Congratulations you have decided to be a wedding planner! Wedding planning is no small task, but it is a rewarding, joyous one . Taking on this venture is something you don't just jump into; it's something you think and dream of all the time, well in my case it is.
I recently brought someone on board for a upcoming project that I am working on. She is also a planner and I thought it would be a perfect match. It seemed like a great idea with the both of us being wedding planners working together to create this amazing event and as we sat down and had our first creative meeting I realized she was a wedding planner while I was a wedding designer/planner. When we initially talked about partnering I brought her on as a co-designer but that wasn't her strong suite, so we had to figure out how to partner a different way. If I have learned anything from being in this industry it's to know your strong suits and educate yourself in your weaknesses so you can build strong partnerships and have amazing results.
A wedding planner is someone who organizes weddings, someone that is your logistics planner extraordinaire. A person that can plan everything that needs to be done on the front end of planning with their eyes close. A wedding planner is a must-have in the planning process no matter the size of the wedding or event.
Photo By : Juniper Spring Photography, Flowers: Amy Eimer of Studio Dizon
A wedding designer/planner also sometimes does logistics but are the ones to plan more of the design layout. They are the ones you tell what you want your special day to look like. Designers take your vision and transform it into what you dreamed it could be -- but not without the help of the wedding planner. Some of us do the jobs of both but are most passionate about one or the other. In this wedding world you have to find your niche, find your voice so to speak. So who are you? What do you want to do? Yes, I get it you want to plan a wedding, but wedding planning has so many moving parts. Where do you want to be in this space of planning? Remember you started this business to enjoy what you do, so do what makes you happy!
Which brings me back to the question at hand: Are you a planner or a designer or both ? When you sit down to start your business plan or your layout of what you want to do in your business you need to know where you want to be in this space. Do you have an eye for designing amazing spaces, do you walk into a space and see what it could be, can you turn a blank space into a wonderland? These are all the questions you should ask yourself. Or are you someone that loves the logistics of planning the contacting of the vendors and getting the wheels going on making the event happen? Do you like to find the venue and build a team to watch your clients vision come to life? Again these are all the things you need to think about when you start your wedding planning business.
Designer vs planner is not something that comes up right away when you are starting your business, but it is something that will continue to plague you as you get started. For your business to be as prosperous as you want it to be you have to do what you love. You know you love wedding planning, but what is your niche? Find your voice in your business and bring on creative partners when needed? Never be afraid to hire help for the things that you need help with. Be positive, enjoy the journey and never stop learning. This business evolves every day.