Accountants, secretaries, banquet professionals, homemakers and other working in any profession have one thing in common: the door to opportunity is open for you if you want to become a wedding planner.
That’s because wedding planners come from all walks of life. But that doesn’t mean that waking up one day and saying that you want to realize this dream job is as easy as printing some business cards and creating a store front.
“In my experience I know of no one field that produces the most wedding planners,” Marsha Ballard, past president/secretary for the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners (AACW) and owner of Stardust Celebrations Corporation, Dallas, TX.
That said, it can be possible for those with the right skills and the right types of training.
What Prepares a Wedding Planner?
Ballard suggests that working in the banquets department of a hotel would be good training ground to learn the expectations of the reception component of a wedding.
Several other related jobs that prepare someone for their own wedding planning business include:
- Banquet department at a large hotel
- Florist who mainly serves wedding clients
- Event planner jobs
- Church coordinators
- Banquet facilities
Education also prepares individuals to become successful wedding planners. “Personally, I believe wedding planners should have a basic college education,” Ballard explains.
She also strongly encourages the pursuit of certification, but making sure one takes the right wedding planning course. “AACWP offers day long or week long educational experiences, hands on mentorships and then certification after the student has completed three weddings,” Ballard explains.
A day course costs about $400 which may be viewed as a minimal investment to determine if one should enter this complex yet fun occupation.
And gaining experience the kind of experience it takes to be a successful independent wedding planner is a challenging task in itself.
“It is hard to get experience as a wedding planner. I worked at a local church and then took a wedding planner course. After that I was hooked and started my own business. AACWP offers mentorships to the students who take the AACWP course and who want to progress towards a certified wedding planner status.
AACWP (the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners) was founded in 2006 by seven Dallas wedding planners, and has expanded to include the central region of the country – and intends to serve as a national voice for wedding planning certification and expertise.
Ballard, a registered nurse and holds an MBA, started her firm with her lifelong friend and colleague Jenny Cline after leaving a career in health care management. Established in 2001, Stardust Celebrations Corporation, Dallas, owns two bridal Salons, employs about 40, and serves as wedding planner for more than 20 weddings each year.
