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Based Business Idea
W
E D D I N G C O N S U L T A N T:
Business
Description:
What
a wonderful privilege it is to be invited to partake in one of the most
endearing days in a couples lives. You will be chosen to
orchestrate and produce the event of their lives. You are the
style, composure and endless spring of resources that they have been
searching for to help them celebrate their special love in a unique and
memorable way. You will plan and arrange every detail of the event
from the flowers on the tables, to the music softly playing in the
background. It is your vision, style and attention to detail that
they are looking for as well as an efficient method of selecting and
finding the resources they need and allowing them to focus on what the
day is all about.
Your
Unique Skills:
A wedding consultant is a special person who has the flair, style, and passion
coordinate a successful wedding. The
consultant will be a skilled organizer, with insider knowledge and a network of
trusted associates and vendors. The consultant may be called on to supply
everything from specialty appetizers to a full ensemble band. The typical
requirements include: photographer, banquet services, reception,
florists, musicians, and catering. Qualities of a successful wedding
consultant include; a pleasant personality, superb coordination,
networking skills, resourcefulness, creativity,
negotiating skills, and a sense of calm.
You should have charm, grace and patience.
The
skill you bring to the table is a list of trusted suppliers and contacts
in the industry. You know how to get quality, service and a good
price from the best special occasion service suppliers in the
area. You are also a creative genius and able to turn a
parking lot into an oasis if need be. Just kidding, but you must
be able to see the cherries and not just the pits. Your clients
will trust your judgment and relish in your enthusiasm as the day draws
near. You must be organized, project oriented and efficient.
Professional dress and tone as well as confidence and class help to gain
acceptance in this profession.
Honesty
- your business can be made or broken on your reputation. Maybe
you have to tell someone something they don't want to hear but honesty
is the best policy.
Tools
of the Trade:
Whatever
it takes to communicate effectively and often - then that is what you
need. Unlike a stage production, all of your actors are geographically
dispersed and you need to make sure that they bring their costumes, props and
tools to the stage on the same date and time. Cell phone, pager, personal
digital assistant, laptop computer, fax are your daily tools. A wedding
planner works on the road - you are a "virtual" business person. A
bride and groom to be must be able to reach you at any time of the day or night
to quiet that last minute concern they may have before the day they "tie
the knot". You should have a home computer system that is online to receive
urgent email transmissions and compose letters to all the vendors and clients
that you are working with. You may be working on more than one event at a
time so be organized and use a well-developed organizer system.
Create
a professional portfolio to present examples of your work to potential clients.
You
will be traveling a great deal - so reliable transportation is a must.
You may even find that you are the one carrying last minute articles to
the reception or ceremony location so a larger vehicle such as a
mini-van or SUV may end up to be quite useful.
Once you are ready to promote your business a a full service wedding
planner you will need to invest in professional marketing brochures and
letterhead that you can send to potential clients and use for
networking/marketing events. Many planners today have websites
where the bride and groom can view professional samples of their work
before they even contact the planner.
Getting
Your Foot in the Door:
Experience
is going to be the key, but where do you get it you might ask. Did
you orchestrate your own wedding? Was it wonderful? Have you
put assisted or single-handedly organized the best darn party anybody
ever attended. Start with photos and then put together a portfolio
of what you can do. You can only sell the skills you have.
If you aren't ready for a whole wedding why not find someone locally
that you can assist.
Show
Me the Money:
The average wedding can cost approximately $20,000 and you can charge a
percentage anywhere from 10% to 15% of the cost of the wedding. As
you can see the potential to make a nice living in this home based
business is great. If you are just starting out you may want to
set special fee or rate that is lower than the going percent. Once
you have successfully planned a wedding then go back and calculate the
number of hours that you invested in the whole process. This will
be your hourly rate. A professional wedding planner can expect to make anywhere from 25,000
to 75,000+ as you gain credibility and a quality reputation.
For
More Information:
Online:
theknot.com
wwweddings.com
Books:
Secrets of a Bridal Consultant: A... Wedding Workbook," by Joyce Hartmann, Dorrance
Pub. Co., $21.50.
Organizations:
International
Special Events Society (ISES)
Association of
Bridal Consultants
200 Chestnutland Road
New Milford, CT 06776-2521
Phone: 860-355-0464
Fax: 860-354-1404
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