Want to build your career as a wedding planner
Indian Weddings have undergone a major transformation over the last few years. A wedding in the house is no longer a stressful event, but a time to get together with friends and families, a time to reunite and have loads of fun together. The roles of parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins who used to be busy running around making the wedding day arrangements, have been replaced by the wedding planner and his trained team of experts. If the wedding bells are ringing for you or anyone around you, you must be aware that there are a lot many wedding planners out there. But what gives a specific wedding planner an edge above his counterparts? What makes him different from the others? How do you decide which one is going to be the best for you? Let us see what the top qualities of a wedding planner are.
Formally Trained:
Till a few years back, there weren’t any institutes that offered courses in the specialized field of wedding planning. Therefore, many wedding planners in the market today do not have any formal training. And, it is a known fact, that formal training can surely give you an edge above your competitors. The wedding planning courses provide them with hands-on training about the various elements of wedding planning. The internships teach them the tricks of the trade even before they become entrepreneurs. The quality of a wedding planner is also the most important as it forms the basis of all his other qualities.
Good Organisational Skills:
Above everything else, a great wedding planner is organized and has amazing time-management and multitasking abilities. Wedding planners must have the ability to work on different weddings at the same time, keeping the details of each different to avoid confusion. They should also be physically organized, monitoring important documents, paperwork, and agreements for every one of the weddings that they deal with. More often than not, wedding planners have few months to plan a wedding, yet ever so often that time period might be just a few weeks, and a decent wedding planner must have the ability to work under pressure and on deadlines.
Creativity
A decent Wedding Planner is additionally a creative thinker. In today’s world, couples need their Wedding to be a reflection of their characters and they’re hiring Wedding Planners to assist them with making their wedding day unique and beautiful. Being creative is like having the ability to take a seed of an idea and turn it into something magical. Modern wedding planners are very fortunate. There’s such a great amount of inspiration out there for us to draw upon from Pinterest and Instagram to blogs and magazines. This is another skill you can develop so if you don’t feel creative there are loads of ways you can develop this skill within yourself.
Money Savvy:
Probably, the biggest challenge in front of the wedding planner is to plan the wedding within the budget, as the budget is the primary driving force behind a wedding. They are the ones who would be able to guide the bride/ groom about the difference between spending on the things which are important and saving by not spending on irrelevant things. They have the knack to negotiate with the vendors and get the best deals for their clients.
Listens More Than They Talk:
A successful wedding planner has to be responsive to his clients and be available at all times of the day. He needs to be a good listener and give an outlet to the dreams and ideas of his client. If he is too overbearing with his own opinions, the bride/ groom will not be able to communicate their ideas to him openly.
Seasoned In Solving Problems:
Weddings can be full of emotional outbursts. With the deadlines, long guest lists, the arrangements, etc. the family members may get overwhelmed at times. The wedding planner, on the other hand, is a seasoned professional who has tons of experience, as he organizes several weddings, month after month. Even when things don’t go as per the plan, an experienced wedding planner would be able to handle the situation in a compared manner and give a workable solution.
Pays Attention To Details:
The aim of hiring a wedding planner is that he can undertake the responsibility of handling the entire wedding. There are so many things that are critical to organizing a ‘wedding to remember’ and a successful wedding planner is the detail-oriented one. From the centerpiece on the guests’ table to the parting gift, from the menu to the requirements of vehicles, the wedding planner has to keep every tiny detail in mind.
Interpersonal Skills:
Great wedding planners have brilliant interpersonal abilities that guide them while collaborating with all the people involved. They ought to be friendly, dynamic, and ready to work under pressure. Weddings draw out the best and the worst in individuals, and a wedding planner must know how to calm the stressed brides, placate nervous grooms, and appease enthusiastic parents. Also, wedding planners must have superb communication skills to negotiate with vendors and sellers.
A-Pro Networker:
As an expert wedding planner, it’s important to connect with different experts in the wedding and event planning industry. In addition to the fact that this benefits your business, it will also benefit your customers. As you build relationships with different professionals, you’re ready to pass on the benefits to your clients and mitigate your quest for the ideal vendor.
Business Savvy:
Notwithstanding wedding planning skills, a wedding planner ought to have business savvy. Most wedding planners work autonomously, managing their own independent companies. Alongside wedding planning, they should be proficient in maintaining a business. Business aptitudes required to work as a wedding planner involves finance, which will help you make a wedding stick to the budget and knowing the amount to charge customers, and marketing, to acquire new customers and expand the business. Wedding planners ought to likewise have some knowledge in HR for recruiting extra help if necessary. They likewise should deal with contracts, as wedding planners sign various agreements among themselves and the customer and with different wedding vendors in the interest of the customers.
The wedding planner is responsible to plan the most important day of someone’s life. They are the ones who are going to turn dreams into reality. It is of utmost significance that the wedding planner has skills like creativity, keen attention to details, networking and negotiating skills, etc to be able to transform their ideas into a reality! Finding the right wedding planner may be as important as finding the right partner.
A Trained Professional
Though a wedding planner doesn’t need a specific technical qualification, but these days many wedding planners are undergoing specialized courses to get some formal training in this vocation. This hands-on training gives them an edge over the other wedding planners in the market. They master the tricks of the trade, even before entering the market. Therefore, managing a budget is not an issue and they can make your event more cost effective when it comes to a trained Wedding Planner.
Can Negotiate Deals and Discounts
As a bride, you would be planning just one wedding, but for a wedding planner, handling dozens of weddings every year is a cakewalk. With their wide network of vendors and artists, wedding planners often facilitate the best costs involved in a wedding. He would know how to negotiate with the various vendors, something that might be next to impossible for you and me.
Saves your Time and Effort
If you are self-employed or are otherwise engaged in your job, you may not have the time to go into all the details of every aspect of planning the wedding. Even if you take a few days leave there’s so much to do, that it might become too overwhelming. Planning a wedding is a full-time job. When you hire a trained wedding planner, he takes over the entire responsibility of giving you your dream wedding, while you can sit back and enjoy the last few months or weeks as a bachelor/ bachelorette.
Provides you Workable Alternatives
An experienced wedding planner will be able to guide you when you wish to add an unnecessary ingredient to the wedding. From the discounted rates of caterers to florists, from venue to seasonal flowers, he knows all the trade secrets and will save every penny possible.
Is well Connected
Your wedding planner will have contacts, that you and I can only think of. Bookings of your favourite venue, or stylist or the designers may not be possible but for the wedding planner, it is something that he deals with on a regular basis. He is also a good source of reference for vendors and service providers, so many a time he would be the first one to get info on availability and deals.
It is a common myth that hiring a wedding planner is a costly affair. No doubt that the wedding planner will charge you a fee but at the same time, he would also be providing you with his elite services that will save you so much of your time and effort. You and the other family members may feel tempted to go over-budget, but an expert wedding planner will not do so. He would be able to help you in striking a balance between the things that are absolutely necessary and the things that can be discarded. So, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that hiring a wedding planner is not an expense but a necessity. 
Limiting yourself to a budget is the biggest challenge one may face when planning a wedding. There is so much temptation to do more and more, that often leads to going overboard in the beginning and then cutting corners as the wedding day arrives. A wedding planner is a professional and will stick to the budget that you have given him. He will not only help you in avoiding any costly mistakes but will also be able to get you the best discounts from the vendors that would be a part of the wedding.
Can Keep Stress Under-Control
Weddings can rarely go without an emotional drama. Indian weddings especially are known to have ‘emotional outbursts’ a regular occurrence. It is a time when emotions are running high, deadlines are being missed and last-minute changes are on, and in a situation like this, even the most patient people may lose their cool. That’s when the wedding planner comes in extremely handy. He can be very helpful in ironing out the problems that crop up suddenly. He is an expert at handling such high-high-pressure situations and keeping everything peaceful.
Your Very Own Personal Assistant
Whether you are going to be a bride or a groom, being stressful at your own wedding, maybe the last thing that you wish for. There is already so much going on in your mind, that worrying about the wedding details is only going to make you miserable. At such a time, your wedding planner can help you as much as you require. From booking appointments with the stylist to organizing a Bachelor’s/ Bachelorette’s Party. It’s great to have someone by your side.
Turning Your Dream Into A Reality
Many of us have planned a wedding ever since we were very young. Though it may seem to be the best option to do everything on your own, it can become quite overwhelming and take a toll on you. From the invites to the decor, from the caterer to the venue, from the stylist to the mehndi-wala, the list is never-ending. But the wedding planner has a template ready for every little detail. You simply need to tell him what you want, and you can rest assured that your wedding will be the way you always wanted it to be, maybe Better!
As the D-Day gets closer, the stress levels involved are going to soar. In such a time, the presence of a wedding planner can give them peace of mind, and they too can enjoy the wedding. A wedding is after all an event of a lifetime, and rather than running around making arrangements, you should be focused on making memories! 
Udaipur also known as City of lakes is in limelight since centuries because of its exquisite nature of diverse cultures and experiences together. The city has always been adored by many and will always be in the minds of exotic destination lovers. The place is considered as the romantic wedding destination where you can carry on the wedding rituals and ceremonies.
The Royal Mansions in the city serves as the one of the best and most sought after wedding location. The hotel’s intricate layout makes the interiors breathtaking and outdoor offer a stunning view of the magnificent lake and lush gardens. Ranbanka Palace is home to many Indian weddings for centuries. The palace is famous for it’s exquisiteness such as luxurious rooms and contemporary architecture. Heritage palaces and forts add to the glory of the city in conducting royal weddings. The royal treatment given to the guests make it perfect place for many to opt for their memorable event.
Umaid Bhavan, Indana Palace set in the magnificent city of Jodhpur are well-known wedding destinations. These palaces are beautifully designed and has multiple banquet halls which are glorious in all its offerings. The hall and huge lawn area are suitable to host a grand wedding function. The ambiance at Indana is beautiful fusion of different worlds coming together and the inner courtyard is best for wedding ceremonies. Thus, a perfect Indian wedding can be experienced in this magnificent city.
A wedding in Rajasthan will give you beautiful memories that you will cherish forever. What more you can ask for when you can take the wedding vows with your loved ones at beautiful locations. So, add more spice to your wonderful event by planning your wedding at exotic palaces, hotels and forts but more importantly choose your planner carefully because they can turn your wedding around. 
Weddings are definitely a costly affair. And to keep a track of the flow of money, it is important to maintain a budget that can guide us about our expense.
Last minute expenses and sudden unplanned issues are unavoidable so it is also important to keep a chunk out of our budget for that cause. In fact, a better way would be to think beforehand about these ‘pop-up wish list’ items in the beginning and add them so that you are not caught off-guard suddenly.
At last, learn to balance on the expenses. For example, if you have splurged on food, then you might want to cut on expenditure on flowers, decoration etc.
The most important trait of an efficient event manager is the workability of his timeline. So, to make sure that you have ample amount of time to carry out every order and preparation, make sure that you have a precise timeline in your hand that ends at least two weeks prior to the wedding. After all, you need time to revamp yourself for the event too!
Though the onus of a well-organized wedding lies on you, the wedding planner, it does not mean that you can do this all alone. You have to be hand-in-glove with your team of people. A great wedding is a balance between delicious food, beautiful decor, enjoyable music, excellent photography and happy memories for life. As the captain of the ship, you have to ensure that every little detail is taken care of and nothing is missed.
If most of these traits come naturally to you, you will surely make a great wedding planner, but even you miss a few, do not sweat, time and patience will teach you everything. You simply to need to focus and be calm even in the most stressed situations. Frantic brides and stubborn vendors are going to be everyday issues. But having said that, no one can deny the love and passion involved in this profession. When you plan a wedding for someone, you become a part of their dream and in turn build lifelong associations. The satisfaction and appreciation you get from your clients can make all the hard work worthwhile. 
In an industry like wedding planning, every bit of experience helps in establishing a strong footing. Investing in a professional diploma could be a great way to garner the aforementioned experience. Vocational education always gives you the opportunity to understand the skills you need while allowing you to put these skills into practice while you study. If you get a chance to be involved in a live internship, jump at this opportunity. This will give you a first-hand experience of this industry. Once you are qualified, you will feel confident to apply your knowledge and capabilities and help you excel in this career.
Draw Up A Business Plan
When you start up your business, you need to have a well chalked-out plan. Depending on your city, its wedding culture makes a plan that suits the requirements of the locals the best. Put your ideas on to a computer and show your clients a peek of what you can offer.
Keep Innovating
With everyone wanting a different wedding, as a wedding planner you need to be very creative and make each wedding a memorable one. You will have to keep innovating and present new ideas and themes for every wedding you plan.
Invest In A Good Team
A wedding planner cannot function alone, you need to have a good liaison with different vendors who would be providing services. A successful wedding planner needs to have an excellent professional relationship with the florists, caterers, stylists, designers and decorators etc. To organize a smooth wedding, you will have to coordinate perfectly with everyone. Focus on building a team of experienced and passionate folks. A passionate team is always willing to go that extra mile to make a wedding successful.
Networking Is The Nature Of The Game
Whenever you plan a wedding, make sure you spend a lot of time meeting the guests, they are your next probable clients. Always be ready to meet potential customers with your own business cards and be generous in spending them around. If possible visit all wedding-fairs in and around your city and advertise your services. The biggest advertising, however, will be through your work. When you impress others with your work, rest assured work will come soon. Focus on building good relations with your client which is long lasting, thus leaving an impression on their minds.
Learning Through Every Event
Even when you have made your mark in the market unless you keep giving every client a wedding with a difference you might not be able to sustain your position. Remember, even though the wedding planning is an upcoming industry the competition is severe. Draw inspirations from your surroundings. Every wedding that you plan or attend should add to your learning and your experience. Attending different workshops and seminars related to weddings is a great idea to keep tickling your grey cell
Be Optimistic
When you begin your career, things might take off slower than what you had expected. Your telephone might not ring for the first few days, but don’t let yourself get disheartened. Take this as a time to think and come up with innovative ideas. Having a buoyant temper is a necessity in a career like this where there is a lot of seasonal influence.
The scope for a wedding planner in India is massive. With the right training and the right guidance, there is a lot that you can do in the wedding planning industry. And with over a million weddings in the country every year, this recession-proof business can take your career sky high! 
The average person generally spends between 2 to 20 million rupees on a wedding that might be a three or five-day long event. It is also estimated that about 10 million weddings take place in India annually. No doubt the Indian Wedding Industry is now a multi-billion-rupee industry. Expenditure on designer clothes, jewelry, catering, invites, photography and the décor adds up to humongous amounts. It might come as a big surprise, but it is during the wedding season that the amount of gold bought reaches a mammoth 450 tones. Himanshu Kapsime, an Engineer from IIT Delhi, quit his job in the US and started an online wedding portal called shaadisaga.com a few years back. Himanshu says, “This is a recession-proof industry”.
A lavish wedding makes the bride, groom and both families feel like celebrities for a day or two. By treating themselves to an extravagant and splendid party in celebration of their children’s wedding, the whole family feels nothing less than a celebrity for a day or throughout the wedding ceremonies. It feels as if the bride and the groom are the stars and the social media is their display channel. What’s all the more a welcome change is that it’s not just the super-rich that can flaunt a big-fancy wedding, the upper-middle-class Indians are not behind in outsourcing the wedding.
The trends of the elite are filtered down to the common public who are deeply inspired by social media, news channels and magazines. The younger generation is definite to not only adopt and adapt but also mirror and modify. Shweta Acharya of Baraati Inc, has handled over 15 weddings which include 4 destination weddings, one of which was organized in Florence. She says, “A planner makes a wedding come alive. He or she is the chef of a wedding. We have to make sure that the fairytale wedding is delivered with flair so that the client is stress-free”. In most Indian families, saving for the wedding starts very early in life. Now, it’s not just the parents who spend at the wedding, the boy and girl to-be-married can finance a big part of their own wedding too. This extra money makes spending easier and the standard of wedding rises higher and higher.
Youth of today also like to be personally involved in their weddings, not in the working but the planning. As they may not have much of an idea about the ceremonies, the rituals and about pooling the resources together but they do like to add their personal touch in every aspect of the wedding. From the invitation cards to the gift for the guests, from the decor to the menu, they want everything to be in line with their own taste.
What Shweta has pointed out is another big reason for the paradigm shift from the traditional Indian wedding to planned weddings, many people consider organizing a wedding to be quite hectic business. The couple as well as the immediate family have to be involved in the planning while it is only the guests that get to enjoy. The whole event becomes an obligation to keep others entertained. The present generation views the wedding as a holiday and a means to get together with friends and family and make some happy memories. And they do not mind adding 10-20% more to their budget if they can get the peaceful and hassle-free services from the wedding planner. This is a big reason why wedding planners are so much in demand.
Destination Weddings are the newest trend that seems to be staying on for long. With many celebrities going to exotic locations for their wedding, the young couples to-be-married-soon have a new wish-list. More and more couples wish to have a personal and meaningful ceremony in a far-off location, where they can spend some quality with their friends and family.
The younger generation often finds the wedding ceremonies to be replete with tradition. Most of them want high-tech weddings but with a dash of tradition. Weddings still are a once-in-a-lifetime affair, and nobody wants anything to go wrong. That’s the season of hiring specialized services like the photographers, decorators, videographers, stylists, designers and caterers. Though it is still the head of the family who is the ‘chief-organizer’, but then what’s the fun not having some highly charged emotional drama at a wedding. It is these high-pressure moments that make a great laugh years later. After all, it’s all about having a good time!