What does a wedding planner actually do?
A wedding planner as a job role is a combination of many skills collected from various work experiences. Ask any planner, they have usually started in a job that has touched onto wedding planning only slightly. And worked their way through various job roles collecting and mastering a wide range of skills. From working in hospitality as a waiter to managing finances in a bank to arranging flowers as a small business…. Literally, every skill is helpful when starting as a wedding planner.
Until you realise, that wedding planning is not a job, it is a lifestyle.
So, it begins …
When you start a wedding planning business you immediately become a small business owner – where you need to master marketing, finances, office space, networking. And most importantly, contracts and insurance.
Somewhere down the line, you realize that you cannot please everyone and must decide on a niche, a style, and type of weddings that are closest to your heart and resonate with ideal couples.
Your personal loves will start to play a huge part in the wedding planning business. For example, I love to travel, and I love good food which translates to my work experience as a travel agent and a food & beverage manager. And going into weddings, I love to plan weddings in the UK and destination weddings in Europe, always making sure that great catering is at the forefront. I am a wedding venues tourist. I visit wedding venues on my holidays, and I visit wedding venues on my days off. Personal life is then a combination of business and pleasure. And it does not feel like work 😊
Wedding planning is not a 9 – 5. Weddings usually take place over the weekend and we are available for our couples in the evenings too. This is an industry where anything can happen overnight and we are there in the morning to face it.
Every detail matters! Especially when planning a wedding. Whether it is wedding admin – hundreds of emails with suppliers, couple, and their family. Or styling and design. We put systems into the place where we can see the wedding being planned every step of the way. And every couple can see the work progress.
And yes, this carries over into our personal lives. I like to plan everything, a snack for long drives, prepare activities for our holidays. Every detail matters for maximum enjoyment! 😊 (not like Monica’s in the Friends though)
Most wedding suppliers are friends!
The wedding industry is made of small businesses, usually just individuals. It is easy to become friends with the kind and lovely people you plan a wedding with for months or even years. It is an industry of incredibly creative and resilient individuals around the world. People who are genuinely obsessed with their work, live it and breathe it. And this is something that is obvious in the morning on a wedding day as we rock up to the wedding venue at 6 am with a coffee and a big smile on our faces. And go home 12 hours later with the same cup of coffee, tired, but happy. Cannot beat the excitement of the wedding day! No matter if it is just a couple eloping or hosting hundreds of guests. Happiness is in the air.
It is all about the experience
As a wedding planner, I need to ensure that the full experience is delivered. From the very first consultation to choosing the wedding suppliers to inviting the family. And of course, a smoothly run wedding day. Wedding planning is a journey and should be fun. I can introduce couples to new destinations, new surroundings, and new experiences. A wedding planner can be a tour guide, a chocolate connoisseur, or a wine expert. Anything we love in life will show in our work. And we are taking every couple on that journey with us.
Being a wedding planner is a complex role
We are masters of many trades, personal confidants, and lovers of finer things in life. But above all, we surround ourselves with positivity and joy.
Whether you are a couple looking to hire a professional wedding planner or you are thinking of starting a business as one, don’t hesitate to contact me for a chat. I am happy to help and talk through your plans.
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