Wedding Blog
Oh man, I’m really starting to think I want to be a wedding planner. For real.
I have so many ideas I couldn’t possibly incorporate into my wedding (unless I wanted to go for an elegant-shabby chic-beach-rustic-glamorous-winter-spring-victorian-ultramodern theme!) and I love helping out all my fellow Xanga and Weddingbee brides!
I’m super organized and know I’d never be happy at a boring old desk job, and at the same time I like the idea of having enough flexibility to go out for lunch, or sit around in my pyjamas and work until midnight, or whatever.
I’m great at problem solving and maintaining calm under pressure, as well as being a leader and keeping others calm and organized.
Once Mr. Blueberry graduates law school, who knows where he’ll find a job? My current career aspirations are to get my Master’s degree and become a teacher, and that’s something I’m still somewhat interested in. But now I wonder if maybe this plan would be better–it definitely allows more flexibility, and even after we have kids I can be a stay-at-home mom and still have a career, taking on as many or as few clients as I feel comfortable with at any point in time.
But most of all, I truly love weddings. I realize that there’s a whole world of wedding planning beyond the Knot and bridal magazines, and I’d love to be able to help my fellow frugal, DIY brides with ideas and methods, with money-saving tips and creative solutions. A few other Xangans and I have talked at times about how we should start a magazine for real brides, and my mom and I were joking as we worked on the STDs that we should start a home invitation business.
Maybe I’m just suffering the lingering effects of the brain freeze-inducing ice cream I just ate (don’t worry, it was fat free!), but some part of me thinks this would actually be a cool career.
Just tossing the idea around for fun–not getting serious about it at all yet–what do you think?
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I think it sounds like a great idea!
I would suggest that you try to talk to as many professional wedding planners as possible - I find this is the best idea to get the scoop on the ins and outs of any career. Most will be flattered and might even be looking for some extra help!
Good luck!
awesome! 
A girlfriend of mine has a sick crack-like type addiction to weddings, and her biggest dream is to be a wedding planner too. she’s a teacher, and has taken on the honorary role of my wedding planner. My very own J-Lo.
I’m sure that you would be a great wedding planner! I could imagine it being a very fun career. But… I could also imagine it being very unpleasant to have to cater to a demanding bridezilla… It will really depend on the clients you get.
My coworker and I having been helping each with our weddings and now we’re thinking that it would be fun to start our own wedding planning business as well. I think alot of brides feel this as their weddings come to an end and they still have so many ideas left unused. We should create a network of wedding planners like FTD.
as much as i love wedding planning, i dont think i could ever plan someone else’s wedding! there are so many high-maintenance, detail-oriented brides out there that might turn a lil scary the first time you dont do somethign microscopically perfect. with the wedding coordinator i have, once i emailed her at like two in the morning…and she emailed back not long after! and she always, always, always emails me back within like… an hour or two no matter what time of day, or day of week. so now i have made the decision to only contact her on weekdays during nomral “business hours”… i want her to have somewhat of a life too!
I used to want to be a wedding planner. I even “apprenticed” with a local wedding planner for a bit. I think that’s a good thing to do so you can get an idea of what it’s really all about.
Coming from someone who plans events (and weddings) for a living, I think that it’s a great idea to apprentice with someone experienced and learn the ropes that way. The other option (and this is how I started) is to get a job in a hotel where you would start by planning small events and work your way up.
I don’t work for myself but I know in talking to clients that they want to see a portfolio with photos, and letters from happy brides etc. They want to know that they are paying their money to someone that they can trust especially if things go wrong.
I would also recommend getting certified as an event planner or a wedding planner. There are a number of institutions in the US that offer courses online or at a school to become certified. Brides want to see those credentials.
Also, you really have to have a strong back and work for your client. They have a budget and you are the one who may be negotiating contracts for them. If things go wrong during the events, you have to fix it. It doesn’t matter how - just that it gets done properly.
The hours are extremely long and the job is all about making people happy. Don’t get me wrong - I LOVE what I do. There is no other type of job that is right for me. Just be 100% sure that you know what you’re getting into before you jump in.
Good luck! It’s definitely a very satisfying field!
wedding planning is hard work… much too hard for this bee.
i’m still talking about my wedding a year and a half after the fact, so yes weddings are addicting!
wedding planning is definitely a great idea but don’t forget the stress and hard work you have to put in, if you can handle it, then i say GO FOR IT! but don’t quit your job just yet, plan a few weddings on the side and see how your reputation goes =) it’s always good to get biz by word of mouth. good luck!
Thanks for the insider view of being a wedding planner Kristen. I’ve also thought about becoming a wedding planner or starting a home business for invitations, but never really knew where to begin or what to expect. At least this will give me a few more years to decide if I want to pursue it.
I am a professional wedding planner (one of the planners who helped Mrs. Bee with her Day Of Coordination).
It is a wonderful profession.
We receive so many resumes from women who have planned their own weddings or helped their friends/sisters with planning. It is a very different experience to plan a strangers wedding - or try planning 14 at once!
In addition to being organized and creative, you must have event experience. This is essential - so you don’t learn from your mistakes on someones very special day. We have had many brides hire us after hiring someone they thought was a professional, only to learn through the process that their “planner” was making costly mistakes.
I worked for 15 years before starting my own company, planning up to 90 events a year. Now we only plan 2 per month because we feel that in order to deliver the level of customer service necessary for a wonderful wedding, we need to stay focused and small.
Apprenticing is a great way to learn the business and get your feet wet. We won’t take on apprentices or interns because we honestly don’t have the time to train “newbies” and our clients prefer to speak and work with us directly (we don’t even have a secretary). But there are larger companies that look for interns who will work for free in order to learn the business.
You can also get experience planning events by dedicating time to a local charity that coordinates fundraisers. And, as Kristen said, there are a number of organizations that offer certificate programs in wedding planning, such as the ABC (Association for Bridal Consultants).
Good luck in whatever you decide!
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Mrs. Blueberry, Kansas City
Age and Occupation in 06: 21, Full-time Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 23, Full-time Student
Engagement Date: September 10, 2005
Wedding Date: May 25, 2007
Venue: Wynbrick Center - a historic mansion in my hometown.
About Me: We're having an intimate, 125-ish person wedding with a full-blown dessert reception. When I'm not obsessing over wedding stuff or studying for my BA in English, I'm usually playing with our two kitty cats, blogging, doing crafty things, or hanging out with Mr. Blueberry!
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