Tuesday, March 2, 2010

How to Start a Wedding Consultant Business


If you love planning magnificent events and enjoy the romance and flair of a wedding, becoming a bridal consultant may be a perfect career choice. A bridal consultant sees to the needs of a bride from the beginning of the planning process until the married couple rides off into the sunset. In order to start your own bridal consultant business, there are many things to learn.

Step One:
Become an expert. Many Bridal Consultants worked within the wedding industry (bridal shop, flowers, and reception venues) before becoming a consultant, so they already have first-hand knowledge. Whether you are seasoned in the wedding world or you are new to it, it is important to know all of the quality vendors in your area. Build relationships with them by visiting their businesses and asking questions. Establish a network of your most trusted suppliers. The more business you send to your favorite vendors, the better service (and prices) they are likely to provide. Develop a database full of all wedding-related providers so that you can offer multiple suggestions to your bridal clients.

Step Two:
Study up on wedding trends, etiquette, and creative ideas. Read magazines and websites and attend bridal shows to remain up-to-date on your advice. Attend other weddings to add to your file of ideas and record any mistakes or problems that you can avoid or overcome in your own business.

Step Three:
Develop your people skills. Bridal Consultants must deal with hundreds of details and thousands of emotions to carry off an impeccable wedding celebration. Therefore, they must be skilled in dealing with people, offering solutions to problems, and navigating potential pitfalls. Overall they must work well under pressure.

Step Four:
Become an adept money manager. With an average wedding costing $20,000 or more, it is highly important for a new businessperson to be skilled at managing, and stretching, the bride’s budget. Using your newfound people skills, you will negotiate for the best prices and make a low-budget wedding look like that of an heiress. As a business owner, the bridal consultant must also be able to manage one’s own business finances.

Step Five:
Set your rates and plan your income. Most wedding coordinators make 10 to 15 percent of the wedding budget, but some operate on an hourly rate. An average wedding would take about 35 hours of coordinating. The wedding business is seasonal, so your main income will be earned from May through October. Many bridal consultants offer other party-planning services during the slow wedding months.

Step Six:
Build your portfolio with clients from successful weddings. Add letters of reference, pictures, and include all of the vendors used and decisions made. This will aid you in developing future events, but it will also prove your abilities to future clients.