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How To Become A Wedding Planner From Home? – Guide 101

How To Become A Wedding Planner From Home

Weddings never go out of style. As long as people are getting married, there will always be a need for a wedding planner.

Those fairy tale weddings aren’t possible without someone at its helm, after all. So, why not look into how to become a wedding planner from home?

Nowadays, at least 32% of couples hire an organizer—whether it’s a full-service wedding planner or a coordinator in charge on the day itself. So if you love weddings and are ready to become an entrepreneur, why not consider a wedding planning business?

What’s great about being a wedding planner is that you can start from wherever you are, with whatever resources you have, as soon as you’re willing to commit your time.

So, lets look into how you can become a wedding planner from home. But, first, lets understand –

In this image a dairy is kept along with a scheduler, writing pad, leaves and 2 pen.

The post includes affiliate links.

Want to make money quickly? Here are a few platforms to earn up to $25 – $50 in a few minutes!

Why Start a Wedding Planner Business? 

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While starting a business from scratch can be quite daunting, the rewards will more than make up for it.

For people who don’t thrive in a 9-to-5 routine, a wedding planner’s flexible schedule will definitely be attractive.

As long as you’re fine working weekends, you can plan out your weekdays as you please. This allows you to squeeze in important personal errands in between vendor and supplier meetings.

And who says you can’t earn from your creativity? Being a wedding planner is not all about logistics.

As the main organizer of such a romantic event, you need to oversee the bigger picture on behalf of your clients.

Additionally, as with any big event, last-minute problems can arise. This calls for some creative problem-solving on your part. In short, wedding planning is the ideal job for anyone wanting to develop and earn from both their administrative and creative talents.

Finally, people pay premium charges to their wedding planners.

Note: You can also begin selling wedding related printables on etsy.

What Does A Wedding Planner Do?

A wedding planner is responsible for helping couples plan and execute their dream wedding.

From start to finish, a wedding planner will be there to assist with everything from choosing the perfect venue to coordinating with vendors.

In addition, a wedding planner can help to keep the budget on track and ensure that all important details are taken care of.

Perhaps most importantly, a wedding planner can help to take some of the stress out of planning a wedding. By handling the logistics and dealing with any problems that arise, a wedding planner can allow couples to focus on enjoying their special day.

A few tasks include

  • assisting with wedding venues
  • choosing vendors, such as caterers, florists, photographers, and entertainment
  • assist with logistics such as sending out invitations
  • managing RSVPs
  • coordinating the schedule for the big day
  • overseeing other planners or helping to arrange small details, like place cards or favors.

Tips on How to Become a Wedding Planner from Home

Yes, it’s possible to start your wedding planning business from home!

You don’t need to rent an office space or hire a team to get the ball rolling. But, like any business, you can’t just take the plunge without some sort of plan.

So below are a few tips to help you get started as a wedding planner from home.

Build a brand for your wedidng planning business:

Before going out there and selling your services, you need to identify three things. These are your

  • niche
  • client base and
  • aesthetic.

Having a niche is important because there are far too many wedding planners out there. And, as a newbie, you can get lost in the fray if you try to cater to every possible demand.

For example, some planners focus on destination weddings, while others may specialize in working with military couples. There are also planners who focus on eco-friendly weddings or those with a tight budget.

By specializing in a particular niche, planners are able to provide couples with the tailored assistance they need to plan their dream wedding. In addition, focusing on a niche allows planners to develop a deep understanding of the unique challenges and needs associated with that type of wedding.

As a result, couples can feel confident that they are working with a planner who is an expert in their specific situation.

The ideal niche is something that matches what you already know and what the market needs. Identify that gap and see how your unique set of talents or interests can address it. 

Once you have your niche, identify the client base you want to target.

Then, come up with a marketing plan targeting your services to their specific needs.

This requires you to streamline your core values and aesthetic, so that you can communicate what makes you unique to your target market.

Invest in marketing resources like Canva

This image shows wedding planning templates

Having now built your brand, start visualizing it so you can market yourself from home.

There are several free resources online that you can start with. One of which is Canva. The platform allows you to create a logo and craft flyers, posters, and other marketing materials.

It also lets you create engaging social media posts that you can use to promote your brand online. 

Tip: Create wedding invitations in different themes and styles as part of your portfolio.

Showing sample wedding invitations to prospective clients allows you to visually communicate your core aesthetic as a wedding planner. 

Sign up for Canva here.

Educate yourself with free resources

As with any type of business, wedding planning requires know-how, constant learning, and keeping abreast of trends.

While you’re still starting, you may have very little resources. But that shouldn’t stop you from educating yourself with whatever’s on hand!

The good news is there are many free resources available online—from podcasts and blogs to online webinars and courses. 

It’s good to stay on top of industry trends within your niche. It’s even better to have a working knowledge of events planning in general, including trends for the wedding industry as a whole.

Such practical knowledge lets you adopt valuable lessons and best practices from a wider range of experts.

Build and strengthen your relationship with wedding suppliers and vendors

As a wedding planner, you’re only as good as the people you work with.

So make sure to treat them well. Acknowledge their great work and do what you can to make them comfortable.

And once you have a solid line-up, be loyal and prioritize them when you’re on your next planning gig.

Having a solid relationship with your suppliers and vendors will help solidify your wedding planning business.

You can also help them build their own business while they help you with yours.

Join online communities of wedding planners

Being a lone wolf can feel solitary, but there’s no shortage of communities out there, especially for wedding planners.

Having a community allows you to network with fellow planners and learn from the more experienced ones.

You can all share best practices, practical knowledge from the field, the latest in branding and technology, and more.

Some communities also allow job posts, so it’s a great way to get a gig or two, especially if you’re still trying to get your name out there.

Create a website and start your own blog

Wedding Planning 101: Building a Business from Scratch

In the digital age, having a website or blog is a necessity.

Sharing tidbits about your events, wedding tips and tricks, or even your own personal inspirations makes for great content that will help clients find you. 

Research shows that at least 60% of people read about brands that interest them.

So once you put your name out there, create content to back it up. Make sure, though, that your blog or website reflects your branding and core aesthetic.

Having a brand kit helps in keeping you consistent, branding-wise.

You can start with WordPress and Bluehost.

Besides using the blog/website to land clients, you can also make money on the side with the following:

Ads – Ads are shown on your blog, and you make money every time someone clicks on it. Find out alternatives to Adsense that pay well for ads

Affiliate marketing – Affiliate marketing is when you recommend other people’s products in exchange for a percentage of the sale. Check this out to learn how to go about affiliate marketing that reaps money

Email marketing – This form of monetisation involves building your own email list and then sending them targeted emails about related topics or products. Check out this free course on how to create an attractive lead magnet

Pay Potential: With an average of 30-50k sessions a month to your blog, you can expect to make $1000 each and every month with just ads. You can expect to make about $1000 more in affiliates as well.

Ready Set Blog for traffic – It is an EXTREMELY underpriced course on how to make money with a blog for beginners. It tells you how to set up your blog, use Pinterest and implement SEO strategies. Using her tips, I have been able to rank on page 1 of Google.

You can read my first income report here.

Boost your social media presence

In line with your blog or website, having a social media presence is a must for wedding planners.

Pick one or two platforms and master them. Use Instagram to post real-time updates about your event.

Take advantage of Pinterest to link your posts to your blog. And make sure to use hashtags to get your name out there.

As always, stay on-brand so you can easily target and attract prospective clients that match your aesthetic and niche.

Pinteresting Strategies – This is an affordable course that tells you how to use (and, how NOT to use) Pinterest to drive traffic. Using this, I have been able to get a 200% increase in traffic within 2 months.

Take up a few friends or relatives wedding for free or minimal charges

As a newly-established wedding planner, one of the best ways to build your business and develop a strong client base is to offer your services for free or at minimal cost for friends, family, and other local clients.

Doing so will allow you to gain real-world experience planning weddings right away, while also helping you build good relationships with potential clients.

Additionally, having these early engagements under your belt will help you feel more confident and capable when it comes time to work with larger, paying clients.

So if you’re just starting out as a home wedding planner, don’t be afraid to ask your trusted network if they know anyone who might benefit from your services – offering to plan their special day is a win-win situation for both parties!

After all, what better way to spread the word about your new business than by creating truly memorable memories for those most important people in your life?

Create a impressive portfolio and emergency kit:

Before you can start promoting your wedding planning business, you need to create a portfolio of your services.

This will give potential clients an idea of your style and what you can offer them. The best way to create a portfolio is to showcase your past work.

If you have worked as a wedding planner before, put together a selection of photos and testimonials from satisfied clients.

If you are just starting out, you can create mock weddings using family and friends as models as discussed above.

What is an emergency kit?

As a wedding planner, nothing is more important than being able to handle the unexpected.

Whether it’s dealing with a last-minute supplier cancellation or figuring out how to fix a damaged gown, having a solid emergency kit at your disposal can make all the difference.

For this reason, I always make sure that my clients’ portfolios include an example of my emergency kit. This typically includes things like sewing supplies, spare buttons and zippers, pliers and other tools for quick fixes, and lightweight insurance documents that can easily be scanned and emailed to clients on the fly.

By showcasing this side of my work in my portfolio, I’m able to show potential clients just how useful I am when things go wrong and require quick action on my part.

After all, there’s no better way to prove your value than by taking charge and saving the day when your clients need you most!

Sign up for Canva here and create a beautiful portfolio off templates quickly

New ways to promote your wedding planning business

  • Connect with local bridal shops
  • Connect with wedding venues
  • Run adword ads for local area
  • Use SEO to rank for wedding planners in your local area
  • Network with guests in every wedding you attend
  • Work with a wedding photographer to get your name out there
  • Attend local bridal shows and introduce yourself to everyone
  • Get featured in a local blog or newspaper about weddings

Wedding Planning FAQs: How To Become A Wedding Planner From Home

In this image a dining table is set up with flowers, bouquet, candles

Can I become a wedding planner even with zero experience?

Absolutely. The only requirement to become a wedding planner is simply a love for weddings.

Once you decide to pursue your passion, start racking up experience. Planning and organizing a close friend’s wedding or even your own is a great start.

If you are a woman, check out the most profitable ways to make money fast as a woman.

What’s the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator?

A wedding planner oversees a wedding from start to finish—from conceptualization, sourcing of suppliers and vendors, the overall look, up to the execution.

A coordinator, on the other hand, can be someone hired on the day or weekend of the wedding itself. 

They are in charge of making things run smoothly during the event.

How much do wedding planners make?

This depends on the type of wedding planning you plan to offer.

Full-service planners (those that work on the wedding from start to finish) will earn more than coordinators who are charged only for the day.

On average though, wedding planners can earn $1,700 to $2,000 for a day’s worth of work.

Starting a home business from scratch requires a lot of time, commitment, but most of all, it requires passion.

Wedding planning can oftentimes feel like more than just a business. You will, after all, be in charge of a couple’s life-long memory. Isn’t that exciting?

So take that leap and start from wherever you are. Being a wedding planner from home can be a rewarding endeavor that pays in more ways than one.

How Do Wedding Planners Make Money?

Most people think that wedding planners just get paid a salary by the weddings they coordinate. However, that’s not always the case. In some instances, wedding planners actually make most of their money from commissions.

Commissions are earned when the wedding planner helps to book vendor services like caterers, florists, photographers, and venues. The percentage of the total cost of these services that goes to the planner as a commission varies, but it’s typically around 10%.

So, if a couple spends $10,000 on catering for their wedding, the planner would earn a $1,000 commission.

In addition to commissions, some planners also charge hourly fees or flat rates. For example, a planner might charge a flat fee of $3,500 for full planning services or an hourly rate of $100 for day-of coordination.

Wedding planners typically make the most money when they work with high-budget clients who are willing to spend lavishly on their big day.

It's an image of the author Carriza Maiquez

Carz Maiquez works at Canva. She loves performing, animals (dogs and cats in particular), and coffee.

Passionate about music, she started creating YouTube music covers.

Follow her channel: Carriza Maiquez. 

Wedding Planning 101: How To Become A Wedding Planner From Home