around it has to be going somewhere, and while most of it is spent on one-time purchases such as dresses, décor and location, a big chunk of that is making many wedding planners very wealthy.
Working as a wedding planner takes grit and determination, you have to learn to be thick skinned as you will be working with people who are expecting the greatest day of their life and in some cases cannot be pleased.
The work does pay off for those in the know, but the field is still unknow to most people on the outside looking in.
How Much Money Can a Wedding Planner Actually Make?
Top wedding planners can earn over $120,000 every year. The wedding industry is an enormous one and because most people only hope to be married once they are willing to pay as much as it takes to have their dream wedding, and in demand wedding planners have the luxury of naming their price. This is what happens when clients fight for the privilege of obtaining their services.
Skills you need to be successful:
You must be well organized, you must be a people person and be able to pay attention to detail.
1. Make good image of yourself
Some people say that we should not judge the book by its cover, but many of us actually do. For a wedding planner, this is in fact a good thing. People will judge you and think high or low of you within the first minute you meet with them. Even when the would-be bride and bridegroom don’t do that, many times it is good to assume that they do. There is always a preconceived notion of what a wedding planner should look like and behave. Wedding planner is neat, organized, knowledgeable, and business-savvy. It means your overall image has to be up-to-date and sharp.
2. Grow professionalism
There is indeed a big difference between “look like a professional” and “act like a professional”. In your case, both are equally important. Similar to other professions, you have to carry the professional image to your everyday life. A wedding planner is not like a police officer or firefighter who gets easily recognized at work by the uniform. You don’t have a uniform, but the way you interact with people can determine who you are. A good wedding planner is a person who has social skills of surpassing excellence.
3. Get organized
At times when you have many wedding to think about, get some sort of organizational system with which you can prioritize the closest event without neglecting the others. One of the easiest ways to do that is to have a specially-made calendar filled with all your responsibilities.
If that is too old-fashioned, use event management software on your computer. Let us not forget that you can store your data in the cloud, making it easily accessible anywhere. In case it is still too cumbersome, you can download even planning software or app compatible with your smartphone. There are many of them available; some are free and others are not. Full-featured app may also include registration functions. Even when you can’t find one with such function, there is plenty of stand-alone event registration software to choose.
4. Create marketing strategy
The best marketing strategy is one that’s low on cost but high on returns. There are websites and social media where you can post your profiles or create professional company image. If your wedding planning business works on special niche such as indie brides, eco-friendly wedding, ethnic events, etc, advertise to blogs that cater your target markets.
5. Broaden your network
Investing your time and money on marketing is good, but building good relationship with other wedding planners in your area is also a smart business move. Joining professional associations of catering services or event organizers can provide easier way to know more venues, caterers, photographers, and other professionals related to your field.
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