Many independent wedding planners manage between 8 and 20 weddings each year, depending on the size and complexity of a wedding, according to Marsha Ballard, past president/secretary for the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners (AACW) and owner of Stardust Celebrations Corporation, Dallas, TX. And busy wedding planners will handle about 20 weddings each year.
The total number of weddings that a planner organizes each year will vary depending on the type of services offered by the planner.
“For instance, day coordinators, who spend very little planning time, take the plans from the bride and try and implement the vision. Day coordinators meet a bride maybe a week or month in advance of the wedding day. A day coordinator could work 50 weekends a year,” Ballard explains.
A full service wedding planner who engages the wedding team will review all contracts and plans most aspects of the entire wedding weekend.
What are the 5 most important skills of a wedding planner?
What does it take to serve as a wedding planner? Ballard outlines five top skills required by those who want to become a wedding planner:
- The ability to communicate, including verbal, writing and listening skills.
- The ability to organize and plan to a very mute level to successfully complete a project.
- The ability to form interpersonal relationships.
- The ability to operate a business.
- The ability to give of yourself.
“A planner must be self-effacing and have the ability to leave their gos behind. And a planner has to like working with people and have the ability to empathize, negotiate and counsel clients and vendors in all kinds of situations,” Ballard clarifies.
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.