Wedding planner

Wedding planners help couples to organise their wedding. They might organise anything from one or a few aspects of a wedding up to the whole thing. Wedding planners work closely with the couple to find out what is required. They also research, visit and negotiate with suppliers.

Also known as:

• Bridal consultant

Work activities

Wedding planners use their knowledge and expertise to help couples plan and organise their wedding.  There are lots of things to consider when getting married; some couples find they don’t have the time or knowledge to do this themselves, or they don’t want any of the stress involved, so they hire the services of a wedding planner.

First of all, the wedding planner finds out from the couple what level of planning and organising they are required to do.  This often depends on how much the couple have to spend on the wedding, and the type of wedding they want. Sometimes, the wedding planner is hired to organise just one or two aspects of a wedding; for other couples, they organise the whole thing.  This might also include things which start before or after the wedding itself, for example, an engagement party or the honeymoon. The wedding planner might also be asked to plan or organise:

• A budget schedule for the wedding
• Legal paperwork
• Arrangements with a wedding venue
• Photography and/or videography
• Transport to and from the wedding
• Wedding invitations
• Wedding night accommodation
• Vows, readings and the wedding music
• Seating arrangements and decorations
• Evening entertainment
• Outfits, bridal hair and make-up
• Caterers, flower arrangements and the cake
• Gift lists
• Payment to suppliers.

The choice of wedding venues is huge these days, and couples have lots of different ideas about what they want for their “big day”.  No two weddings are the same, so the wedding planner makes sure they can match the couple’s needs as closely as possible, within any time or budget constraints.

The wedding planner asks lots of questions to find out as much as they can about the type of wedding the couple wants.  If they are not sure, the wedding planner uses their knowledge and expertise to help them reach a decision – perhaps by making suggestions or giving examples. Wedding planners also research and visit potential suppliers. They negotiate prices and arrangements with suppliers, organise payments and ensure goods are delivered in time for the wedding.  They build up a list of these suppliers which they can use again in the future.

Wedding planners liaise closely with the wedding couple, especially as the wedding date gets nearer.  During the busy summer months, they might have several weddings to plan and organise at once. They usually attend the wedding to make sure things go smoothly on the day. Some wedding planners also co-ordinate other events such as banquets or parties. Some wedding planners work for themselves on a freelance basis, and often travel from place to place visiting clients and suppliers. They might also attend bridal fairs and wedding events to promote their services.

Personal qualities and skills

As a wedding planner, you need:

• Confidence.
• Good organisational skills.
• To be methodical and able to plan things to a schedule.
• The ability to juggle tasks effectively; you might be organising more than one wedding at once.
• An eye for details.
• To think and act quickly, especially if things don’t go to plan on the day.
• Problem-solving skills.
• The ability to put couples at ease; weddings are emotional events.
• Good communication skills.
• To work well with lots of different people.
• Good negotiating skills to make arrangements with suppliers.
• Good networking skills, to build up a list of contacts.
• To be able to ask lots of questions to gain information from the couple about the type of wedding they want.
• Creative skills and the ability to generate new ideas, if a couple can’t decide how they want their wedding to be.
• To be highly self-motivated; most wedding planners work on their own.
• Marketing and business skills to promote your services.
• Financial awareness, to work within each wedding couple’s budget.

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. Wedding planners earn in the range of £17,000 to £29,000 a year.

Wedding planners usually work a 37-39-hour week.  However, early starts, late finishes, weekend and bank holiday work are likely to be required.

Employers are specialist wedding planning businesses and event organising agencies.  Other employers are hotels and conference centres. Opportunities for wedding planners occur in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Opportunities occur for experienced wedding planners to work as self-employed, freelance planners.

What’s happening in this work area?

Demand for wedding planners is growing. Statistics quote the average cost of a wedding as over £18,000 (survey of 2,400 couples by Hitched). The number of wedding planning businesses is increasing throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies with event management companies or hotels might be advertised in the local/national press, in hospitality trade magazines, on job boards or on employers’ own websites. Entry to a first post is sometimes through a personal network.

Entry routes and training

There are no set entry routes to this career, although many entrants might already have had experience in other types of event planning, such as in hotels or conference centres.

Courses are offered by: The Blackford Centre for Professional Wedding Planners, Absolute Perfection Wedding Consultancy Ltd, UK Alliance of Wedding Planners, The Wedding Association, National Association of Wedding Planners.

You could work towards a level 2 Award/Certificate in Event Planning or an NVQ Diploma in Event Management at level 3. Foundation degrees in event management are also available.

Many wedding planners are self-employed.  Progression can be achieved by completing more training courses, gaining accreditation with more professional associations, and attracting larger contracts with clients.

Job-specific apprenticeships are not available in this area. However, you could take an advanced apprenticeship as an event assistant to gain the relevant skills and experience to move to a career as a wedding planner.

Qualifications

Relevant skills and experience are usually more important than qualifications for entry to this career.  However, GCSEs in maths and English might be useful, for example, to work out budgets (maths) and communicating or negotiating (English). Some entrants have further qualifications, such as A-levels or equivalent.

A relevant work-related qualification in a business or hospitality subject, such as an Edexcel (BTEC) level 2 First qualification or an Edexcel (BTEC) level 3 National qualification, might be accepted for entry.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have gained skills and abilities in marketing, exhibition organising, or facilities and hospitality management.

Related careers

• Event manager