The Business of Wedding Planning - Work at Home
A Home Business Article Contributed by Kaajal Tomar
Wedding Planning As a Work at Home Business
If you plan and organize most of your family's special occasions and throw that special magic touch that leaves people is a state of awe and wonder, then this work at home proposition is the perfect business opportunity for you. Weddings generate a lot of opportunities for business and as a wedding planner you can work from home and avail a sea of opportunities in this business.
A lot of money is spent on weddings for food, decorations, clothes, jewelry, location etc. It is estimated by the Association of Bridal Consultants that approximately $33 billion is spent by consumers on weddings every year. With such whopping figures one can easily estimate the profits made from this lucrative work at home business.
This is the perfect job for you if you are highly organized and systematic. As a wedding planner your job would be to organize and co-ordinate all the events of a wedding and maintain a personal rapport with your clients. Being a people's person can go a long way in establishing your work at home business.
The demand for professionals to handle all the aspects of a wedding has accelerated as couples want to remain stress free for their big day and with the rise in consumer income, people are ready to shell out large amounts of money to make their wedding day a special one. Though in this business you have to travel a great deal from one venue to the next, from one shop to the other, from one location to another, but you can work and operate from home.
Meet your clients in your home office, carry out the necessary paper work, do the business dealings.
How This Work at Home Business Operates?
For people who already have bridal boutiques, catering services and floral services, the business of wedding planning would be a natural progression as all of the above services are an essential element of any wedding. However, as a new entrant in this field, you will have to market yourself. It is a good idea to work as an assistant with a wedding planner who is established and well reputed in this business to acquire the necessary training.
This way you will have a portfolio of your assignments ready to show to prospective clients. One good way to do this is to look for clients from amongst your friends and family. Plan their weddings for free. You will get the experience and training. You may add this to your portfolio.
Look for reliable professionals like caterers, decorators with whom you can work on a regular basis. As a planner for the wedding, you will have to arrange for everything like location, food, decorations, printing invitation cards etc., according to the budget and preferences of the clients.
This home business can be very stressful. If you are operating alone, you will have to also manage the accounting and legal aspects of the business, work out the taxes and so on. Marketing of your venture will also consume a lot of your time. But this is essential especially in the beginning of your career. Once you are well established and have gathered a lot of experience in this line of work, your work will market itself.
Skills Required for This Work at Home Business
A wedding planner has to possess excellent organizing skills as a wedding requires meticulous planning which will have to be systematically executed. Making co-ordinations between all the events and professionals involved is no easy task. You will need patience as clients can get unreasonable or edgy at times. Handling any unpleasant situation with tact is a good way to project a professional image. You must be aware of the latest trends in fashion, decorations and designing. Being aware of the wedding traditions of the clients is a must. In all, you have to be a people's person.
This is a very emotional period for any bride. You might have to provide some emotional support during the time. If you have seen the movie 'The Wedding Planner' where the bride turns to her wedding planner, played by Jennifer Lopez, when she was unsure about her decision to marry the groom right on the wedding day, you will understand what I mean.
Remuneration
Most wedding planners charge a flat fee which is usually ten to fifteen percent of the total costs. If you plan four to five weddings in a month, you can earn a good annual income from $10,000 - $50,000. However an important fact to bear in mind would be the seasonal nature of weddings. The months of September, October, June and August is traditionally the busiest wedding season.
Hence in the off-season or when one has free time it may be a good idea to attend bridal fairs to meet to-be brides and other wedding planners and vendors. This will not only expand your clientele but also keep you updated on the latest wedding trends, decor and themes which are 'in' that season.
Signing up with professional associations and networks will also keep you updated with the latest developments and trends.
