Being a wedding planner is one of the greatest jobs on the planet. After all, you’re the orchestrator of someone’s special day, something that they’ll remember and cherish for the rest of their lifetime. And while that’s a big responsibility, if you’re passionate about it, then it could be the perfect industry for you. However, that’s why I’m offering a few helpful tips on how to get started.
Check them out below:
Find Solid Sources
Perhaps one of the biggest quality for any wedding planning business is the ability to source for client needs. This is the most significant product differential you can offer, being able to not only bring your clients their needs but to do so in a way that matches their overall vision for their wedding. And although this might sound difficult, the actual practice of it will be much more intuitive than you might imagine.
To begin, make a hierarchy of the needs of your clients and which of your current partners can match those needs. This includes the big-ticket items, such as catering or venues.
Another good thing to note is being able to offer supplemental choices your client will still love so they can focus on their must-haves. For example, according to Fox Business, with the average wedding dress costing around $1,100, going with a company like Azazie is a great call because they offer an affordable dress for a fraction of the price, direct-to-consumer.
All-in-all, while this is going to be a lengthy process, it’s also one that should excite you, since you’ll be working with a mix of people you’ve built relationships with.
Get Your Savings Up
Another crucial aspect of having a wedding planning business is making sure that you have the money set aside to establish your foundation. While this might sound silly, the wedding industry is usually thought of in a local to the regional market, which might mean that it’ll require quite a bit of travel. As noted by the Small Business Administration, with it costing around $1000 to $5000 to start a small business, it goes without saying that this is one field where you might want a little bit more.
Start drafting the different areas you want to cover and when you’re trying to reach out. It’d be wise to try to consolidate trips, reaching out to your contacts beforehand and trying to knock things out in one swoop. It’s also important to make a significant part of your budget dedicated to marketing materials and any other incidentals. Remember, when it comes to compiling a financial plan, it’s better to provide more of a cushion than trying to play it thin, so take your time in building your safety net.
Establish A Social Presence
As one of the most widespread tools the wedding industry has for promotion, being a social guru has practically become a necessity. In fact, according to Social Media Today, approximately 40 million people per year use Pinterest to plan for their wedding, which is a huge demographic to tackle. If you’re able to capture even a fraction of that, then your planning business will be off to the races.
Start making accounts for all of the popular mediums in the industry, including not only Pinterest but also Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Considering how people use these for research, it might make sense to start focusing on how you can use tools like hashtags and engagement to start interacting with your audience. A big part of this is consistency, which while it might feel uncomfortable at first to constantly be posting, will feel more natural as time goes on.
Overall, social media is a lot about getting to know your audience and working with them, which you should be mindful to keep up with from the jump.
Word-Of-Mouth Will Reign Supreme
Finally, no matter how much advertising or marketing you plan to implement, the best form of referral you’ll always have is from word-of-mouth, which will be huge in getting yourself off the ground. Business2Community notes that in a survey by Nielsen, 92 percent of respondents stated they trusted the recommendation of friends and family over any other form of advertising. And with how big of an investment a wedding can be, getting referrals from those who you know can go a long way.
The biggest thing that’s going to get you recommendations is by offering such an amazing experience to your customers. While that might sound stupid simple, it’s an easily overlooked aspect when dealing with multiple clients with multiple budgets. However, this is essentially what the quality of your business will rely on, and is something that you should work day-in and day-out on making perfect every time. Because if you can nail that, then you’ll be off to the races in no time.
What are you most excited about in starting a wedding planning business? Comment with your answers below!