3 Easy Baby Steps to Get Your Wedding Planner Job Started Now

Good advice is often unheard.

Have you experienced this in your life?

I recently had a good friend of mine tell me she was going to get married but will not sign the paperwork to make it legal. Huh? Wait, what? Since I was going to be investing somewhere between $400-$500 for a maid of honor gown, hotel, travel fees, etc., I wanted to make sure I was understanding this right. She then confided in me that she had reservations about the relationship but wanted her dad to see her get married before he died.

All right, I know you’re asking me, “Valerie, where are you going with this?” Here it is. I gave her a solid piece of advice: “Maybe it’s time to end things, then.” But I could tell she really wasn’t interested in hearing it. And that’s fine. It’s her right to do that. Her dream of marriage far outweighed the reality of it, I could tell. But I’ve been married long enough to know that if you don’t have a strong foundation to begin with, it won’t survive the storms of life. I said no more and kept my mouth shut. I’ll be there if she needs me later down the road.

Your Wedding Planner Job

Sometimes I feel like it’s the exact same scenario when I suggest becoming an assistant wedding planner before opening up a wedding planner business to aspiring wedding planners. It’s good advice that is rarely received with any seriousness. I’ve been in the wedding industry long enough to know who will make it and who will only struggle. Those who struggle often do so because they lack confidence. If you have no wedding industry experience, it’s a tough business to get into, no doubt. They blame their failure on the fact they can’t get leads, their website isn’t pretty enough, they lack marketing experience, or that no one will network with them. But the hard truth is their drive to become a wedding planner lacked an actual plan. Their dream completely engrossed them and the reality was unkind.

I want it to be different for you. In today’s blog post I’m going to set you up for success with three baby steps you can take right now to start your wedding planner career.

Why Do We Want To Start With Baby Steps?

Did you ever see that ’90s movie What About Bob? If not, I highly recommend you add it to this weekend’s movie night. It’s a hilarious movie starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. Richard Dreyfuss’s character is a renowned therapist, and Bill Murray’s character is his neurotic but fun-loving patient. The big premise from the movie is getting Bob to take baby steps with his condition(s?). “Baby steps,” his therapist keeps reminding him.

So let’s talk about baby steps for a minute. Whether you’re just starting out or dreaming of operating a wedding business, do you have a baby-step roadmap?

Planned out baby steps can help you achieve your goals much faster. I know the term “baby steps” makes you think you’re taking the long way to do something, but in actuality, baby steps give you the confidence to attack larger goals. Think about it for it a second. Instead of being reactive to every new situation you’re thrown into, you’re now proactive because you know what’s coming your way and you have a plan for it.

Step #1 Understand that’s it not going to be easy

I get emails daily from enthusiastic aspiring wedding planners asking me where to start. I love getting these emails, but it amazes me how little research they’ve actually done. Oftentimes they write me about their own wedding experience and how they want to make it easier for future couples, but they don’t share a plan for how they’re going to start their wedding planning career. There are far too many varying factors for me to say, “yes, you’ll make it as a wedding planner,” which is what I think they want to hear because once I start with the questions, I never hear back from them. It’s important to note that every region is different. Different pricing, different expectations, a different value is placed on wedding services in general. That’s why I always suggest starting out as a wedding assistant first. Entering the wedding industry is not an easy process. It’s frustrating. Some days it’s downright depressing. You have to be patient and you have to make a plan if this is truly your calling.

Step #2 Wedding Education 101

Just a little bit of education can go a long way. If you’re just getting your feet wet (and not opening up a wedding business), there’s no need to invest in a super expensive wedding planner course right off the bat. Sure, education is important, but hands-on training will be a far superior teacher in the early years of your wedding planner job. Getting that hands-on training from another wedding planner, though, can sometimes be difficult. That is one of the reasons I created the Assistant Wedding Planner Certificate course. This is one of the best places to start if wedding planning is calling you. As an assistant wedding planner, you’ll learn the ropes and get experience in a much less stressful manner. You also won’t have to worry about acquiring clients right away, only how to professionally serve them like a rock star. 

What’s inside the course

Working as a wedding planner assistant is the perfect way to find out if you’re destined for a wedding planning career without making a major commitment right off the bat. The Assistant Wedding Planner Certificate course teaches you everything you need to know to become an amazing wedding planner assistant! Here’s what’s inside:

• Wedding Assistant 15-Module Course. You don’t have to worry about there not being enough content. Inside this course you’ll learn terminology, understand various tasks, and get video tutorials!
• Professional Wedding Planner Encounter Videos. We want to make sure you get a taste of real-life experience, and that’s why we share the professional wisdom of expert planners.
• Wedding Day Timeline Decoder Videos. Get a formal understanding of how a wedding day timeline works and all the behind-the-scenes knowledge that wedding planners are privy to—and now you will be too.
• Wedding Planner Certificate + Badge. Hang this certificate on your wall and let the whole world know you’re a certified wedding planner assistant. Display this badge on your website or in your email signature with pride. Let your colleagues know you’re ready to work for them. Whether you currently own a wedding planning business or you want to get into the field, this badge shows you’re dedicated to your craft.

How this course is different

The Assistant Wedding Planner Certificate course is the first of its kind that not only teaches you about the wedding industry but also gives you the skills to jump in and work a wedding. This course is the only one of its kind that gives you a solid foundation to jump in and start helping a wedding planner with confidence.

How this course will help you

You might be thinking, “this is all well and good, but what will I get out of this course?” This course will give you the confidence to:

• Walk into an interview feeling confident and in control because you know what’s expected of you.
• Wow fellow wedding planners with your skills and knowledge of wedding day tasks and management.
• Read and follow a wedding day timeline with demonstrated reliability.
• Anticipate the next wedding task or action so you could anticipate any unforeseen trouble ahead.
• Avoid those yucky unpaid internships and get a real job from a wedding planner.

Step #3 Find Work in the Wedding Industry

Your next baby step? You’ll do an internet search for “wedding planner jobs near me.” If your ultimate goal is to become a wedding planner but you can’t find a wedding planner job, consider working in another sector of the wedding industry. When I first started out, I worked for a wedding caterer. That experience alone was priceless. I gained an understanding of what a caterer needs at a wedding (prep area, electricity, extra napkins, etc.) and how to make an event space work for them. Don’t get hung up on only finding an assistant position because any wedding position will be a great learning experience for you. Inside the Assistant Wedding Planner Certificate course, I will also tell you how to go about finding a wedding assistant job.

Wedding Planner Job Last Words

If all you think about 24/7 is white dresses, lush bouquets, and tasty food, there’s never been a better time to chase your dreams. So go ahead and take my advice: start with these baby steps as you seek out a wedding planner career. Assisting is the best way to actually know if it’s something you could see yourself doing in the long run. Remember, I’m here—always just an email away. I’m a wedding planner educator who will be there for you even if you don’t take my advice. All I want is for you to be successful!

Are you ready to take a super affordable wedding planner course that will help you get your foot in the door to the wedding industry? Click here to find out more about the course.

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