Are You Cut Out To Be A Wedding Planner?
I get people who reach out to me every week wanting to pick my brain on what it is like to be a wedding planner or who want to work as one for me. And every time to talk to them, the first question I ask is, “What is your definition of the job of a wedding planner?” And nine times out of ten, people think being a wedding planner is a lot more glamorous than it actually is.
Below I have put together a list of eight qualities I believe you must have in order to be a good wedding planner and why. I hope this helps you better understand the job and decide if you have the skill set necessary to be one.
One: Enjoys Customer Service
When it really comes down to it, wedding planning is a customer service job. And you’re not just serving the wedding couple. You’re also serving the family, the bridal party, and the wedding guests. And sometimes it can feel very overwhelming and frustrating when you are serving that many people. You have to live by the phrase that the customer is always right. No matter what. Which also means, being slow to anger is KEY!
Believe me, there have been so many times when I have wanted to go off on a wedding guest or bridesmaid who seemed determined to ruin my day. But I would have been out of a job pretty quickly if I did not grin and bare, it no matter how I actually felt.
Two: Has An Eye For Design
Whether you are wanting to offer design services or not, your clients will still view you as a design expert and look to you for advice. And there are times that pop up on the wedding day, where your clients are trusting you to make decisions for them. So it is important that you make sure you have a good understanding of design to be a wedding planner so you can expertly execute your clients vision for their wedding day.
Three: Doesn’t Mind Getting Sweaty
The fact of the matter is, being a wedding planner is gross. We get dirty and sweaty all day long so our clients and their wedding day can stay pretty. I have ended wedding days wanting to literally hose off my whole body because I was so gross. So if you are not comfortable with getting down and dirty all the time, this may not be for you.
Four: Doesn’t Mind Working Every Weekend
The reality of being a wedding planner means while all of your friends are partying on the weekends, you are working. You do get the opportunity to make your own schedule, but it is important to realize that your weekends will be during the middle of the week. I personally take Mondays off to give myself a break. But it is always harder to get together with friends during our busy season. I typically work 35 weddings a year, which means I am working 35 weekends (usually in a row) a year.
Five: Quick On Your Feet
On a wedding day, it is your job as a wedding planner to handle any issues that pop up. That means you have to be quick on your feet to come up with solutions and solve any problems all while looking calm and pulled together.
Six: Detail Oriented
Wedding planning is all about the details. You have to be someone who notices the little details and cares about the little details. And it is the little details that can sometimes make or break an event. So you have to be meticulous when bringing all of the details together for an event.
Seven: Isn’t Afraid To Be The Boss
One of the aspects of being a wedding planner that I really love is being the boss. And not just my own boss when it comes to my company, but the boss on the wedding day. All of the vendors and staff are looking to you to run the show. It is an empowering and sobering feeling all in one. So you have to be comfortable leading and delegating and making sure people know you’re the one in charge on the wedding day.
Eight: Loves Love Stories
And the last quality to be a wedding planner is to be a lover of love stories. When you are doing 35 weddings a year, they all can start to run together and wear you out and feel mundane after awhile. So if you are not truly passionate about love stories and weddings, this job will not fulfill you overtime because it is so involved. No matter how many weddings I have done, I still get teary eyed when listening to vows or watching the father daughter dance. And the day I don’t will be the day I know I need to change things up. Because you have to love what you are doing to put so much time and energy into a job like this.
I hope I did not make wedding planning sound too intense and scare you off. But I want to make sure, if this is what you want to do, then you are going into it with eyes wide open! At the end of the wedding day, when your couple gives you a big hug and thanks you for all of your work, it makes it all worth it.