(LifeWire) - Overview of this Business
Care to orchestrate one of the most emotional, romantic, stressful days of peoples' lives over and over? Then say "I do" to becoming a wedding planner and start you own real home business. From flowers to catering to rehearsal to transportation, wedding planners do almost everything to arrange the perfect day.
Planners typically charge 10 to 15% of the total cost of each wedding, and the average wedding that employs a bridal consultant costs $15,000. Event planning in general is expected to grow by 20% through 2016, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Top-notch organizational skills are a must for a wedding planner, as are superior people skills, including the diplomacy of a secretary of state and the calm of a guru. (Remember Jennifer Lopez telling each scared bride, "You are timeless" in "The Wedding Planner"?) Crisis management and attention to detail are imperative as well.
Pros of a Real Home Business as a Wedding Planner
- Upward mobility of older marrying couples makes weddings pricier, in turn boosting your earnings potential as a self-employed wedding planner.
- Celebrating romance can be a fun way to make a living.
- Word of mouth can help your real home business as a wedding planner graduate to more elaborate nuptials and other party-planning opportunities.
- Bickering brides, grooms and parents can get in the way of finalizing wedding plans and create awkward moments for the wedding planner.
- It can take several years to see a real profit in this real home business.
- You need to be at your sunniest and calmest at all times.
- Idle time in the slow winter months means erratic income and cash flow issues for wedding planners.
- A job or two (for free, if necessary) or a wedding planner apprenticeship or assistanship under your belt, with photos and an endorsement from the couple will make a huge business in operating a successful real home business. A successful occasion can do a lot more for your business than advertising.
- A network of vendors, including caterers, tux rental, wedding photographers/videographers, reception halls, florists, restaurants and country clubs is a must.
- Prior experience as a vendor providing wedding or planning related services can be helpful.
- The equipment used in this real home business can be as simple as a calendar, an appointment book and a Rolodex. Securing the date and the sites for the ceremony and reception comes first, as does being on time for all appointments.
- Keeping abreast of new wedding trends by reading bridal magazines and attending weddings with a watchful eye is essential.
Wedding Planner: Real Home Business Example
Allie Wester, who operates Weddings by Allie in Baton Rouge, La., tells About.com that she plans 32 weddings a year, earning between $700 to $1,500 per event providing wedding planning services.
