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OK – you've made this HUGE decision that you want to start a wedding planning business. But not just ANY kind of wedding planning business. You want to build a business that gets amazing clients, is successful, and allows you to build and grow something that's YOURS.

You want to plan gorgeous weddings, work with incredible clients, get featured in magazines, and spend your days obsessing over linen swatches, pretty flowers, candles, and of course, the logistics that make all the pretty happen.

In this blog post, I've put together my 12+ years of experience in running a profitable, multi six figure, multi-country wedding planning & design business so you can learn how to start a wedding planning business you love quicker, faster, and better.

First, let me say how delighted I am for you. In other words, when I started my wedding planning and design company back in 2007, I had the same feelings you did about creating the life and career I wanted.

I was excited, nervous, energized, and willing to consume any information on starting a wedding planning business.

(Back in 2007, that information was hard to come by. There were not a lot of resources on how to start a wedding planning business. However, you've got a lot of information on hand to guide you.)

I'm going to break down how to start a wedding planning business–but not just any kind of wedding planning business–one that will be profitable and scalable.

Here are the 11 steps you need to take to start and grow your new wedding planning business:

Step 1: Know What Kind Of Wedding Planning Business You Want to Build

Before you do anything, knowing what kind of wedding planning business you want is the first step. I've got an easy exercise for you to figure this out, too.

We call it vision casting.

It's important to know what kind of business you want, which will help you write strategies to make that business come to life.

In addition, we can't know what we're really building until we see the destination we want to arrive at, right?

That's what vision casting is. It's knowing the destination you want to arrive at–the business that you want.

To make this even easier for you, I've recorded an entire podcast episode on how to vision cast for your business. 👇

Episode 42 of my podcast for wedding pros, The Power in Purpose Podcast gives you step-by-step guidance and action on how to start your wedding planning biz with vision casting.

Everyone is building a different kind of business under different circumstances. For instance, you might want to have a career that allows you to raise your family at the same time. Or, you might want to build a million-dollar empire.

This is why it's important to know what kind of business YOU want so that you can reverse engineer the strategies that it will take to get there.

Don't skip this step. And listen to this podcast episode to get started.

Step 2: Write A Business Plan For Your Wedding Planning Business

Yes, I know you wanted to skip this part–biz plans are so 2007, aren't they?

No. They're essential. To build the wedding planning business YOU want (the one you're going to vision cast for!), you have to write a strategy to get there.

That's what a business plan is: an overarching strategy for getting from where you are today to where you want to go. And it cannot be overlooked.

Writing your business plan doesn't have to be challenging or overwhelming. You don't need an MBA or a fancy degree to start a business.

Instead, you just need to discover a problem that needs solving, and then your business becomes the solution.

With that said, I know that writing a business plan isn't the easiest (or sexiest) task.

That's why I've created my Free Business Plan Outline + Guide , a way to jumpstart your efforts and get you to write a plan for your wedding planning business.

Write a wedding planner business plan with this free guidebook and outline. It'll take you from stuck to start. I take all the guesswork out of how to write a business plan and even teach you some strategies. Plus, it's free! That's why I want to make sure you grab it.

Step 3: Know The “Ideal Clients” Your Wedding Planning Business Will Serve

The #1 reason why businesses fail is they don't know who their customers are. They don't really, truly, and personally know their customers. 

Their values.

Their problems.

However, this isn't going to be you; you're here to learn how to start a wedding planning business–and a crucial step is knowing your ideal clients!

Instead, you're going to create a business that fully understands who your ideal clients are so that you can solve their problems quicker, faster, and better than anyone else.

You must get specific about your ideal clients and why they need you to solve their problems. Knowing more about what motivates them, what they value, what challenges they face, and yes, what problems they have means you can position yourself as the solution.

I want to clarify that knowing your ideal clients is more than knowing what kind of car they drive, their favorite color, and their age range. Moreover, those things are essential but only tell you part of the story.

If you want to book high-end clients in the wedding industry, you need to check out The Client Cocktail . In this mini-training, I teach you how to call in dreamy clients and magazine-worthy weddings.

When you start your business, you'll be tempted to serve everyone and anyone. That's one of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make: they reason they'll cast a wide net, increasing their chances of customers. After all, the wider the net, the more you can catch, right?

What ends up happening is you become too watered down, too unspecific, and too generic. However, by appealing to everyone, you appeal to no one because no one can really connect with your company.

They don't look at what you offer, your message, and say, “This is for me.”

Step 4: Create A Wedding Planning Brand That Gets Noticed

There are a lot of wedding planners out there. What makes you different?

One of the cornerstones of marketing is that people buy with their eyes, and your brand–aka the visual manifestation of your company–is what sets you apart.

You need to create a visual brand that gets noticed.

One that makes YOUR ideal client stop in their tracks.

One that makes your perfect client buy with their eye.

Your visual branding helps to accelerate the know/like/trust factor with your customers. The couple who wants to hire someone like you lands on your website or sees some of your marketing, and because of its polished nature and overall experience, they want to know more.

After you've set a vision and written your business plan, don't let it all fall apart by having a bad logo and website.

Your clients will notice immediately that your business doesn't live up to what it offers. And they will click off.

You have a matter of seconds to capture someone's attention (sometimes, it's a fraction of that number!). How will you capture the attention of your ideal clients with your marketing and branding?

Here are some quick resources for you to start creating a kick-ass wedding planning brand from DAY ONE (bc that's how we roll!)

• Showit Website Platform : To create a GORGEOUS website (it's my website platform!)
• Sourced Co : For incredible stock images created JUST for wedding pros. You can find images for marketing and your website, making it easy to start without a portfolio. Use code PLAYBOOK to get a special discount.
• Hautestock : Use code CANDICE for 15% off gorgeous stock images that don't look stock. Firstly, Hautestock's images are great for your website to fill in the gaps where you might not have a portfolio. Secondly, they make perfect social media posts so you can start marketing TODAY – even if you don't have any clients or work!
• Styled Stock : Another fantastic styled stock membership for beautiful stock images that don't look like “stock images.”

Step 5: Work More On Your Wedding Planning Business Than In It

You had the idea to start a wedding planning business because you want to be a wedding planner. However, when you decide to open up your own company, you're a business owner first. Wedding planner, second.

They say that businesses fail not only because they don't know their ideal clients but because the owner of that business doesn't work on their business. 

You toil away at being the best wedding planner, focusing all your time on planning weddings and serving your clients, but what about the business owner side? 

I want you to work more ON your business than IN your business. Consider yourself a business owner above all other roles you might have in your business.

Owning a business is like having a classic car: it needs love, care, and attention. It needs you to tune it, fix what's broken, and invest in its care.

If you're serious about owning a wedding planning business, consider yourself an entrepreneur first and a business owner second.

My advice? Seek education to help you build and grow your wedding planning business from the ground up correctly. Find mentors and business owners who are where you want to be and hire them to help you.

In addition, you should invest in courses , conferences, and other educational avenues to learn all you can and speed up your results.

Always learning, always moving forward. That's my motto.

Step 6: Network With The Right People

The wedding industry is mostly about connections, and some of the most incredible business comes from referrals (if you sign up for The Client Cocktail , you'll know how important this is!).

You have to seek out new connections as much as possible–but not just any old “links”–and focus on the right ones.

As you set out to market your business, you must get in front of the right people. Ideally, the people and companies that are already in front of your ideal clients.

They have the power to refer to you and to help lift your business alongside theirs.

Do you want to know one of the first things I did when I started my business?

I networked my butt off. Networking with the right people was one of the first things I did when I started my business, which paid off. I was armed with my biz plan, a vision for the future, and a nice-looking brand/website. I sought out businesses that were already in front of my ideal clients.

And it paid off in dividends. 

Step 7: Know Your Marketing Message And Market Your Wedding Planning Business As Much As You Can

Marketing is simply sharing your message so that it reaches the right people. What's your message?

Your company's mission, vision, and purpose are vital. They connect you to your customers and ground you when the going gets tough.

You need to have a clear, concise message about what your company does, how life looks for your customers after you do it, and why you do it in the first place.

Step 8: Make Mistakes, Try New Things & Do It Your Way

When you start a business, you follow the same path as those you admire. No doubt you've rapidly followed a bunch of people on the ‘gram who are killing it in their wedding planning biz right now.

And you're probably thinking: I need to do it this way too.

Maybe. Or maybe not. Don't fall into the trap of copying what other folks are doing. That's their business–their vision–not yours.

I want you to feel empowered to do it YOUR way. Sure, you can seek out roadmaps and blueprints on how to build your business, but make sure you adapt what you learn as it fits your unique circumstances.

Don't build someone else's business. Build yours.

If you want to hear some of my epic wedding planning mistakes, check out my tales from the clipboard email series.

Step 9: Give Your Business Time To Grow & Take Root

As a business coach for wedding planners and pros, I've seen biz owners quit just when the going gets going. Owning a wedding planning business is a marathon and not a sprint. It takes time for your efforts to start to take root.

When I started my company, it took me six months to land my first client. Imagine if I had quit five months and two weeks in? 

I want you to know that things take time. Give your business time to take root. It will happen with consistency and perseverance. Don't quit at the first failure. 

Remember, your failures lead you toward your successes.

Patience is necessary for business (just like with most things in life). The strategies you implement today may not show results for 3-6 months. But they will see results if you give them a chance. 

Step 10: Hire A Wedding Planning Mentor And Learn, Learn, Learn

Let me ask you a serious question. Why not hire someone to help you do all the above and teach you the ropes so that you can accelerate your business quicker and faster?

There is no greater gift you can give your biz than enlisting the help of someone who has been where you want to go.

As a wedding industry business coach and mentor , of course, I will advocate for what I do. And that's because I've seen the results my expertise brings to those that I humbly help.

If you're serious about starting a wedding planning business, pay for an expert to teach you the road to success. 

I want you to be open to learning as much as you can from trusted sources as you navigate the tricky road of entrepreneurship. Recognize that you don't know everything, be 100% coachable, and apply what you learn in your business.

The truth is, you'll achieve the results you want quicker, better, and faster than you had expected.

Step 11: Believe In Yourself

Finally, I want you to believe in yourself because you were put on this earth for great things.

No, seriously, I want you to believe in your abilities to design a business you love, a business YOU want. While you may lack experience in certain areas, you have a wealth of knowledge about how things work.

You're smart. You're driven. And you're here for the right reasons. Believe in your abilities to learn as you go and apply your knowledge and unique life experiences to the services and products you provide.

For instance, too many people quit because they lack the confidence and belief in themselves to do what they want to do. I don't want you to be one of those people. 

I believe in you. So believe in yourself. All things are possible, and you CAN design a business that you love–and one that gives back to your meaningful life.

And if you're ready to take your wedding planning dreams to the next level, I want to invite you to check out my coaching program for wedding planners .

The Planner's Playbook is your secret weapon for planning, designing, and coordinating high-end weddings like a pro. The doors to this program are open now for a limited time. Click here to learn more about The Planner's Playbook!

Not ready for that? Then grab my free course on how to start your wedding planning business!

Let's summarize this post so you can start your wedding planning business:

How do I start a wedding planning business?

Follow these steps to start and launch your wedding planning business:

It's important to know what kind of business YOU want so that you can reverse engineer the strategies that it will take to get there. Don't skip this step.

Every business needs a strategy to grow and scale. Sit down and write your business plan using your vision as a guide for the strategies you'll create in marketing, sales, services, and pricing.

Businesses exist to serve their customers. Who are you serving? Know your ideal client as well as you know your BFF–and then create products and solutions that help them.

The wedding industry is a saturated market. You'll need to create a brand that stands out from the competition and gets noticed. How will you be different from the rest?

Initially, it'll be easy because you won't have many clients. But as your business grows, it's important to continue working on it more than in it.

The wedding industry is a people industry. Form relationships and connections with the right people–the businesses already in front of your dreamy clients–and watch your biz grow.

Marketing is simply sharing your message so it reaches the right people. Know your message and watch your ICAs start knocking on your door.

Resist the temptation to copy others and be confident that you can do things your way. A signature way of doing anything for your customers will set you apart from the competition.

Nothing happens overnight. It could take months to land your first wedding, so give your business time to take root. Don't rush the brush, so to speak. That moment you feel like quitting? Keep going.

Why try and figure this out all on your own when you could hire someone to help you achieve your goals quicker, faster, and better? Hire a mentor who has been where you want to go and watch how quickly you scale.

A little confidence goes a long way. Believe in your worthiness, experience, creativity, and capabilities. You can do this.

If you're serious about starting your wedding planning business, here are some resources I offer to help:

• Free Business Plan Outline + Guide
• Free Course To Launch Your Wedding Planning Business
• The Client Cocktail
• The Planner's Playbook
• WeddingPro Insiders
• Wedding Planner Business Tools

Know that I'm cheering you on and believing in you. 

Explore More Wedding Industry Resources

How to become a wedding planner with no experience.

• 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Wedding Planning Business
• The Ultimate Wedding Planner Templates in 2024

How To Prepare For Your First Wedding As A Wedding Planner

• 6 Things You Need To Include In Your Wedding Planner Process
• How To Build Your Portfolio As A Wedding Planner When You’re Just Starting Out
• Why You Need To Create A Client Journey As A Wedding Planner
• How To Get Wedding Clients When You’re Just Starting Out
• Day of Coordination: The Pros and Cons as a Wedding Planner
• How Much Should You Charge As A Wedding Planner? Learn How To Figure Out Your Wedding Planner Pricing
• 5 Contracts Every Wedding Planner Must Have To Be Legally Set
• The #1 Reason Why You’re Not Booking The Right Wedding Clients (And How To Fix It)
• 5 Online Wedding Planning Tools You Need to Use
• How To Become A Destination Wedding Planner
• 4 Strategies That Will Help You Book MORE Of Your Ideal Clients
• 5 Tips On Crafting a Business Plan To Book Out Your Biz With Your Ideal Clients And Get Paid
• What A Business Plan Will REALLY Reveal About Your Business
• 6 Reasons Why I Recommend Asana for Wedding Planners
• Are You a Disorganized Wedding Planner? Let’s Fix That With These Organized Wedding Planner Tips!

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We were long overdue for a shank and cuddle. 🫶🏼 ilysm and tag your bestie who needs to hear this pep talk too and for the love of Pete STOP PROCRASTINATING 😘 #motivation #procrastination #candicecoppola #weddingindustry #weddingpros #weddingvendodors #smallbusiness #peptalk #shankandcuddle

Should you be on TikTok? That’s a question I get asked a lot - and it should come as no surprise that I have some STRONG feelings about this. The quick answer is yes - but not on the way you think. Comment EPISODE 128 and I’ll send you a link to this weeks episode of The Power in Purpose podcast where you’ll hear me make the case for why it think it’s a MUST. Plus, I talk about Nancy Meyers, THAT submarine, and Vanderpump Rules. Once you listen, I’d love to hear your take. Agree or disagree with my opinion?! #weddingindustry #weddingpro #candicecoppola #marketing #weddingpros #weddingplanning101 #weddingindustryeducation #marketingstrategy #socialmediamarketing

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✨ Spend the day with me and see what a very busy day is like for me as a business coach and content creator! Yesterday was definitely a full day of coaching calls with the women in my mastermind and a lot of teaching and content creation. Here’s how I spent my day: Coaching calls with @ininkweddings @afamilyaffairmaine @itssimplyaddy @wild.smile.events @nicoledaniellestudios @laceandbowbridalnm @atouchofgrayevents @letterpressmade Teaching a workshop with @honeybook Recording an episode of my podcast (premiering next week!) Trying to get my steps in and taking the smallest of breaks between meetings Not everyday looks like yesterday, but I definitely love when I get to spend my time with the women and communities I serve! Would you like to see more content like this from me? I’d really like to hear from you! This was a lot of fun to make. ❤️ #candicecoppola #dayinthelife #weddingindustry #weddingpro #businesscoach #podcaster #adayinthelife #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingpros #weddingindustryeducation

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Wedding planning business can be very successful career, if you work properly before establishing it. Many people learn the basic etiquettes about wedding planning while event planning course. If you want to get basic knowledge you can also get a course from a good institution and start up your business. Though it is a very interesting and joyful business for those, who love thrill and fun, but at the same time it demands commitment lots of energy and stress. Before starting up your business for wedding planning if you follow some important points, you can get better result in start and get good grip over your business soon.

Great post! I read your blog fairly often and you’re always coming out with some great stuff. I shared this on my Facebook and my followers loved it! Keep up the good work. 🙂

Nice post. I just found this article while searching for ways to improve my wedding business. This is not only helpful for people looking to start a wedding business, I got a lot out of it after being in business for nearly 20 years. Thanks for the great info!

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How to Start a Wedding Planning Business

A wedding planning business may help couples with any and every aspect of planning for the wedding. This may include helping pick clothing for all parties, creating thematic decorations and décor, picking a wedding cake, handling photography and video, and more.

You may also be interested in additional side hustle ideas .

Learn how to start your own Wedding Planning Business and whether it is the right fit for you.

Ready to form your LLC? Check out the Top LLC Formation Services .

Start a wedding planning business by following these 10 steps:

• Plan your Wedding Planning Business
• Form your Wedding Planning Business into a Legal Entity
• Register your Wedding Planning Business for Taxes
• Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
• Set up Accounting for your Wedding Planning Business
• Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Wedding Planning Business
• Get Wedding Planning Business Insurance
• Define your Wedding Planning Business Brand
• Create your Wedding Planning Business Website
• Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your wedding planning business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas .

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

What will you name your business?

• What are the startup and ongoing costs?
• Who is your target market?

How much can you charge customers?

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Wedding Planning Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship , you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name , we recommend researching your business name by checking:

• Your state's business records
• Federal and state trademark records
• Social media platforms
• Web domain availability .

It's very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

Want some help naming your wedding planning business?

Business name generator, what are the costs involved in opening a wedding planning business.

One of the most exciting aspects of a wedding planning is that many planners start by working out of their own homes. This effectively sidesteps the need for an expensive monthly office lease, related utilities, and so on. Because of that, most of the costs involved in opening your business involve advertisement. It's important to have a highly professional-looking website, and either hire a professional or design it yourself. It's possible to set up good-looking website using templates you can buy and use for under $1,000. If you have to hire designers or others to help provide content, it may cost between $500 to $5,000 extra, though you can potentially do all (or most) of this yourself. Beyond that, it is worth establishing a social media presence on sites such as Facebook (this is free) and doing traditional advertising (newspapers, radio, and possibly television), which should cost between $1,000 to $5,000 depending on how you advertise and how much you advertise.

What are the ongoing expenses for a wedding planning business?

Another highly attractive feature of being a wedding planner is that there are almost no ongoing expenses. The various costs related to vendors for the wedding are paid for by the couple, and if you are operating out of your home or meeting clients at their own homes, the only real ongoing cost is your advertising. After the initial advertising push, you should probably spend less than $500 on advertisements each month, as your social media advertising and positive word-of-mouth, along with your website, will handle much of this for you.

Who is the target market?

In general, the best customers that wedding planners can have are those who are both flexible and realistic. Sometimes, customers may have their fixed ideas of a “perfect wedding” that do not mesh well with their budget or location. Therefore, customers who are realistic about how far their money can go and flexible enough to listen to alternative suggestions make for the best customers.

How does a wedding planning business make money?

On the most basic level, a wedding planning business makes money by charging money for the planning and execution of the wedding itself. However, there is great flexibility in how you charge customers. Some planners charge a flat fee, whereas others might charge a percentage based on the overall cost of the wedding. You may even simply charge clients by the hour. An additional way to make money is that some wedding planners also negotiate and receive a certain percentage of the amount that clients pay to different vendors (between ten and twenty percent). However, this effectively ends up making the different vendors cost more, so building a fee structure that doesn't seem like it has hidden costs may go over better with your customers.

How much you charge, and how you charge, is usually contingent on how much you have to do. For customers who merely want a consultation to help them with their own plans, charging between $40-$60 per hour is appropriate. For people who have their own wedding somewhat planned but want assistance finalizing the plan, conducting the rehearsal, and coordinating the day of the wedding, you could charge between $600 to $1,800 (variances typically reflect differences in regional economy and level of work involved for you). For a full-service package, in which you plan everything, coordinate with all vendors, develop the theme and décor, and help coordinate the day of the wedding, you may charge between $2,000-$10,000 (variances reflect differences in regional economy and whether the client is involved and helps out with anything).

How much profit can a wedding planning business make?

How much profit you make is mostly a matter of mathematics. For instance, many wedding planners only choose to do “full-service” packages, so you can essentially multiply the cost of that full-service package times the number of weddings you conduct per year. Thus, someone charging $5,000 per wedding and conducting 20 weddings a year could easily crack six figures, though you will likely be making less as you are starting out and establishing your name. Plus, more rural areas or areas with a slower economy will likely necessitate charging closer to the $2,000 for full-service packages.

How can you make your business more profitable?

To make your business more profitable, offer incentives or prizes to people who refer friends to you. Consider sponsoring monthly parties where you talk about how people can have a perfect wedding, and offer them a chance to win a nice door prize for attending. Aside from ideas like these, the best thing you can do is to do the best job possible on the weddings you plan and let positive word of mouth do the rest!

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC's free Small Business Startup Guide - a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

The most common business structure types are the sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC) , and corporation .

Establishing a legal business entity such as an LLC or corporation protects you from being held personally liable if your wedding planning business is sued.

Form Your LLC

Read our Guide to Form Your Own LLC

Have a Professional Service Form your LLC for You

Two such reliable services:

You can form an LLC yourself and pay only the minimal state LLC costs or hire one of the Best LLC Services for a small, additional fee.

Recommended: You will need to elect a registered agent for your LLC. LLC formation packages usually include a free year of registered agent services . You can choose to hire a registered agent or act as your own.

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It's really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website . If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil .

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

• Separates your personal assets from your company's assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
• Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

• Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business' expenses all in one place.
• Build your company's credit history , which can be useful to raise money later on.

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

In most states, it is necessary to obtain a business license. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

For more information about local licenses and permits:

• Check with your town, city or county clerk’s office
• Get assistance from one of the local associations listed in US Small Business Associations directory of local business resources

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses .

Services Contract

Wedding planning businesses should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. RocketLawyers Make your Free Wedding Planner Agreement clarifies clients expectations and minimizes the risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions in advance.  Here is an example service agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your wedding planning business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance . This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance . If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers' Compensation Coverage.

FInd out what types of insurance your Wedding Planning Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Wedding Planning Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you aren't feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners , we'll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.

Recommended : Get a logo using Truic's free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker .

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator . Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a wedding planning business

The key ways to market and promote have already been mentioned. You should use a combination of a professional-looking website, social media presence, and advertisements via newspapers, radio, and television. Flyers, business cards, and other print advertisements at locations like florists and hotels can also help to catch the eye of couples looking for a planner.

How to keep customers coming back

In addition to using the advertisement methods above, you should run contests via social media where people can win things like dresses and discounts from your affiliated vendors. To add to the impact of such contests, part of the free entry should be customers writing sweet poems or stories about how they met their significant others. People get excited about the prize but quickly come to associate your business as a place that understands and cares about why people fall in love. This helps spread word of your business and its contests via traditional word-of-mouth advertising.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business .

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

• All legitimate businesses have websites - full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
• Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
• Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended : Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders .

Other popular website builders are: WordPress , WIX , Weebly , Squarespace , and Shopify .

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2023 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it's fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

This business is good for those who thrive on interactions with new people. It is also good for those who grew up playing “matchmaker” and get a thrill out of helping bring two lives together. Much of the planning business is visual, so those with a flair for design and/or a good eye for stylish clothing and skill at creating a unique atmosphere in any room will do very well.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a wedding planning business?

The nature of a wedding planning business is that each day may involve different tasks. Some of those activities, however, include helping the couple set a realistic budget, taking the couple to different places in town that will suit their needs, and creating a detailed plan for pretty much every moment of the wedding. You will also have to call, email, and otherwise coordinate with various bands or DJs, photographers, caterers, florists, and any other vendors the couple may require. This requires a lot of contracts for the couple to sign, so much time will be devoted to walking them through the finer points of the paperwork. You may also help design and distribute wedding invitations and serve as a kind of liaison and supervisor of the various parties during the actual day of the wedding.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful wedding planning business?

Because of the nature of the work, a college degree in fields such as Public Relations or Communications can help you with the coordination of various different entities related to this job. Prior experience as an intern or other kind of worker that helped plan weddings can be invaluable. While there are certifications for things like wedding planning, they offer little to no practical, real-world experience.

What is the growth potential for a wedding planning business?

The growth potential for a wedding planning business is steady, though there can be variances according to region and time of year. Overall, though, about 6,200 weddings happen each day, and many of them are getting married for a second (or even third) time, so the market is steady. Weddings are more common in warmer months (the most popular month for weddings is June), and the costs of the wedding can vary, ranging from an average of just over $15,000 in Utah to just over $31,000 in Manhattan. Those differences can affect how much you get paid and when you are likelier to be busier.

TRUiC's YouTube Channel

For fun informative videos about starting a business visit the TRUiC YouTube Channel or subscribe to view later.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor.

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a wedding planning business?

If possible, volunteer or get permission to “shadow” successful wedding planners in other cities in order to figure out how to make your own business highly successful. Try to get to know various vendors, hotel managers, and others you will work with as soon as possible in order to make your future business successful. Make sure that your website has a dedicated place for you to feature customer testimonials about successful weddings you've helped with before.

How and when to build a team

Most wedding planners start out on their own. This makes it easier to create a cohesive vision for weddings and to make sure everybody sticks to a set game plan. However, there will always be more weddings than you can reasonably work, so when you have more interested clients than you have time to serve them, it may be time to hire a partner or a team. While this can make things a little harder to organize, it does give you the flexibility of hiring people that are naturally better at some of the aspects of the job you are weaker at (such as hiring someone who studied graphic design and making sure they are in charge of creating invitations and wedding programs).

Useful Links

Industry opportunities.

• American Academy of Wedding Professionals
• Association for Wedding Professionals International

Real World Examples

• California-based wedding planning business

Further Reading

• Advice from successful wedding planner
• Wedding Planning Business Plan
• Information on the wedding planning industry

Have a Question? Leave a Comment!

How to Start a Wedding Planning Business

How to become a wedding planner and hit the ground running

If you’re organized, creative, and have volunteered to plan every party since you were a kid, you might have thought about how great it would be to plan events professionally. Pair that with the fact that you might have already helped more than a few friends plan their weddings and you could be seriously considering it. But, as much as you want to jump headfirst into the deep end, the part of you that always thinks ahead wants to make sure you have all of your proverbial ducks in a row (you are naturally organized after all). So today, we wanted to help you map out what you need to make that fun and fulfilling career choice a reality by walking you through the steps it takes to start a wedding planning business . From making sure you’re filing all the necessary paperwork to building a brand that attracts your dream clients, grab your to-do list and take all the notes you need to get your business off the ground.

“How do I start a wedding planning business?”

In the moments after you decided that becoming a wedding planner was what you wanted to pursue, you likely asked yourself, “ How do I start a wedding planning business?” And you’re not alone in wondering this—many successful wedding planners don’t have a background in business and started searching for answers to the same question. Lucky for you, you’re here reading this article and we’ve already mapped out most of your first steps for you. 

If you want to start a wedding planning business , read this first.

The piece we linked covers a lot of the fundamental tasks you need to take care of as you start your own business in the wedding industry. From making sure you’ve completed the necessary filings (to make sure your business is legit) and what’s important to have in your contracts to our favorite small business software and marketing tips to get you started, the article is more than worth the read (and a bookmark for future reference).

Invest in your education

While you don’t have to get a 4-year degree, it is still important to invest in your education because there is so much to being a professional wedding planner (read: it is very different from planning a family member or friend’s wedding). You need to know how to onboard your clients , run a ceremony rehearsal, and create a wedding day timeline (just to name a few)—so investing in an educational course, workshop or certification is highly recommended.

Pro-tip : WeddingPro Educators Lindsay Longacre and Heather Hoesch put their 20+ years of wedding planning experience to work and created the Planner Life Academy online course for wedding planners . If you’re looking for a great way to learn from home and get tons of templates to build your business from, this course is it.

In addition to learning how to become a wedding planner in a more traditional sense, it’s important to get some hands-on experience before taking on clients of your own. You can ask more established planners if they are looking for interns or day-of assistants or simply ask to shadow them to see more of what goes into a successful wedding day.  

Create a business plan

A business plan is a fundamental document for any wedding business, and it is one that often gets overlooked since most pros in the industry didn’t go to business school. But you don’t have to (nor should you) skip this important step in planning just because you don’t know where to start! A business plan is simply a document that describes what you do as a business, outlines your business goals as well as how you plan to achieve them—and you should learn what goes into creating a 5-year plan for your business before diving into anything else.

Pro-tip : You might realize there are people you need help from as you work to start a wedding planning business and reach your goals. Here are 8 business resources you need to have on speed dial.

Define your ideal clients

Once you’ve spent time thinking about your business goals and have started to plan out what you need to do to reach them, it’s a great time to start defining your ideal clients . Sure, you might be in the phase of business where you’ll book just about any couple who comes your way (truthfully, this is where most pros start), but having a clear understanding of who your clients are now and who they will be in the future will help you plan for growth and success. Block some time on your calendar to create client avatars for:

• The couples you want to attract and book as your clients in your first 1-2 years in business
• The couples you want to grow into booking more of (these details will be tied to the goals you have mapped out for about your 3 rd year in business)
• The couples who are your most ideal client—nothing says you can’t book ideal clients right out of the gate, but for many new wedding planners, it is something they have to grow into

Creating your packages and price your services

Because weddings take months (sometimes more than a year) to plan, it can be overwhelming to develop your service packages and price them to be profitable. The good news is that there are 4 common types of wedding planning services, and your job is to mainly define what yours will include:

• Full-service wedding planning
• Partial wedding planning services
• Wedding management
• Wedding coordination

How you price your services will depend on your market and will be influenced by your experience. You should learn more about these pricing strategies before finalizing yours, and while you might want to set your prices a bit lower because you are just starting out, don’t start so low that you are undercutting others or making your path to higher prices a longer one. 

Pro-tip : Your pricing is fluid, and you should review it every year. Here are 4 reasons to raise your prices annually .

Build a brand and name your business

A lot of people are tempted to start their business planning with branding, but the truth of the matter is, you have to know what your business is doing and who it is doing it for before you can build the right brand for it. The good news is—this is the part of becoming a wedding planner that is fun for a lot of folks. You’ll want to start by coming up with a business name, purchasing a domain for your website, and securing your social media handles once you’ve landed on “the one.” From there, you might consider filing for a trademark on your business name in order to legally protect it. Which brings you to the creative part of the branding process: 

• Familiarize yourself with the brand archetypes to help you define your brand’s personality (in a way that complements what your couples are looking for in a wedding planner)
• Work with a professional graphic designer to create a brand that is unique to you and speaks to your potential clients
• Create a set of brand guidelines so your brand is being displayed consistently

Build your portfolio and create marketing materials 

If there was one part of the how-to-become-a-wedding-planner equation that perplexed people, it would be this. Because you can go through all of the steps we’ve just talked about only to feel stuck over the fact that you don’t have a portfolio or images to market your new business with. No need to stress—there are solutions to this problem. The first is to know that your portfolio includes so much more than just photos from weddings you’ve planned. It also includes your design boards, sketches, client reviews, and certifications—all of which you can use to build your wedding planner portfolio . The second thing to know is that coordinating a styled shoot as you go to launch your business is a strategic thing to do and a great way to set yourself up with images that embody your brand and speak to your ideal clients.

Pro-tip : Be sure to read this piece about styled shoots to help you pitch them and protect yourself accordingly.

Book your first client

Learning how to become a wedding planner and start a wedding planning business is a true labor of love—and you start to reap the rewards when you book for first clients. And, while some new wedding planners book family and friends to start, advertising with The Knot and WeddingWire is a great way to start building your brand and establishing yourself as a trusted professional. If you want to complement the marketing efforts you are taking with an advertising strategy that can connect you with couples looking to hire a wedding planner just like you, simply fill out this form and we’ll help get you started!

Let's grow your business together!

Start advertising on The Knot and WeddingWire, the top two wedding planning platforms.

What is new!

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How to Start a Wedding Planning Business in 14 Steps (In-Depth Guide)

Updated:   February 22, 2024

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The global wedding planning business is constantly growing. With an evaluation of $160.5 billion in 2020 and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% from 2021 to 2030, now is a great time to get started. The wedding service market could reach $414.2 billion by 2030 at this estimation.

With so many engaged couples looking to tie the knot in style, the demand for professional wedding planners who can turn dreams into reality is booming. But the rewards of launching a wedding planning business go far beyond the financial. Helping create once-in-a-lifetime memories for clients can be incredibly fulfilling.

Through this guide, we’ll explain how to start a wedding planning business. Topics include market research, competitive analysis, registering an EIN, opening a business bank account, and more. Here’s everything you need to know to become a successful wedding planner.

1. Conduct Wedding Planning Market Research

Market research is essential to building a successful wedding planner business plan. To become a wedding planner you need insight on your target market, local market saturation, trends in wedding venues and services, and more.

Some details you’ll learn through wedding planning services market research include:

• While weddings occur year-round, late spring and summer are peak seasons.
• Saturday is the most popular day, accounting for most weddings.
• Most events kick off either late afternoon or early evening.
• The majority of couples have a 12 to 14-month engagement.
• While the industry remains female-dominated, more men are entering the field.
• Offering foreign language services can be a competitive advantage.
• The typical planner handles 20 to 40 weddings per year and earns around $3,000 per wedding.
• The most successful ventures expand into additional wedding services like catering and rentals.

Despite the rise of wedding-planning apps and websites, couples value human creativity, knowledge, and support in planning their big day. For wedding planners who stay organized, develop strong vendor relationships, and provide top-notch customer service, the opportunities are endless.

2. Analyze the Competition

To succeed in the wedding planning industry, you must closely analyze your competition. Examine both local brick-and-mortar planners and those with an online presence in your region. Competitive analysis provides you with details on other successful wedding planners in your area. Learn more about competitors in the following ways.

• Research planners that seem to dominate the local market.
• Review their websites and social media presence.
• Gauge strengths like years in business, reviews and ratings, types of packages offered, and pricing structure.
• Search online directories and platforms like The Knot , WeddingWire , and Zola to analyze customer reviews and feedback for competitors.
• Look for common complaints you could improve upon or services not being offered that present an opportunity.
• Evaluate competitors’ digital marketing strategies.
• Research their social media engagement levels and branding across platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
• Conduct anonymous consultations as a “bride-to-be” to evaluate firsthand their processes, pricing, packages, and customer service experience.

Gauging the competition from all angles will identify service gaps, opportunities to differentiate, and areas where you can gain a competitive advantage in the local wedding market with the right positioning and offerings. Ongoing competitor analysis is key.

3. Costs to Start a Wedding Planning Business

Starting a full wedding planning business requires an investment. From startup costs to ongoing expenses, event planning requires tools, resources, venue connections, and more. Let’s break down costs further.

Start-up Costs

When starting a wedding planning company, you’ll need to budget for various one-time start-up costs. These include:

• Licensing and Permits – Obtaining a business license and permits can cost $50-$500 depending on your state and municipality.
• Business Registration Fees – Expect registration fees of $100-$800 to establish your business entity (LLC, S-corp, etc.).
• Insurance – Liability insurance will likely run $500-$2,000 annually depending on your location and coverage levels.
• Office Supplies – Budget $1,000-$5,000 upfront for basic office furniture, computers, printers, software, phones, and supplies.
• Website Development – Having a professional wedding planning website designed typically costs $2,000-$5,000.
• Branding – Logo design, branding assets, and branded templates can cost $1,000-$3,000.
• Marketing Collateral – Printing business cards, flyers, brochures, etc. will cost around $500-$2,000 to start.
• Training & Education – Wedding planner certification courses range from $400-$1000.

Ongoing Costs

Once up and running, wedding planners also face ongoing operating expenses, including:

• Rent – Leasing a home office or commercial space costs $400-$1,500 monthly. For a more visible location, expect closer to $2,500-$5,000 per month.
• Utilities – Gas, electricity, internet, etc can run $200-$500 monthly for a small office.
• Phone & Internet – Basic business phone and internet will cost approximately $150 per month.
• Association Fees – Joining a local or national wedding association provides referrals and credibility for $200-$500 annually.
• Software Subscriptions – CRM, invoicing, project management, and email marketing software will cost $100-$300 monthly.
• Insurance – General business liability insurance ranges from $30-$150 per month.
• Advertising – Paid ads and sponsored posts on wedding platforms will run $500-$2,000+ monthly.
• Credit Card Processing Fees – Transaction fees of 2-4% will tally $100+ every month.
• Continuing Education – Ongoing training courses and conferences average $500-$2,000 annually.
• Taxes & Accounting – Expect to spend $300-$1,000 monthly on bookkeeping, payroll services, quarterly taxes, and annual accounting.

Careful planning and realistic budgeting for both start-up and ongoing costs are imperative to launch and sustain a successful wedding planning venture long-term. Adjust estimates to suit your specific business model and location.

4. Form a Legal Business Entity

When starting a wedding planning company, the legal structure you choose is an important decision. The four main options—sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, and corporation—each have pros and cons to weigh.

Sole Proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is the simplest, with pass-through taxation. However, the owner is personally liable for debts and lawsuits. This substantial risk makes a sole proprietorship ill-advised for wedding planners.

Partnership

Forming a general partnership allows multiple owners to share control. However each partner is also personally liable for the actions of the other, and partnerships can be complex to establish and dissolve.

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

A limited liability company (LLC) provides personal liability protection like a corporation without double taxation. Profits and losses pass through to the owners’ tax returns.

LLCs also allow tremendous flexibility. Wedding planners can start as sole owners and easily add members later. Overall, an LLC offers the best pass-through taxation benefits and liability protections for this industry.

Corporation

C-corporations limit owner liability but have complex regulations, including double taxation of profits. An S-corporation offers pass-through taxation but limits ownership to 100 shareholders. Unless wedding planners plan to raise funding and issue stock down the road, an LLC remains preferable over incorporating.

5. Register Your Business For Taxes

Once you form your wedding planning LLC, the next vital legal step is obtaining an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.

An EIN acts like a social security number for your business. It uniquely identifies your company for tax and reporting purposes.

While sole proprietors can use their SSNs, having an EIN is crucial for liability protection with an LLC. It also allows you to easily open business bank accounts and apply for any required licenses and permits.

The good news is applying for an EIN is free and fast directly through the IRS website.

Simply go to IRS.gov and navigate to the EIN Assistant. Answer a few questions about your LLC and owners.

The site will then provide your EIN immediately. The whole process typically takes under 10 minutes.

Just be sure to have your LLC documentation handy. The IRS will ask for your official name, address, and filing date.

You’ll also need to provide owner information, including legal name, SSN, and address. For multiple-member LLCs, list the primary owner first.

Once you have your EIN, submit it when applying for any business licenses, permits, bank accounts, and insurance plans required in your state and county.

You’ll also need to set up tax accounts with state agencies to collect and remit any sales tax on your services. Registering for sales tax certificates is typically done through your state revenue or taxation department website and incurs minimal fees.

6. Setup Your Accounting

As a busy wedding planner, it can be tempting to put bookkeeping and accounting on the back burner. But meticulous financial records are crucial right from the start.

Accounting Software

After each event or consultation, log all income and expenses – from venue deposits to flower arrangements. Using accounting software like QuickBooks can automate the categorization and tracking as transactions flow through your business bank account and credit card.

Hire an Accountant

Consider partnering with an accountant from the outset. For roughly $300-$500 per month, an accountant can handle tasks like monthly reconciliation and bookkeeping, freeing you to focus on events.

At tax time, your accountant can prepare and file returns, guide tax planning, and assist if you ever face an audit. Expect fees of $1,000 or more for annual tax prep. But armed with meticulous records, your likelihood of audit decreases.

Open a Business Bank Account

To simplify accounting, establish a dedicated business bank account and credit card. Reserve your finances for non-business spending. Cleanly separating expenses avoids commingling funds and eases reporting.

Apply for a Business Credit Card

Apply for a business credit card to keep wedding-related spending separate. Issuers will request your EIN and business documentation to determine approval and credit limits.

7. Obtain Licenses and Permits

Starting a wedding planning company involves more than just forming a legal business entity. Check the U.S. Small Business Administration for federal licensure. The SBA also offers insight into state and city permits through its local search tool.

First, secure a general business license from your city or county. These licenses allow businesses to operate within a jurisdiction and levy annual fees based on company size and industry. In some areas, a home occupation permit may be required if you’ll work from home. Expect to pay $50-$500 for these basic permissions.

Next, many regions mandate that wedding planners carry a surety bond of $5,000-$25,000 or more to protect clients financially in case of disputes or failure to provide services. Shop specialty brokers to find an affordable premium.

If you plan to sell any food or beverages during planning sessions or at events, a food handling permit is also often compulsory. These ensure proper food safety precautions are implemented. County health departments oversee the application process.

States with sales tax will require wedding planners to complete tax registration. You’ll need to charge applicable state and local sales tax on your services and remit collected amounts periodically. Fines can result in non-compliance.

Some regions mandate that wedding pros carry commercial auto insurance if they utilize vehicles for business purposes. Make sure your policy covers any accidents that occur during client meetings or events.

8. Get Business Insurance

Even with an LLC, wedding planners face substantial risks from disputes, accidents, natural disasters, and other losses. Having proper insurance coverage is crucial to protect your company should the unthinkable occur.

For example, imagine a reception venue unexpectedly closes before a booked event. Without event cancellation insurance, you could face six-figure out-of-pocket costs. Or what if a client slips and falls at a wedding, threatening to sue you? Liability insurance can be a lifesaver.

Other risks like lost deposits, vendor no-shows, contract disputes, and damaged equipment can also spell financial disaster without insurance to reimburse you.

To get covered, start by speaking with business insurance brokers like CoverWallet .

Describe your business model, location, number of events, liability risks, and assets. They will tailor a policy with key protections like general liability, event/weather cancellation, equipment coverage, and more.

9. Create an Office Space

Having a professional office space lends credibility when meeting with clients and provides room to handle the administrative aspects of orchestrating events. But the right option depends on your budget and workflow.

Home Office

A dedicated home office works for sole planners. Expect costs of $100-$500 for basic furniture and upgrades like soundproofing. The ability to deduct mortgage and utility costs helps offset taxes. However, hosting clients in your residence may seem less official.

Coworking Office

Coworking spaces like WeWork offer stylish, modern locales to meet clients starting at $300-$600 monthly. Open layouts facilitate collaborating with other small business owners too. However, you’ll lack private office space and the flexibility of being home.

Retail Office

For planners working closely with retail vendors, securing space in a bridal shop or event venue can provide built-in referrals. Renting a few hundred square feet would run $800-$2,000 monthly. But retail spaces limit flexibility if you change focus.

Commercial Office

Leasing traditional office space in a business complex enables branding your suite as your own. Expect monthly rents of $1,000-$5,000 based on location, size, finishes, and terms. Hiring staff is easier with dedicated space but costs are higher.

10. Source Your Equipment

From decor to technology, wedding planners need certain equipment to successfully coordinate events. Here are the top options to acquire the necessary items for your new company:

For the latest models and reliability, purchase new equipment from retailers like B&H , Amazon Business , and WebstaurantStore . Invest in a fast computer, high-quality printer, long-range walkie-talkies, and wireless microphones to start. Expect costs of $1,500-$5,000 to outfit your office.

Save substantially by buying gently used equipment from other planners or vendors. Check industry forums, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and eBay for reliable deals on printers, lighting, furniture, and AV equipment. Budget $500-$2,000 for essentials.

Rather than buying specialty items like chiavari chairs or tenting, renting allows flexibility. Platforms like RentMyWedding and Rentals Unlimited offer everything from linens to lounge furniture, with free delivery. Pay per rental with no long-term commitment.

Leasing business technology through companies enables access to new equipment annually with maintenance included. While monthly fees add up, you avoid large upfront costs. Use leasing for key tech like computers, printers, and photo booths you want to update regularly.

11. Establish Your Brand Assets

Crafting a strong brand is crucial for wedding pros to stand out in a crowded market. By investing in branded assets upfront, couples instantly recognize your company as professional, polished, and trustworthy.

Get a Business Phone Number

Start with an official business phone line using a service like RingCentral . Choose a custom toll-free or local vanity number clients can easily recall.

Design a Logo

Work with a designer to create a memorable logo that captures your brand identity. Outline fonts, colors, and icons you love. Looka makes custom, affordable logos tailored to your vision.

From your logo, develop cohesive brand assets – fonts, colors, patterns, graphics, and photography styles that reinforce your look across platforms.

Print Business Cards

Print professional business cards, folders, and branded welcome packs from Vistaprint . Hand these out at in-person consultations and include them in client welcome gifts. Carry cards at industry networking events.

If securing office space, install external signage so couples can easily locate their workspace for meetings. Match signage font and colors to your logo.

Buy a Domain Name

Register a domain name that aligns with your brand for a custom email address and website. Check availability by searching Namecheap before settling on the perfect name.

Design a Website

Build a stunning website with your branding on platforms like Wix or hire a Fiverr pro to handle development. Showcase photos, packages, and reviews.

12. Join Associations and Groups

Joining regional organizations and online communities provides invaluable connections in the wedding industry. Surround yourself with fellow pros who graciously share advice and referrals.

Local Associations

Seek out established local associations like the Association of Bridal Consultants that offer training programs and networking. Attend association conferences to gain formal instruction and mingle with experienced planners eager to help newcomers. Regional groups also share job leads and vendor recommendations.

Local Meetups

Attend a local wedding or small business meetups and trade shows to make connections. Use Meetup to find regular gatherings of industry peers in your city. Exchange ideas in person and partner with photographers, caterers, and venues eager to work with up-and-coming planners.

Facebook Groups

Dive into Facebook Groups like the Wedding Planning Support Group . In national online groups, glean advice from thousands of planners across the globe. Post questions and browse extensive idea libraries 24/7. Review how other planners handle challenges.

13. How to Market a Wedding Planning Business

Implementing an ongoing marketing strategy is essential for wedding planners to continually attract new clients. While you’ll rely heavily on referrals at first, also focus on digital and traditional tactics to expand your reach and visibility.

Personal Networking

Leverage your personal and professional network to spread the word that you’ve launched a wedding planning company. Offer discounts to early customers who provide testimonials and referrals. One glowing recommendation on your website or reviews can influence many couples.

Digital Marketing

For digital marketing:

• Run Google Ads campaigns so your services appear at the top when local couples search for wedding planners. Target keywords like “affordable wedding planner [your city].”
• Create Facebook and Instagram ads showcasing your services. Target newly engaged demographics and location. Feature great photos of events you coordinate.
• Start a YouTube channel sharing wedding planning tips and vendor spotlights. Include a strong call-to-action to subscribe and book you.
• Write blog posts about wedding trends and planning advice. Optimize posts for SEO by including relevant keywords couples search for.
• Send email newsletters with wedding inspiration, vendor sales, and promotional offers to stay top of mind. Provide value and specials to subscribers.

Traditional Marketing

For traditional marketing:

• Design professional flyers and menus to display at local bridal shops, florists, venues, etc.
• Partner with venues, photographers, caterers, and bakeries to cross-promote one another. Offer referral fees.
• Sponsor local bridal shows and events related to weddings. Have an eye-catching booth and network.
• Advertise on radio stations and podcasts popular with your target brides. Focus ad copy on the experiences you create.
• For planners with retail space, utilize signage, window displays, and curb appeal to attract foot traffic.

Consistently investing time and budget into marketing expands your visibility and client base. Track results to double down on the most effective tactics over time.

14. Focus on the Customer

Providing an incredible client experience is crucial for wedding planners. Your business depends on referrals and reviews. Just one poor customer service interaction can deter dozens of potential clients. Some ways to improve customer focus as a wedding business include:

• Respond promptly to all inquiries with thoughtful guidance.
• Set clients at ease during the planning process, resolving issues quickly.
• Check in frequently as their big day approaches.
• On the wedding day itself, ensure everything flows seamlessly behind the scenes.
• Greet guests with enthusiasm. Resolve any emergencies discreetly without the couple knowing.
• Post-wedding, follow up to get candid feedback.
• Send anniversary gifts and incentives for reviews. Deliver photos and videos promptly.
• Couples have endless planner options for their most important day.
• For example, notice when a bride seems stressed and provides a shoulder massage.
• Surprise couples with a favorite bottle of champagne.
• Handwrite thoughtful notes demonstrating your care.

With close attention and personal touches, you create delightful experiences and invaluable word-of-mouth referrals. Consistently wowing couples must be a top priority.

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How to start a wedding planning business

February 28, 2022

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• Create a business plan

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Did you grow up dreaming of your wedding day? If you’ve had a scrapbook or Pinterest filled with pictures of dresses and floral displays for as long as you can remember, you may be ready to dream beyond your own wedding ceremony and begin a career as a wedding planner.

Luckily, there’s no required training or licensure to become a wedding planner. And getting started on a new career path always takes time and perseverance. However, if you have a passion for helping other couples make their wedding picture-perfect, all you need to get started is a little know-how. This wedding planning business guide gives it to you.

Before you say “I do”…

As any great wedding planner knows, the key to a successful event is making sure you understand the requirements (and expectations) of the job. If you’re thinking of starting your own wedding planning business, you know that the job isn’t all cake tastings and champagne toasts.

If you’re just starting out and don’t have experience in event planning, it may be helpful to get a start working as an assistant to an experienced wedding or event planner. An experienced planner will teach you the lessons they learned early on so you hopefully don’t repeat their same mistakes.

Planning a wedding requires the following traits:

• Great communication skills – Understand the couple’s tastes and preferences, and communicate clearly with your clients, your staff, and your subcontractors.
• Creativity – Everyone wants a unique wedding. Can you come up with a creative, unique solution for each client?
• An eye for detail – A couple is hiring you so they don’t have to worry about the details. It’s important to cross your t’s and dot your i’s. This includes outlining a crisis plan.

When it comes to how to start a wedding planning business, you may need to secure some start-up funding. Even if you have enough cash on-hand to begin marketing and promoting your services, it’s important to begin with a clear, detailed plan so that you know exactly what you hope to accomplish in your first year of business (and beyond).

A strong business plan will help you with everything from pitching yourself to potential clients to taking on a manageable number of ceremonies. It should answer:

What are your goals and vision? – How does your wedding planning business stand out from your competitors? Do you cater to a niche market, offer flat-rate packages, or have a particular design focus that can woo customers?

What steps will you take to achieve your goals? – Do you have potential business partners? Potential customers? How will you market and promote your services?

What is your budget? – How much money do you need to cover your costs until your business becomes profitable? How many ceremonies will you need to plan before your business turns a profit?

How will you structure your business? – Creating a legal business entity like an LLC can help to protect you from some liability. What other steps will you take to legitimize your business and protect yourself from risk?

Having a clear business plan helps you to set achievable goals and take concrete steps towards them.

A website is the first step in your online marketing campaign and will be your digital portfolio. Thankfully, smart website builders such as Wix and Squarespace make it easier than ever to create an attractive site that reflects your style without needing a development background.

The key elements of any good business website are:

Design – A big part of your job as a wedding planner is creating a ceremony to remember. Make sure your website reflects your style.

Your bio – clients want a planner they can relate to as they’re entrusting their big day in your hands. Your bio should reflect your style and personality – include some fun facts to help you stand out.

Portfolio & client reviews – Clients want to be able to imagine their wedding. Consider planning a friend’s wedding, or even staging a mock wedding with a photographer you’d hire for future events. This can help you to convey professionalism and experience as you’re getting started.

Contact information & form – you need a way for prospective clients to easily contact you. Include a phone number and form so people can submit their details. Don’t forget to call prospective clients back as soon as possible – ideally 24-48 hours.

Social proof – Include links to your profiles on industry organizations or websites such as Wedding Wire or The Knot to help potential clients know you’re legitimate. And, if you’ve received any awards or badges, make sure to include those on your website. Additionally, make sure to link to your social profiles.

SEO – Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is how to help your website show up in the search results. The basic setup doesn’t take a marketing degree: simply follow your website builder’s instructions for adding page descriptions, and be sure to include keywords related to your local area so you can show up in local search results.

Once you have a site, start showing it off to your network and updating your social profiles with a link to your website.

Once you land your first gig, it’s important to make sure your business is protected in the event that something goes wrong. As you start your new venture, you’re likely excited, even giddy—but it’s important to come down from cloud nine and assess your risks.

Any time people gather together, there’s the risk that an accident could hurt someone or damage their property. And when it comes to their wedding day, people can become especially litigious. The cost of legal fees alone might burn through your start-up budget.

Most wedding planners can benefit from the following kinds of insurance policies:

General liability insurance provides coverage against client and third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and advertising injury.

Professional liability insurance , also called errors & omission (E&O) insurance, provides coverage against claims of negligence and errors related to your work.

In addition, make sure you’re working with venues and vendors that carry their own insurance policies.

When you’re just getting started, you may only have a single wedding to plan in the months ahead. It may seem like an annual insurance policy just isn’t worth it or a cost you can spare.

But you don’t have to pay for insurance when you’re not working. That’s why there’s Thimble’s Wedding Planner Insurance . Our fast, flexible policies go by the hour, day, or month. You can take out insurance just for an afternoon of venue tours with your clients, or for an entire wedding weekend.

And while a wedding may take months to plan, you can get insurance in just 60 seconds. All you have to do is enter a few details about your business, and we’ll generate your free quote. Click purchase, and your proof of insurance will arrive in your email inbox right away.

Starting a business can be scary, but with the right steps, you can look forward to a long and happy career as a wedding planner. Remember to:

• Understand the job requirements
• Build your online portfolio (your website)
• Protect yourself from risk with insurance

Pop the champagne—you’re ready to be your own boss!

Written on February 28, 2022

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BUSINESS STRATEGIES

How to start a wedding business

• Rachel Bistricer

If you're passionate about creating unforgettable moments and have a flair for organizing special events, starting a wedding business could be an exciting venture for you. This guide will take you through the steps of initiating and operating a successful wedding business, including the advantages and challenges involved in starting a business , how to go about creating a business website  and strategies for generating revenue in the wedding industry.

What is a wedding business?

A wedding business is a service-oriented business  that offers a range of services related to wedding planning and execution. Wedding businesses typically provide services such as:

Wedding planning and coordination

Venue selection and decoration

Catering and menu planning

Floral arrangements and event design

Photography and videography services

Entertainment and music coordination

Bridal and groom attire consultation

Beauty and grooming services

Why start a wedding business?

The wedding industry outlook points to healthy growth on the horizon, with projections forecasting a compound annual growth rate of 4.8% through 2030 . As engaged couples increasingly seek to personalize their special day and create memorable wedding experiences, they are willing to invest substantially in bringing their perfect wedding to life. This presents ample opportunities for wedding-focused businesses to provide customized products and services tailored to discerning couples. By staying on top of wedding industry trends and gaining insights into what engaged couples are looking for, you can strategically position a new wedding business.

How to start a wedding business in 6 steps

Create a business plan

Select a business structure

Obtain business financing or capital

Set up accounting and bookkeeping services

Source specific wedding equipment

Register your wedding business

01. Create a business plan

Develop a comprehensive business plan  that addresses key aspects of your wedding business idea 's strategy, such as your target market, executive summary, marketing strategy  and financial projections. This plan acts as a guide for your business, helping to communicate your vision to potential investors during fundraising efforts. It should also include other important business information such as the type of business  you plan to start and your choice of a business name . 

Here’s a wedding business plan template to get you started:

Wedding business plan template

Executive Summary

Business Name:  [Your Wedding Business Name]

Business Structure:  [Sole Proprietorship/Partnership/LLC/Corporation]

Location:  [City, State]

Founding Date:  [Month, Year]

Founders/Owners:  [Names]

Mission Statement:  [Concise statement of the business’s purpose]

Business Description

Overview:  Briefly describe your wedding business, highlighting key features, services, and specialties.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):  Clearly define what sets your business apart from competitors.

Target Market:  Identify your primary client demographic and market segment.

Services and Specialties

List and describe the wedding services and specialties your business will offer.

Include areas such as wedding planning, venue selection, catering, photography, and entertainment.

Market Analysis

Industry Overview:  Provide an overview of the wedding industry, including trends and growth projections.

Competitor Analysis:  Identify key competitors, analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

Target Audience:  Define your target client profile and their preferences.

Marketing and Sales Strategy

Marketing Plan:  Outline your strategies for promoting the business, both online and offline.

Pricing Strategy:  Detail your pricing structure and any promotional pricing.

Sales Tactics:  Describe how you will attract clients and secure wedding projects.

Operational Plan

Location and Facilities:  Describe your office location and facilities.

Suppliers:  List and describe key suppliers for goods and services.

Staffing:  Outline your staffing plan, including roles and responsibilities.

Financial Plan

Startup Costs:  Detail initial investment requirements and startup expenses.

Revenue Projections:  Provide realistic revenue projections for the first 3-5 years.

Operating Costs:  Outline ongoing operating expenses, including utilities, software, and staff salaries.

Funding Requirements:  Specify any funding needed and potential sources (loans, investors).

Funding Proposal

Purpose of Funding:  Clearly state how the funds will be utilized.

Amount Needed:  Specify the amount of funding required.

Repayment Plan:  Outline the proposed repayment plan for loans or investments.

Risk Analysis

Identify potential risks and challenges that may impact the success of your wedding business.

Develop strategies to mitigate and manage these risks.

Include any additional documents or information relevant to your business plan.

Examples: Portfolio samples, resumes of key team members and mock-ups of design proposals.

Summarize the key points of your business plan and highlight the potential success of your wedding business.

Conclude with a call to action or next steps.

Note: This template serves as a general guide. Adjust and expand sections based on your specific business model and goals.

02. Select a business structure

Choose an appropriate business entity  or structure for your wedding business, whether it’s a sole proprietorship , partnership , limited liability company (LLC ) or corporation . Each structure comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, so select the one that aligns with your business objectives.

Learn more: How to start an LLC

03. Obtain business financing or capital

Starting a wedding business involves initial costs. Secure financing through methods like bank loans, grants, or investments from stakeholders to launch and sustain your business.

Costs that you’ll need to factor in when securing financing for your business include:

Office space and utilities

Marketing and advertising campaigns

Making a website  and its maintenance

Event planning software and technology infrastructure

Initial salaries and benefits for employees

Professional memberships and certifications

Insurance coverage (liability, professional indemnity)

Legal fees for contracts and compliance

04. Set up accounting and bookkeeping systems

Establish robust accounting and bookkeeping systems from the beginning to track income, expenses, and ensure financial viability. This includes managing tax obligations if applicable.

05. Source specific wedding equipment

Acquire the necessary equipment for your wedding business, including event planning software, computers, and design tools. Ensure that your technology infrastructure supports efficient event coordination and communication. Some more specific examples of this include:

Event planning software for collaboration

Computers and design tools

Printers and scanners for document preparation

Furniture for the office workspace

Photography and videography equipment

Decorative items and props for event styling

Catering and serving equipment

06. Register your wedding business

Register your wedding business in compliance with local regulations, obtain the required licenses and secure appropriate insurance coverage including liability and professional indemnity insurance.

Learn more: How to register a business , How to get a business license

Tips for managing your wedding business for profitability

Once you’ve got your wedding business off the ground, you’ll need to understand how to properly run and manage it in order to make sure it’s profitable. Here are some general tips on how to achieve that. 

Research your industry and gain a deep understanding of the wedding industry, including market competition, target demographics and client preferences. Gain practical experience by working with established wedding planners or participating in relevant events.

Develop a robust marketing strategy from the beginning to proactively promote your wedding business. Create a professional website showcasing your portfolio, services, and client testimonials. Utilize social media platforms for targeted marketing.

Exceptional customer service is crucial for success in the wedding industry. Ensure open communication, meet client expectations, and go the extra mile to create a memorable experience.

Wedding businesses to inspire (all built on Wix)

Shreeji weddings.

Design team planning wedding ceremony decorations to provide a unique design and experience. 

Emily Rose Weddings

Personal wedding coordinator With experience in wedding day planning, preparation, supplier liaison and client support. 

Applewood Farms

Wedding venue offering a wide variety of customizable menus and design options.

Benefits of starting a wedding business

Operating a wedding business allows you to turn your passion for events into a thriving career. You have the flexibility to be your own boss, set your schedule, and contribute to the creation of memorable moments for couples.

Challenges of running a wedding business

Wedding planning requires diverse skills, including organization, creativity, and effective communication. Coordinating multiple elements of a wedding, managing client expectations, and handling unforeseen challenges are common challenges in the industry.

How profitable is a wedding business?

The profitability of a wedding business depends on factors such as location, market demand, competition, pricing strategies, and service quality. Building a reputation for delivering exceptional events and streamlining business processes can contribute to higher profitability.

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This year's wedding season could be the most lucrative yet. One wedding planner shares how she plans to double her revenue.

• Chanda Monique Daniels is the founder of an event planning business that specializes in LGBTQ+ weddings. 
• In the 22 years since Daniels launched her company, she's never faced a wedding season like this year.
• Daniels shares the 5 steps to building a wedding planning business, including how to deal with crazed couples.

Chanda Monique Daniels discovered her passion for event planning at a young age — she was 16, organizing her birthday party, and infatuated with the sense of control it gave her. 

"It was a thing that I loved and knew how to do," said Daniels, who now runs her own San Francisco-based wedding and event planning business A Monique Affair . Daniels specializes in same-sex weddings along with nonprofit and corporate events. 

In the 22 years since Daniels launched her company, she's never faced a wedding season like this year. Couples who postponed their nuptials in 2020 have rescheduled celebrations for this year or 2022, creating one of the busiest years for weddings in decades , according to a February study from the wedding resource platform The Knot. 

Daniels booked $74,000 in revenue in 2019, a typical year for weddings and events, according to documents viewed by Insider. However, she expects to double that amount this year. 

Daniels tells insider the 5 steps to building a wedding planning business, including how to deal with crazed couples. 

First, identify your style of events

The most critical step in building a wedding planning business is determining your ideal style of event, Daniels said. Once you identify those factors, you'll have a roadmap for marketing your business, finding vendors, and communicating with clients, she added. 

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For instance, do you want to specify in weddings that are bohemian or traditional? Do you prefer working with modern wedding trends or timeless ceremonies? "Take the time and hone in on those things," Daniels said, noting that those decisions will also help you identify your ideal client. 

Then, build strong relationships with vendors 

Once you know what style you'll pursue, start contacting vendors that match your vision, Daniels said. However, these relationships are vital to your business and it's important to practice authenticity, she added. 

Daniels prefers to meet with prospective vendors in person and build a rapport with them. She'll ask about their favorite things and later recommend shops or restaurants based on their answers. 

"People remember that more than a pamphlet or brochure," Daniels said. "You want to get along with folks and also have a good time." 

Maintain a rapport with vendors in the off seasons

While wedding season typically runs from late spring to early fall, Daniels stays in touch with her vendors throughout the year by sending texts or emails, she said. Last year, when the events industry struggled amid the pandemic, she sent cards of support to other professionals.  

"It's more than just business," Daniels said. "We talk about so much more within one wedding than just the service we're providing." 

Keep behind-the-scenes work organized 

Now that you're planning events, invest in a client management system, Daniels said. She uses event planning website Aisle Planner , which provides checklists, seating arrangement guides, and guest list tracking. 

Additionally, she uses project management software Basecamp for communication tasks like uploading contracts and proposals. 

"The more clients see that you're organized, the more comfortable they will feel," Daniels said. 

Dealing with groom- or bride-zillas

If your organizational skills do little to ease a groom- or bride-zilla, Daniels suggests examining where that person's stress originates and alleviate that pain point. 

For instance, if customers get defensive about their budget, Daniels says she understands they worked hard for that money and will spend it appropriately. 

"That is a very overlooked talent of a wedding planner," Daniels said. "It's not just about making things beautiful, it's handling the stress and everything else that could possibly be going on with a couple." 

Watch: How this company saved thousands of flowers during the pandemic

• Main content

How To Write a Successful Wedding Planner Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for wedding planner businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every wedding planner business owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Business Plan Template

What is a Wedding Planner Business Plan?

A wedding planner business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Wedding Planner Business Plan?

A wedding planner business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Wedding Planner Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful wedding planner business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a wedding planner business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your wedding planner company
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your wedding planner business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your wedding planner firm, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen wedding planner business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a wedding planner business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the wedding planner industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, the customers of a wedding planner business may include:

• Bridal party members
• Family of wedding couple
• Wedding vendors (e.g., caterers, florists, photographers)

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or wedding planner services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Below are sample competitive advantages your wedding planner business may have:

• Extensive industry knowledge and experience
• Personalized service
• Comprehensive planning and organization
• Creativity and attention to detail
• Value-driven perspective

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or, you may promote your wedding planner business via word-of-mouth marketing.

Operations Plan

This part of your wedding planner business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a wedding planner business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include adding new products or services, expanding to new markets, or hiring new personnel.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific wedding planner industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Wedding Planner Business

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Wedding Planner Business

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup wedding planner business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Wedding Planner Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your wedding planner company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

A well-written business plan is an essential tool for any wedding planner company. If you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, it’s important to have a polished and professional business plan. Use the template above as a guide as you write your own wedding planner business plan.  

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Wedding Planner Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Wedding Planning Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their wedding planning companies.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a wedding planning business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a wedding planning business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Wedding Planning Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your wedding planning business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan as a Wedding Planner

If you’re looking to start a wedding planning business or grow your existing wedding planning company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your wedding planning business to improve your chances of success. Your wedding planning business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Wedding Planning Businesses

With regard to funding, the main sources of funding for a wedding planning business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for wedding planning companies.

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How to write a business plan for a wedding planning business.

If you want to start a wedding planning business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your wedding planning business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of wedding planning business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a wedding planning business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of wedding planning businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the wedding planning industry.
• Discuss the type of wedding planning business you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of wedding planning business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of wedding planning businesses:

• Traditional wedding planning : Wedding planners in this type of business utilize a wide array of skills to plan and execute the wedding rehearsal, the wedding ceremony, the reception, and the after-party. In many cases, the wedding planners will also plan and oversee the bridal shower, the bachelorette party, and the bachelor party, as well.
• Wedding ceremony planning: Wedding planners are often contracted to plan exclusive or small wedding ceremonies without receptions that follow. In this type of wedding planning business, the details of the ceremony and the rehearsal prior to it are the components that require artful design and a composed execution. Wedding planners will often oversee the entire wedding party before the wedding ceremony and direct the flow of the wedding itself, as well.
• Extreme wedding planning: With the growing popularity of unique and over-the-top weddings, extreme wedding planners are called upon to create detailed plans and highly-complex preparations for successful weddings and receptions. A bride who wants to get married in a hot air balloon, a groom who desires to get married on a professional football field, or a couple who desire to get married during an opera onstage all require the highest level of attention for a wedding planning business.
• Destination wedding planning: Wedding planners who specialize in destination weddings have become significantly more popular in recent years. Part travel agent and part wedding planner, the skills required in this type of wedding planning business are extensive. Wedding planners will often accompany the wedding party to the destination, as well as take care of all the details.
• Luxury wedding planning: Wedding planners are often called upon to demonstrate the highest level of luxury for a wedding and reception. This may mean a weekend wedding with guests at multiple events: pre-wedding cocktail parties, pre-wedding golf games, rehearsal dinners, wedding ceremonies, receptions and morning-after buffets are all part of the top-shelf luxuries offered by wedding planners in this type of wedding planning business.
• Budget-saving wedding planning: In addition to brides who want the most exclusive and expensive weddings, there are those who are more practical and resourceful in their wedding plans. Wedding planners in this type of business offer reasonable rates, artful compositions, sustainable features and memorable receptions without breaking the bank for their clients.

In addition to explaining the type of wedding planning business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of clients served, the number of destination weddings with highly-positive outcomes, reaching X number of clients served, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the wedding planning industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the wedding planning industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your wedding planning business plan:

• How big is the wedding planning industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your wedding planning business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your wedding planning business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, bridal couples, families of bridal couples, and friends of bridal couples.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of wedding planning business you operate. Clearly, the mother-of-the-bride would respond to different marketing promotions than young friends of the couple, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other wedding planning businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes church wedding hosts, personal friends of the bride or groom, retail department stores that offer wedding attire.

For each direct competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But, you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of weddings are their specialty?
• Which wedding locations and settings do they frequent?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide optional amenities for the reception?
• Will you offer wedding-related products that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a wedding planning business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of wedding planning company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide 3-4 pre-wedding planning sessions with your client, will you offer a full traditional wedding and reception package, or will you offer to arrange child care for babies and children during the reception?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your wedding planning company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your wedding planning business located in a busy retail shopping district, is it attached to a major event center, or is it near an exceptional wedding venue? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your wedding planning marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your wedding planning business, including answering calls, planning and providing wedding planner services, billing clients and maintaining records, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to book your Xth wedding, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your wedding planning business to a new city.

Management Team

To demonstrate your wedding planning business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing wedding planning businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a wedding planning business or successfully running an event planning business.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you meet with prospective clients three times each day, and/or offer a few, small wedding planner services as a gift to the bride? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your wedding planning business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a wedding planning business:

• Cost of furnishings, decor items and office supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office location lease or a list of contracted clients on a 6-month planning calendar.

Writing a business plan for your wedding planning business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the wedding planning industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful wedding planning business.

Wedding Planning Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my wedding planning business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your wedding planning business plan.

How Do You Start a Wedding Planning Business?

Starting a Wedding Planning business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Wedding Planning Business
• Create Your Wedding Planning Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Wedding Planning Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Wedding Planning Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Wedding Planning Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Wedding Planning Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Wedding Planning Business Equipment
• Develop Your Wedding Planning Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Wedding Planning Business
• Open for Business

Learn more about how to start your own wedding planning business .

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

Click here to download the pdf version of our basic business plan template.

Our free business plan template pdf allows you to see the key sections to complete in your plan and the key questions that each must answer. The business plan pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features allowing you to quickly and easily create a professional business plan. Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

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Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to see how Growthink’s business plan advisors can give you a winning business plan.

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How to Become a Wedding Planner

Becoming a wedding planner is an exciting and rewarding career choice. Wedding planners spend months working with their clients to plan and coordinate the perfect wedding day. They feel privileged to work with couples on one of the most important days in their life.

Being a wedding planner comes with great perks such as attending event industry parties, touring gorgeous venues and hotels, tasting sumptuous wedding cakes, and playing with beautiful linens and flowers. Many event planners enjoy setting their own schedule and the freedom of being creative in their career.

As a successful wedding planner and event planner for more than 10 years, and a mentor and coach to other wedding planners for the past 7 years, I have seen all of the ups and downs of starting a wedding planning career.  I’ve assembled my best tips, tricks, and resources for you in this article. 

How To Start Your Wedding Planning Business

Starting a wedding planning business is an exciting adventure! Careers in wedding planning are popular and appeal to many people. Many wedding planners start their own business as a part-time side gig and build it up to a full-time career.

Before you can take on clients, you want to learn all you can about planning and coordinating a wedding. If you do not have much experience in this area, consider building relationships with experienced planners and inquire about assisting at their events. You can also hire a wedding planner business coach and use tools such as the Wedding Planner’s Toolbox to guide you and give you the confidence to plan and coordinate events. You don’t want to risk ruining someone’s wedding day (and your reputation) because you promised more than you could deliver as a planner.

In addition to learning how to actually plan and coordinate a wedding, you may be learning how to start and run a business for the first time.

Here are the basics that you need to have in place to start your own wedding planning business:

• Purchase a domain name with web hosting
• Register the business with your state and obtain necessary licenses
• Name of your business that isn’t already trademarked or in-use
• Open a business bank account
• Obtain business insurance
• Decide on wedding planner service offerings and pricing
• Hire someone to build and launch your website
• Get a professional wedding planning services contract
• Decide how to accept payments for your planning services
• Market your business

These are the absolute basics of starting a wedding planning business. There are many other considerations such as trademarking, marketing strategy, branding, creating a solid business plan, accounting and bookkeeping methods, choosing the best type of legal entity (LLC, sole proprietor, etc.), business systems, planning process with clients, budgeting for business investments, tax planning, education, and much more.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with all the details involved in starting a wedding planning business, you can invest in the guide 25 Steps to Start Your Wedding Planning Business to help you through each step, provide advice, and give you additional resources that might be needed.

Income as a Wedding Planner

Your income as a wedding planner will depend on your experience, education, and how well you market yourself.  For more information, check out my in-depth wedding planner salary post.

4 Key Personality Traits You Need As A Wedding Planner

There is a huge range of personalities and styles in the world of wedding planning professionals. There isn’t a particular personality that is better than others, however, there are a few key traits that many successful wedding planners have in common.

1) Compassion

Planning a wedding is one of the most stressful and emotional events in life. For many engaged couples, having a planner who has empathy and understanding for what they are going through is the key to a stress-free and happy engagement.

A good wedding planner will also understand how important the wedding is for the parents of the engaged couple and will listen and understand their concerns and desires for the wedding as well.

2) Ability to listen more than talk

As wedding planners, we need to tell clients about what we offer and our experience but we should also be listening and asking questions during consultations. A great wedding planner wants to make the wedding all about the client. To do that, we must get to know our clients on a deeper level and listen to their spoken and unspoken feelings.

3) Good mediation skills

A great wedding planner will mediate issues that arise with clients, vendors, and venues, then come up with a win-win solution for everyone. You may also be asked to mediate between what your clients want and what their parents’ desires are for the wedding.

4) Patience

4 Things to Consider Before You Decide to Become a Wedding Planner

Before you choose to become a wedding planner, there are a few questions to ask yourself.

1) Do I want to work evenings and weekends?

Wedding planners often work in the evenings to meet with clients since many engaged couples work regular 9-5 jobs and can’t meet their wedding professionals during the day. Since most weddings are on Saturdays, you may be spending your weekends working then taking a few days off during the week. 

Depending on where you live, certain months of the year can be significantly busier than others. For example, most weddings in the northern part of the US take place in late spring through early fall. The advantage of having a busy season is that you can take more time off during your offseason.

If you choose to become a wedding planner, does this schedule fit your ideal lifestyle?

2) Can I handle the mental and physical challenges of being a wedding planner?

Engaged couples and their families can be emotional and stressed during the wedding planning process and on the wedding day. As their wedding planner, you must remain calm in the face of adversity, be the voice of reason, and provide comfort and reassurance to your clients. Clients want their weddings to be perfect, which means they can often be demanding.

Coordinating a wedding day involves physical work. During the wedding day, you can expect to be on your feet for 10-15 hours. Physical tasks that a wedding planner might do include setting up decorations, moving boxes, assisting the florist with centerpieces, and packing up gifts and decor after the wedding is over. Typically, you will take the day off after a wedding to rest, recover, and reminisce about the fabulous event you just coordinated!

As a wedding planner, you will be mentally “on” during the entire wedding day. Many of us choose this career because we thrive on the excitement, the challenge, and the madness that happens on the wedding day. We live to solve problems, keep everything on time, and manage 20+ vendors without breaking a sweat. If you can handle stress AND keep your cool, this will be a great career for you.

Do you feel physically and mentally strong enough to plan and coordinate a wedding with potentially challenging couples and families ?

3) Do I want to learn a new career?

Some people plan their own wedding and decide to become a wedding planner the next day. There is a significant difference between planning your own wedding and working with a paying client to plan their wedding. The family dynamics, knowledge of reputable vendors, properly coordinating a wedding day, cultivating an eye for design, creating detailed and correct wedding day timelines , knowing what to look for when reviewing vendor contracts, knowing what to do before/during/after vendor meetings, and creating and managing a wedding budget with someone else’s money are all tasks that need to be learned and refined to be a successful wedding planner.

If you would like to start your own wedding planning business, you will also be learning how to run a business. In addition to ensuring you have all the steps covered to legally start your business, you will learn how to market your business to get clients, be able to price and package your wedding planning services properly , invoice and bill clients, attend networking events, balance your financial records, hire and manage staff, and much more.

Just like any career or new business, it takes time and learning. Luckily, wedding planning happens to be a very fun career to learn! There are many educational resources for wedding planners such as books , online courses , private coaching , conferences, college courses, downloadable templates , and more.

4) Am I naturally good at multitasking and staying organized?

Being a wedding planner takes multi-tasking and organization to a whole new level. Not only will you have to multi-task and remember the many details about your client’s events, you have to think and act quickly.

During the wedding planning process, you could be working with 10-20 different couples at a time. If you aren’t organized, it will show in your work and in your reputation. If you are working with 10 couples to plan their wedding and each couple has at least 10 wedding vendors, you may be communicating with over 100 different people in a week!

In this career, you have to be on the ball ALL the time. Juggling many weddings, each with its own set of vendors, can be daunting for even the most organized of wedding planners.

Do you tend to keep your life and the work well organized? Can you multitask when needed? Do you like to plan events and parties in general? These are important traits to have as a professional wedding planner.

Challenges To Expect as a Wedding Planner

Before leaping into a career as a wedding planner, there are some challenges you can expect, especially if you haven’t worked in the events industry before.

Another challenge is deciding what education you need. There are wedding planner courses, wedding industry conferences , business conferences, marketing classes, coaching and mentoring programs , and many other resources available for your wedding planner education . Take time to evaluate all the opportunities and the investment required for each of them before making a decision.

While certification in wedding planning is not required , it can give you credibility and knowledge if you do not have previous experience in the wedding industry. There is no set path to become a wedding planner. If you ask ten successful wedding planners how they got started, you will get ten completely different answers.

One final challenge you might encounter on your path to becoming a wedding planner is the financial expectations you have for this career. Most successful wedding planners have sustained a long-term career because of their passion for planning events and for helping couples plan one of the biggest days in their lives.

Successful event planners are driven by a passion for what they do, not by financial gain. Many wedding planners support themselves and their families with their wedding planning career, however, it is unusual to become financially wealthy through a career in wedding planning.

You can read more about income as a wedding planner in our wedding planner salary post. It takes years of hard work to build a reputation and strong business as a wedding planner. The good news is that once you build your reputation and network, you will reap the rewards of your hard work for years to come.

5 Ways Start Marketing Your Wedding Planning Business

There are many ways to market your wedding planning business. These are the most common marketing strategies used by wedding professionals.

1) Invest in a Professional Website

One of the most important things to invest in when you become a wedding planner is a professional website. Since most wedding planners start out working from a home office, your website is your storefront. It is often the first impression that a potential client sees for your business. Invest as much as you can afford for your website.

2) Build Relationships

Building relationships with vendors, planners, and venues who can refer business to you is a key marketing tactic for wedding planners. Search online for local event industry organizations to find out about upcoming networking meetings and events that you can attend.

You can also reach out to other industry professionals and invite them to meet for coffee or at their studio or office. During the meeting, you can ask questions about their services and can also share information about your business.

When you are starting out, you will be building a list of your recommended event professionals to use with future clients as well as letting other business owners know what wedding planning services you offer so they can refer business to you.

If there are a few popular wedding venues in your area, call and schedule a tour of each property with the events manager so that you can get a good feel for the venues and introduce yourself and your business to the staff.

3) Use Social Media Effectively

Social media is impossible to ignore these days. Wedding planning is a visual process for most engaged couples. Being active and engaging on social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are great ways to market your business as a new wedding planner. If you have a blog for your wedding planning business , you can use social media to gain more exposure for the content you share on your blog.

Not only can you share your ideas and expertise, but you can also share photos from your events, testimonials from clients, information about a workshop or conference you attended, and much more. Social media also makes it easy to connect with others in the wedding industry.

4) Pay for Online Advertising

Paid online advertising is another way to market your wedding planning business. Websites such as the Knot.com and WeddingWire.com have paid advertising options for wedding planners. There may be local wedding blogs and websites based on weddings in your city or state that have paid advertising options. You can also invest in Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and Pinterest Ads.

5) Get Your Work Published

Having your weddings, photo shoots , and events published online and in print is a great way to gain traction with your wedding planning business. Not only do you get potential leads from engaged couples who read the publication, you can gain trust and jump start your reputation by promoting the fact that you have had your work published.

There isn’t a right or wrong way to market your wedding planning business . Try out different tactics until you find what brings you the most business. Keep in mind that building relationships with venues and vendors takes time to show a return on investment. Once those relationships are established and you become a trusted planner in your market, these relationships can provide you with referrals for years to come.

More Tools and Resources For Wedding and Event Planning

There are many great tools and resources available online for wedding and event planners. The Planner’s Lounge is the first place to start. Planner’s Lounge is a community and resource site for wedding and event planners to relax, talk, learn, and inspire.

If you found this article helpful, check out the Very Important Planners (VIP) Lounge ! Inside our private community, you will find more curated content and a group of wedding planners ready to support you!

The Wedding Planner’s Toolbox

Pricing With Confidence: Secrets to Profitable Pricing and Services for Professional Wedding Planners

25 Steps to Start Your Own Wedding Planning Business

The Complete Wedding Budget Guide for Wedding Planners

The Ultimate Business Success Checklist for Wedding Planners

Becoming a wedding planner is an exciting and fun adventure, and I hope I can help you. Take time to read through this article again and click on the links to read more resources to help you start and grow your wedding planner career!

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« 6 challenges with unconventional event venues.

Having the skill set to be organized, friendly, prompt, and a great communicator are traits that make up the best event planners, and these are the people you want managing your wedding.

Really amazing post i will defiantly help me to move forward in my life.

Thank you for sharing the valuable information.

Was helpful

The job of a wedding planner seems quite challenging. Many women today aspire to take up unique professions and this blog may just inspire some to become wedding planners. It will help to give a clear picture and help them achieve their dream goal. Thanks for sharing such an informative post.

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[…] 10) Advice From The Experts […]

[…] you have a strong desire to become a wedding planner, it can be challenging to gain relevant wedding planning experience in the […]

[…] Being a wedding planner is a fun, challenging, and sometimes stressful career. You are running the business, constantly marketing to entice new clients, planning events for current clients, managing staff, and trying to stay on top of the latest industry news and trends. […]

[…] Being a wedding planner also has great perks such as being invited to all the industry parties, going to uber fun conferences and staying at incredible hotels while you “tour” the event space. We also get to work with wonderful clients on one of the most important days in their life. […]

[…] you become a wedding and event planner and run your own business, there are many things to learn about wedding planner services pricing […]

Wonderful tips indeed! Most planners when they start off do exactly the opposite the tips provided above. I’m so glad we got this clear 🙂

Wonderful tips! I especially love the tip about paid online ads. Most wedding professionals are scared to invest in ads early on and take too long to generate cashflow from referrals alone!

[…] for wedding and event planners to relax, talk, learn, and inspire. Whether you are just learning how to become a wedding planner or you are a seasoned pro, Planner’s Lounge empowers you with the tools and resources needed to […]

Wonderful tips! I’m definitely sending all my colleagues to check out this post 🙂 Great work!!

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Wedding Planning Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Wedding Planning Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Wedding Planning business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Wedding Planning businesses.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Wedding Planning business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Elegant Weddings is a wedding planning company founded by Carrie Goode in 2023. It is located in Milford, Massachusetts and the company primarily plans weddings for couples who want a luxurious wedding. Carrie has been a wedding planner since 1999 and uses her decades of experience to offer the most prestigious, elegant surroundings and wedding services available within Massachusetts. Carrie is highly-skilled at communicating extensively with wedding couples, assisting in making selections based on those communications, and recommending the best of every vendor for select weddings.

When Carrie opened her business, she recruited from her former colleague, an assistant wedding planner, Danielle Woods, to support the efforts of the company in meeting the needs of Gen Z couples and those who are looking for “less than traditional” ceremonies and settings. Danielle has ten years of experience and enjoys providing wedding plans that cover every item wedding couples want.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Elegant Weddings will provide:

• Introduction luncheon with wedding planner and couple
• Pre-wedding scheduling and calendar-setting
• Pre-wedding vendor event with selections and tastings
• Pre-wedding honeymoon planning
• Wedding Day and Reception management, coverage and 24/7 attendance
• Post-wedding consultation and luncheon with couple
• Day-to-day management of the wedding and reception processes

Customer Focus

Elegant Weddings will target clients who are considering a wedding or are already planning a wedding. Elegant Weddings will also target couples who are engaged, but have not yet confirmed a season or date for marriage. Secondary targets will include couples who aren’t engaged, but who are considering possibly becoming engaged and marrying. Also, the parents and friends of engaged couples within the Massachusetts region will be targeted.

Management Team

Carrie Goode holds a master’s degree in business development and has been employed as a wedding consultant for over 20 years. Her experience as a wedding planner has earned her hundreds of clients and, as a result, hundreds of recommendations by former clients to engaged couples who are beginning to plan weddings.

Carrie Goode, president of Elegant Weddings, left her former place of employment in 2022 to begin building her idea for her own company, which is scheduled to open in 2023. She recruited a former associate, Danielle Woods, also a wedding planner, to join her in the new company. Danielle will support Carrie in her business while she grows her own clientele base with her new title of Senior Wedding Planner.

In addition to the above, Janice Parker has joined the company as the Office Manager, assisting with onboarding wedding coordinators and vendors who partner with the company. She will handle phone calls, social media, website updates and other administrative tasks.

Success Factors

Elegant Weddings will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team of Elegant Weddings.
• A minimum of two private luncheons: initially with engaged couples to determine needs and wants and, second, to analyze at a post-wedding luncheon
• Thorough and extensive attention offered to details determined by wedding couples.
• Wedding software for exclusive use of the wedding party, parents and planner.
• Guaranteed vendor experiences for clients (or refunds are issued).
• Elegant Weddings offers the best pricing in the “luxury” category of weddings. Their pricing structure is the most cost-effective when compared to the competition.

Financial Highlights

Elegant Weddings is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its company. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Elegant Weddings.

Company Overview

Who is “elegant weddings”.

Elegant Weddings is a newly established, full-service wedding planning business based in Milford, Massachusetts. Elegant Weddings will be the most prestigious, communicative and luxury-oriented wedding planner choice for engaged couples in Massachusetts. Elegant Weddings will provide a comprehensive menu of wedding planning services for any engaged couple to utilize. Their full-service approach includes a pre-wedding, private luncheon with the wedding planner and a post-wedding wrap-up luncheon with their wedding planner.

  Elegant Weddings will be able to plan and prepare for luxurious and elegant weddings to suit all couples. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in luxury weddings and in the most capable and efficient vendors. Elegant Weddings removes all headaches and issues of the wedding and reception and ensures all issues are taken care of expeditiously while delivering the best client service. In addition, if a guaranteed and vetted vendor fails to perform to expectations, refunds are given to the wedding couple.

Elegant Weddings History

Elegant Weddings is owned by Carrie Goode, who is the president of the new company. She has been a wedding planner since 1999 and, while employed formerly in the industry, consulted with hundreds of engaged couples who thought so highly of her services that they recommended her to several hundred additional engaged couples. Carrie is known throughout the east coast as an exemplary wedding planner who brings true “luxury” to the “luxury wedding sector of the industry.” Carrie has recruited former associates, Danielle Woods, to the be Senior Wedding Planner and Janice Parker to be the Office Manager.

Elegant Weddings is founded on the concept that all weddings should include at least a touch of elegance to mark the symbolism of a wedding. This may mean the wedding planner includes a few touches of distinctive beauty to a wedding, or if the engaged couple chooses, the planner can include something whimsical or of special note to the engaged couple, as long as the items add to the “elegance” of the ceremony itself. This practice has built successfully over the years into the development of the concept for Elegant Weddings.

Since incorporation, Elegant Weddings has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Elegant Weddings, LLC to transact business in the state of Massachusetts.
• Has a contract in place for a 10,000 square foot office at one of the midtown buildings
• Reached out to numerous contacts to include Elegant Weddings in their portfolios.
• Began recruiting a staff of three and two office personnel to work at Elegant Weddings

Elegant Weddings Services

The following will be the services Elegant Weddings will provide:

• Day to day management of the wedding and reception processes

Industry Analysis

The wedding planning industry is expected to grow over the next five years to over $1.6 billion. This growth and increase in the market is based on the east coast region of the U.S., where wedding planners are traditionally employed for all weddings, versus the west coast, where more weddings are viewed as casual affairs to be conducted informally and without a typical reception. The growth has more heavily been in the “luxurious” or “elegant” wedding categories, as those who opt for weddings choose to have memorable and large wedding experiences overall.

Costs will likely be reduced as innovation continues to create more convenience and comfort for the engaged couples, including reservations for honeymoon adventures, software that tracks wedding gift receipts, 3D printing that assists in creating unique invitations, and other inventive touches.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market, customer segmentation.

Elegant Weddings will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Engaged couples with a wedding date
• Engaged couples who do not yet have a season or date
• Couples who are not engaged, but are considering marriage
• Parents of engaged couples who are seeking professional counsel

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Elegant Weddings will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Cherished Moments

Cherished Moments is an established wedding planning company founded in 2010 by Bridgette Inqvist and Lars Solene. Bridgette and Lars were wedding consultants with a national chain bridal store for over ten years when they formed Cherished Moments as a wedding planning company focused on “partial wedding planning.” A partial wedding planner assists with certain elements of the wedding that are especially crucial to the clients, such as the venue selection, vendor coordination, or design and decor. These areas are visible to guests and make or break the wedding overall and, as such, many engaged couples want help in these areas only while they handle the remaining wedding details.

Cherished Moments provides partial wedding planning with event venue selections and design and decor elements of any wedding, including outdoor and themed weddings. Bridgette and Lars do not conduct pre-wedding consultations, preferring to communicate via online conversations and they have engaged couples complete thorough instruction lists for their services that list everything needed or wanted on paper.

Backyard Wedding Planners

Billie Seevers and Jonnie Taylor formed their company, Backyard Wedding Planners, after each had an informal backyard wedding in 2020 and 2021. Their experiences led to conversations and a partnership that focuses strictly on fun, informal backyard weddings. This may mean the wedding couple serves a barbecue meal from the grill or the meal is served by a fast food delivery truck. Events usually include outdoor games for the guests, group singing (with guitar) and informal dancing on the lawn.

The premise of Backyard Wedding Planners is that formal weddings are too difficult and expensive; weddings should be reminiscent of a backyard gathering that is fun. Couples choose from a variety of decor options and settings and vendors are offered for the elements of the wedding that couples choose. The company currently has two employees, Billie and Jonnie.

Destination Dream Weddings

Pat Roberson and Clint Dory formed Destination Dream Weddings while employed as travel agents in 2009. Together they created a format for wedding planning that includes everything destination weddings might require. This means health insurance for the bride and groom are included (in the event of food poisoning, etc), hotels are fully vetted by Destination Dream Weddings, fees are prepaid and costs are set and guaranteed. Destination Dream Weddings often include the wedding parents, grandparents, siblings and friends of the wedding couple, which leads to large-scale planning of multiple people traveling from various points to the destination. Planning is key for Destination Dream Weddings. Pat and Clint have hired one office manager to oversee communication; however, most of their planning services are conducted online and via email communication. They do not travel to the wedding destinations as a rule.

Competitive Advantage

Elegant Weddings will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Elegant Weddings will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of skilled employees who offer personal, detailed planning with wedding couples from pre-wedding parties through to the end of the reception.
• Private luncheons before and after the wedding with the wedding planner.
• Guaranteed results from preferred vendors or money is refunded by Elegant Weddings.
• Wedding software for exclusive use of the engaged couple, parents and planner.
• Unbeatable pricing for their clients in the “luxury wedding” category.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Elegant Weddings is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Elegant Weddings has built up an extensive list of contacts over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to their previous clients. Their contacts and clients will follow them to their new company and help spread the word of Elegant Weddings.

Professional Associations and Networking

Networking will take place at industry events, bridal fairs, personal meetings, and professionally-associated organizations. Private events for parents and selected referrals will be hosted by Elegant Weddings.

Print Advertising

Direct mail pieces will be sent to attendees of bridal fairs and other industry events. Special offers will be given in the direct mail pieces when engaged couples meet with Elegant Wedding planners.

Website/SEO Marketing

Elegant Weddings will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Elegant Weddings provides. The website will also list their contact information and offer sample photos of elegant weddings and wedding couples. The website will engage in SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “wedding planning company” or “luxury weddings near me,” Elegant Weddings will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Elegant Weddings will be on the high end of the wedding planning industry; however, it will be on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Elegant Weddings. Operation Functions:

• Carrie Goode will be the owner and President of the company. She will oversee all business development and manage client relations. Carrie has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Danielle Woods will become the Senior Wedding Planner and oversee staff, handle phone calls and social media.
• Janice Parker will also join the staff as the Office Manager, overseeing all scheduling, calendar events and tracking engaged couples through the process of planning. She will onboard new employees, as well.

Milestones:

Elegant Weddings will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease office space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the Elegant Weddings
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Elegant Weddings clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into Elegant Weddings office
• 7/1/202X – Elegant Weddings opens its doors for business

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Elegant Weddings are the fees they will charge to clients for their services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Elegant Weddings. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of clients per Month: 20
• Average revenue per Month: $27,500.
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, wedding planning business plan faqs, what is a wedding planning business plan.

A wedding planning business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your wedding planning business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Wedding Planning business plan using our Wedding Planning Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Wedding Planning Businesses? 

There are a number of different kinds of wedding planning businesses , some examples include: Traditional, Extreme wedding planning, Destination, Luxury, and Budget-saving wedding planning.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Wedding Planning Business Plan?

Wedding Planning businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Wedding Planning Business?

Starting a wedding planning business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

• Develop A Wedding Planning Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed wedding planning business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  
• Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your wedding planning business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your wedding planning business is in compliance with local laws.
• Register Your Wedding Planning Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your wedding planning business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 
• Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your wedding planning business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 
• Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 
• Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 
• Acquire Necessary Wedding Planning Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your wedding planning business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 
• Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your wedding planning business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful wedding planning business:

• How to Start a Wedding Planning Business

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How to Become a Wedding Planner, According to the Experts

One step closer to your dream job!

Have you ever thought about becoming a wedding planner ? If you dream about helping couples craft the most special day of their lives, get a thrill every time you hear “I do” or see a bride in her wedding dress for the first time, and love organization, details, and design, then it might be the profession for you.

While it's one of the most rewarding jobs a person can have, becoming a wedding planner takes more than just good taste. "The top skills for a wedding planner in my opinion are communication, organization, creativity, and impeccable attention to detail," notes Nicole-Natassha Goulding of Chic by Nicole .

In order to share what the road to becoming a wedding planner is really like, we tapped some successful industry insiders to share what skills are needed to make it in the industry and how they got their own start in the field.

Meet the Expert

• Nicole-Natassha Goulding is the creative director and founder of full-service wedding planning company Chic by Nicole .
• Heather Hoesch and Lindsay Ferguson own LVL Weddings & Events , known for producing one-of-a-kind weddings in California, Hawaii, and Colorado. They are also co-owners of Planner Life Academy , which offers workshops and virtual training programs to prepare leaders to open their own wedding planning businesses.
• Francie Dorman is the owner of 42 North , a full-service wedding and event planning firm. She is based in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and specializes in high-luxury celebrations across New England. She also mentors young wedding planners through a sister company, Mavinhouse Events.
• Teissia Treynet is the founder and CFO of Firefly Events , a high-level event planning company with offices in New York, California, and Wyoming. She also runs The Firefly Method , a community and education platform for thousands of wedding planners and small business owners across the world.
• Michelle Rago owns Michelle Rago Destinations , a wedding and events company considered one of the best in the world. Her office is based in New York City, but she is known for organizing elaborate destination weddings in far-flung locations.

Ahead, learn about the qualifications you need to become a wedding planner, straight from the experts.

Skills and Qualifications for Wedding Planners

Like in most career fields, you need certain skills, personality traits, and qualifications to become a wedding planner. Ahead, see some of the most important ones, according to the pros.

Be a Great Leader Under Pressure

Being a wedding planner requires you to wear many hats. At any one time, you have to deal with vendors , couples, their families, and finances. Of course, there can also be a lot of drama. “Being a good leader and being able to stay calm, delegate, listen, and lead in a time of stress is your most important skill,” wedding planner Lindsay Ferguson says. 

Learn these skills by interning or shadowing with wedding planners, so you can be immersed in different situations and learn how to address the chaos. 

Having Empathy While Remaining Professional

“Anyone can learn the systems and standard operating procedures of event planning, but what makes a planner really great at their job are characteristics like problem-solving, empathy, professionalism, and high attention to detail,” shares planner Francie Dorman . “Someone who likes to feel purposeful, and strives to make others feel important and cared for are two factors for success in this unique industry.”

Being Organized and Attentive to Details

Wedding planning requires you to be uber-organized and attentive to details. After all, so many components go into the event from schedules to menus to dance playlists . “These skills or traits can be built on as you grow into your role,” explains Dorman. “They are muscles that can get stronger as they are flexed.” If you don’t have these traits naturally, consider an internship or entry-level job to help you develop them.

Getting Hands-On Experience

While you don’t technically need any certifications or degrees to become a wedding planner, getting experience from a veteran is essential. “As a wedding planner, you’re also safeguarding one of the most important times in most people’s lives so it’s imperative you know what you’re doing,” says Teissa Treynet . While getting experience in regular event planning is helpful, Ferguson notes that wedding planning is a different game. “Corporate planning or non-profit planning does not count," she says. You must seek out quality education from a reputable source and couple this with hands-on experience by working under a wedding-trained and experienced planner.”

Seeking Out Learning Opportunities

While having a pro show you the ropes is important at the beginning of your career, expect to continue that education over the years. “The best wedding planners have a ‘never stop learning’ mindset,” says Hoesch. “They read, they watch webinars and social media lives, and they collaborate and listen to wedding podcasts . They take courses, and attend workshops and conferences.” Many of these resources are available online, so you can start your education in your free time. As Rago puts it: “If I have learned anything over the last 20 years, it’s the importance of constantly learning and keeping up with what is tried-and-true.”

How Real Planners Got Their Start

For those who want to pursue this path but don’t know where to begin, we interviewed five renowned wedding planners —many of whom run courses to teach up-and-coming event organizers—on how they began their careers in the field.

Lindsay Ferguson got her start by working part-time for a wedding planner in Chicago as a young professional. “I always had a love for hospitality and customer service-focused careers,” she says. “I grew up with an entrepreneurial mom who really encouraged me to find something that I loved and was passionate about.” Meanwhile, Heather Hoesch worked for a family friend who owned the local bridal salon in high school. “She hired me to clean, hang, and steam dresses,” she recalls. In college, Hoesch worked for a catering company that primarily did weddings. “It was a crash course in weddings,” she continues. “I learned a ton about food, service, timelines, flow, logistics, guest experience, and catering to couples' needs for their special day.” Five years later, she was ready to start her own company. Ferguson and Hoesch now are co-owners of LVL Weddings & Events and of Planner Life Academy , which offers workshops and virtual training programs to prepare leaders to open their own wedding planning businesses.

Early in her career, Francie Dorman worked as an event hostess, an executive assistant, and a GM at a restaurant. “These experiences helped me build fortitude and a deep understanding of what happens in the ‘back of the house.’” Dorman explains. Her first wedding planning job was for a small, local company where she took on more responsibilities before getting clients of her own. She now is the owner of 42 North , a full-service wedding and event planning firm, and mentors young wedding planners through a sister company, Mavinhouse Events.

Teissia Treynet started a career as a development coordinator for a nonprofit in Los Angeles, where she planned large-scale, celebrity-driven events. A year later, she helped her best friend plan his wedding on the island of Holbox, Mexico, and started Firefly Events soon after. (Fun fact: She booked her first paying client off Craigslist!)

Michelle Rago attended the New York Restaurant School, worked in hotel sales, and operated a flower business for years before landing on weddings. Those experiences gave her a “more holistic approach of producing with an emphasis on design, food and beverage, and service,” she says. She now owns Michelle Rago Destinations , a wedding and events company based in New York City, and is known for organizing elaborate destination weddings in far-flung locations.

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How to start a wedding planning business

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Whether you’re starting afresh with a career change or utilising heaps of existing skills and experience, starting a wedding planning business is relatively low cost and can be financially rewarding if you do it right. The average cost of a wedding in the UK (2021) is currently at £30,000 and there are huge markets for easing that inevitable stress on couples. We’ve revealed our greatest tips on how to start a wedding planning business to see you on your way!

Why Sustainability Is Crucial For Upcoming E-Commerce Businesses

Optimizing your qsr for the digital age, how seos can thrive in the age of zero-click searches, decide on your offering.

It’s important to decide from the offset whether you’d like to provide a full wedding planning service that includes everything from venue finding to napkin choices, or whether you’re particularly skilled or experienced in one or a few key elements of wedding planning and would like to focus on those. Are you up for sourcing a seamstress or a florist or a cakemaker, or are you a project management pro who can keep everybody in line?

Utilise those handy tricks and relationships

If you have existing experience in wedding planning (if you don’t you should probably get some training at this stage…) think about the relationships that you can utilise in your new venture. Perhaps there are some great suppliers that you’ve worked with in the past, or some tricks you’ve learned along the way.

Plan how to promote yourself

It’s important to have some idea of how you intend to source business before you begin. How will people know you exist? Then, why should they choose you? Being able to market yourself is an important part of starting any business, but remember – this is (probably) the most important day so far for your couples and trust is imperative.

Plus, when you’re planning your costs, you’ll need to include your marketing. Do you need a website ? Can you do this yourself? Do you have photography from weddings you’ve managed in the past? How are your clients going to find you – do you need social media profiles, an SEO strategy, advertising budget?

Standard process

There are some things that apply whatever kind of wedding you’re planning, for example what you and your couples need to know from a venue (corkage, parking, décor or music restrictions, licensing etc). Standardise these processes for yourself with a list of questions to ask a wedding venue, recommended alcohol quantities or your preferred suppliers.

Get insured

All businesses should have the right insurance and, as we know, when it comes to live events things can often crop up. Consider the type(s) of business insurance that you need:

• Public liability coverage : Property damage or injury cover
• Employers’ liability coverage : If any of your employees become unwell or injured
• Professional indemnity cover : For if somebody loses money as a result of your service(s) or advice
• Business and office equipment coverage: Covers your work equipment (you may often have your laptop on-the-go!)
• Legal expenses : Support for any future legal costs
• Personal accident: In case you get injured at work

Rates and packages

Wedding planners tend to receive a commission of between 10 and 15% of the total wedding budget in the UK, whilst fix fees may be applied for large-scale events. Explore your local markets to identify your competition, what they do, what they charge and figure out how you want to charge.

You can also work out standard package offerings as well as bespoke wedding planning, to include the common essentials like venue finding, price negotiation, project management, supplier sourcing or on-the-day support.

Implement your own stress management strategies

We all know that planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful things a couple will do – and in taking on their wedding, you’re taking on that stress, too. If you’re already a wedding planner, you may have great strategies in place for managing those hiccups but when it’s your own business in the mix, too, you’ve got a recipe for stress! Starting any business is stressful and can be financially demanding, so be sure to think about how you’ll manage these worries alongside being responsible for people’s weddings.

Get out there

If you’re a seasoned wedding planner, you probably have a little black book of wonderful suppliers that you can call upon to support your new business. Ensure that you have enough to be able to recommend to your couples in the event that your #1 florist is working on another event that day, on holiday or unwell. Whilst you might feel particularly confident with suppliers that you’ve worked with in the past, it’s always a good time to expand your network.

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8 Tips for Working With Your Wedding Planner

W hen you first get engaged and are thinking about all the tasks you will have to accomplish to get everything planned and ready for your wedding day, you may ponder whether or not you should have your own wedding planner. Sure, planning a wedding is fun, but there are so many little details that are tough to remember and keep straight… which is where that wedding planner would be a lifesaver.

1. Know their strengths

Before you hire a planner, or any wedding vendor for that matter, you want to learn a bit more about their background. Perhaps they had a previous job at a hotel or another event planning company and focused on catering or worked for a rental company. Or, perhaps they have focused on wedding planning and have been in the business for many years.

Depending on their background, you can get an idea of what they will be able to help you the best with your wedding day…whether it be with knowing the best caterers, rental places or even just in helping you find the best venue for the best price because they have been in the business so long.

Planning a wedding is a huge task and you have to be organized to do it and keep it all straight and in order so also having a planner with a background in management could be helpful.

2. Go beyond the basics

Every wedding budget and timeline is different so your planner will need to customize the timeline and plan for your own needs. They will also need to put together a monthly to-do list broken down by your specific budget and timeline.

If for example that the wedding planner you use is crazy about flowers, but your floral budget is small and it is not a huge priority for you, make sure you wedding planner understands this! No two weddings are the same, which is what makes every one of them great!

3. Trust them

Most wedding planners out there have their own recommendations for vendors, typically them being people they have worked with in the past that they know do great work.

But, if there is someone in particular you have in mind, wedding planners are also helpful because they typically know how to do a little “digging” to find out how that particular vendor is.

Bottom line, if you hire a wedding planner, you need to trust their insight and the network of wedding professionals that they know and work with… they know what they are talking about!

4. Let them be creative

A wedding planner would not be in this business if he or she did not love it. Planning an event takes creativity and you may be pretty impressed by their creativity and ideas they offer for you special day. They can truly take your ideas and bring them up to the next level.

5. Make the extra investment

Most people are more likely to go with a cheaper version, especially when you know you are already going to be spending so much money on your entire wedding.

But, with that said, a wedding planner that charges a little bit more, may be able to save you more money on other items in the end. Anne explains that planners with higher fees typically have fewer clients, so they would be able to dedicate more time and energy to your event.

6. Don’t ask for a consult before you have signed the contract

You should always meet with a planner to make sure they can offer you what you are looking for, and to see if your ideas and personality mesh.

During that meeting, before you have actually signed a contract, do not ask for them to start giving you recommendations for vendors or other ideas. Remember that this is their business and they do not want to give away their expertise for free.

7. Don’t ask for a discount

The wedding industry is very competitive. There are many wedding planners out there to choose from so most vendors are already offering the best prices they can to secure as much business as they can and want.

Do not ask the wedding planner to offer a discount to you, and also do not ask them to ask their vendors for discounts. They work with these vendors on a regular basis, and they want to stay on good working terms and not upset them by asking for special deals.

8. Remember they are professional

Many wedding planners try to have normal business hours, so it is good to keep your calls and texts to those normal business hours.

If you plan to call your planner to discuss some items, try and schedule a time to get on his or her schedule, that way they are not rushed, can be prepared for your call, and actually have saved that specific time just for you.

The post 8 Tips for Working With Your Wedding Planner appeared first on honeymoons.com .

18 Wedding Websites With Matching Invitations for a Cohesive Look

• Samantha writes articles for The Knot Worldwide, with a speciality in wedding decor, trends, and fashion
• Prior to The Knot Worldwide, Samantha was a features and weddings contributor for The Baltimore Sun
• She is based in Washington, D.C. and holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism

As guest experience becomes top of mind for more and more couples planning their wedding, it's natural to want to take all of the details—big and small—into consideration. Choosing a wedding website with matching invitations might not seem like such a priority at first, but we have to admit that it can help elevate the overall experience for your guests (even before they set foot on the grounds of your wedding venue). Independently, your wedding website and invitations are both great at conveying the wedding vibe, along with important logistical details. But as a matching set, they can help solidify your wedding style and boost anticipation around the whole event. And the best part of all? Each wedding website design on The Knot has its very own wedding stationery suite to match, making it easier than ever for you. Check out some of our favorite (free!) wedding websites with matching invitations below.

You and Me Wedding Website and Invitations

Perfect for spotlighting a favorite photo at the center of the page, this website is just the right balance of timeless and modern. Cover the front and back of your invitations with even more pictures from your engagement shoot or personal camera roll.

Bom Bloom Wedding Website and Invitations

Garden-like flowers frame this beautiful wedding website and matching invitation. For the invites, choose the pastel orange and lavender colorway (shown here) if you're hosting a spring or summer wedding . Rich red flowers and a cream option are other alternatives for the fall and winter seasons.

Aura Love Wedding Website and Invitations

Skip the usual flower motifs and head straight for this artistic, unexpected website option. A colorful neon gradient background gives the design an eye-catching tie-dye effect, which you can customize by choosing from five different colorways.

Timeless Floral Wedding Website and Invitations

A dainty monogram sits at the top of this wedding invitation design, surrounded by an elegant flower border that carries over to the matching wedding website . Personalize your invites with a main color that matches your wedding palette (there are eight options to choose from) and a combination of paper types.

Tropical Flora Wedding Website and Invitations

With the same bold protea artwork on both the wedding website and matching invitations, this design is a stylish pick for a tropical theme or destination wedding . The muted tones (olive green, pale blue, barely-there pink) in five different color palettes give the suite more of a modern feel compared to other beach wedding invites.

Find your kind of venue

Las vegas playing card wedding website and invitations.

You took a gamble on love and it paid off, so a Vegas-themed wedding website is a cheeky play on being lucky in love. Both the website and the matching invitations are inspired by classic playing cards, featuring hearts, diamonds and spades. We love the spunky red and white color palette, but you can choose from six other colorways, too.

Monogram Slant Wedding Website and Invitations

Haven't fully decided what your wedding theme will be yet? Choose a simple wedding website that's versatile enough to match a range of aesthetics. Personalize the website with your monogram above a favorite engagement photo or relationship selfie. The matching invitations echo the same understated, no-fuss design.

Vibrant Blooms Wedding Website and Invitations

Rust orange, brown, mauve and green flowers make this wedding website (and its matching invites) a good choice for fall celebrations . If you love the print but not the color palette, no problem—you can choose from six other colorway options with the click of a button.

Vertical Names Wedding Website and Invitations

Keep it stylish but simple with this black-and-white wedding website template. At the top of the website, the word "forever" conveys a sweet, straightforward sentiment. The design fits nicely with the matching wedding invitations, which use the same typeface for an overlay of your names on a photo.

Tulip Corners Wedding Website and Invitations

With tulips sprouting from the corners of the design, this wedding invitation and matching website is a pretty pick for an early spring wedding . A sans-serif typeface keeps the overall design feeling contemporary and fresh.

Palm and Protea Wedding Website and Invitations

This watercolor palm leaf design instantly lets guests know the vibe of your wedding, especially with the tropical protea sketch on the RSVP card . Wedding details are listed in a combination of minimalistic fonts.

Monogram Branches Wedding Website and Invitations

Monogrammed crests will never go out of style. No matter which of the four colorways you choose, this classic wedding website with matching invitations is designed for formal occasions. The design is paired with a swooping calligraphy-inspired font that adds a regal touch to the invites and website header.

Disco Love Wedding Website and Invitations

Choose a disco-inspired wedding website to let your guests know they should start practicing their moves for the big night. The sparkling disco ball is prominently featured on both the wedding website and matching invitations, with space for a wedding countdown or cute quote ('We've waited our whole lives for this dance') depending on the format.

Pearlescent Shapes Wedding Website and Invitations

Abstract shapes, arches and wavy lines aren't just a wedding decor trend —they're popping up more often in wedding stationery and wedding website designs, too. What makes this option stand out is the six unique color palette combos, which are muted versions of bright rainbow hues. As a final detail, the back of the invitations are decorated with colorful swirls to mimic the look of hand-marbled paper.

Talavera Tile Wedding Website and Invitations

This Mediterranean-style tile pattern is an eye-catching alternative to the usual floral motifs. Not only would we use this free wedding website with its matching invitations for a summer wedding, but the design is also appropriate for wedding shower invites or other wedding-related events.

Illustrated Vines Wedding Website and Invitations

Subtle flower sketches add a hint of personality to this wedding website and its matching invitation without being in-your-face-floral. The black and white color palette is classic, but you can choose from an additional three colors.

Groovy Blooms Wedding Website and Invitations

Love retro style? Pick this design with '70s-inspired flowers that look like the fabric on an old chintz sofa (we mean that in the best way, really). The happy flowers are perfect for a boho wedding theme, especially if you're planning an outdoor wedding or incorporating a lot of fresh blooms into your decor.

Classic Calligraphy Wedding Website and Invitations

Announce your wedding details with the help of the beautiful, calligraphy-inspired typeface on this formal wedding website. The matching invitations feature the same design, with a contrasting pinstripe pattern on the back of the invite card.