Want to build your career as a wedding planner
Up to this point, wedding designers were, to a great extent, related to celebrity weddings and were only referenced on the pages of shiny magazines. Everyone else just flipped through these magazines thinking about the kidney that they would have to sell to get a glamorous and stylish wedding like this. However, definitely, during the past five years, they’ve become a pivotal part of weddings. The trend for customized weddings has seen an ever-increasing number of couples deciding to involve a Wedding Designer for their big wedding day dream team. Especially the brides who cannot differentiate Sabyasachi from Manish Malhotra or a beautiful floral arrangement from haphazardly arranged flowers. If keeping up with the latest trends and designs is your thing or if the most used app on your phone is Pinterest or if you are just bursting with creative ideas then being a Wedding Designer might just be the perfect job for you! However, you may be wondering, how do I become a Wedding Designer?
Who Is A Wedding Designer?
Wedding Designers are those individuals (generally perfectionists) who turn a bride and groom’s vision of their big day into a reality. Basically, an individual or group that works with the bride and the groom to design, set-up and pack-down the occasion styling for the wedding day. Wedding designers tune in to the couple’s thoughts, disentangle their dreams and do all that they can to live up to the couple’s desires to design their dream wedding day. They set everything up as per the bride and the groom’s vision and afterwards guarantee it occurs by tying in, for instance, the flower plan, the furnishings, the props, the lighting and the table centrepieces.
The Difference Between A Designer and A Planner:
Generally, it’s somewhat precarious to know where the line between designer, planner and florist sits. Notwithstanding, there is a particular contrast. While the Planner manages the wedding in general, the designer is centred around the feel; they set everything up and give a polished visual scenery to the wedding. While some wedding planners will likewise double as designers, there are a lot of people and organizations out there who specialise just in the styling of occasions, typically weddings. Wedding organizers will in general cover numerous bases from sourcing providers, exploring venues, arranging menus, dealing with your budget plan, and following RSVPs. However, wedding designers centre around making a truly flawless backdrop for your wedding, guaranteeing that everything is coordinated harmoniously and they’re essentially focussed on the general look and ambience of the occasion.
What Does A Wedding Designer Do?
- These are the general duties of a wedding designer:
- Talking with the couple to discuss their vision for the wedding day: Their vision is an assortment of all the things that grab their attention and may incorporate inspiration from fashion, art, flowers, furniture and some other place they might acquire inspiration from.
- Designing a personal style for the wedding day; from the ceremony to lighting, florals stylistic layout, decor and furniture and so on: A designer will then utilize their expertise, experience and eye for design to discover a theme and a common thread that has risen up out of their selection of pictures (and materials and so forth) and afterwards match it with their personal style as a couple. When the designer recognizes the basic theme, they'll begin helping the couple pick hues and different components they need to be included for their occasion. They will integrate everything with the goal that it runs through the wedding and flowers, the reception and even the dress and invitations. They make a harmonious link between everything to do with the wedding.
- The designer will likewise work with the couple to settle on what kind of atmosphere they wish to create and they, regularly, stress over the finishing touches, from hiring furniture, draping and lighting to the decision and arrangement of flowers.
- Assembling an inventory for everything required to execute the design and source things/give things from their own price range.
- Being there on the day (or the day preceding) to set up and pack-down.
Many wedding designers offer extra services and items to help their income per job. This may incorporate offering prop and design layout which requires a designer to develop a stock of styling components, for example, candles, linens, signage, furniture and so on. On the other hand, a few designers offer floral design or stationery with their styling services. What abilities you have, what space you can access, and what cash and time you need to contribute will choose what is the best route to take your styling business.
How To Become A Wedding A Designer?
The incredible news for anybody with an enthusiasm for working with a couple on the look and feel of their big day is that the trend towards progressively customized weddings with exceptional details is driving up the interest for wedding designers. Most wedding designers decide on this career since they are searching for a profession that permits them to benefit as much as possible from their creativity and imagination. That being stated, in the event that you don’t really consider yourself to be a creative person yet you have a superb eye for all the details and you love to play with colour then the rest can be learned and created.
- The basic skills you need to become a wedding designer are:
- Designing and Conceptualising a Wedding
- Making a Budget
- Planning and Logistics Management
- Good communication skills
- Sourcing vendors and materials and negotiating prices
You will additionally unquestionably have to be a team player as you’ll be relied upon to work with numerous different vendors contributing to each wedding you are designing for. While you may have a considerable number of the aptitudes required to be an amazing and accomplished wedding designer, there is more you have to know so as to transform your passion into a profession. There are many institutes that offer specialised courses in wedding styling. You can learn many things from these courses like how to channel and transform creativity into the design of the wedding, how to use design tools (mood boards, colour swatches etc), production and logistics and how to communicate your vision and design to the clients.
That is the lowdown on becoming a wedding designer. If you are truly passionate about stylistic elements, the latest fashion trends and have a really good eye for details and design then becoming a wedding designer can prove to be quite a rewarding profession. Especially if you love the romance of weddings, are blown away by how beautiful the day can be and would love to transform a couple’s vision and dream into reality.




Certification
A certification from a well-known institute adds the much-needed weight or value to your CV. The difference between a hobbyist wedding planner and a certified professional is huge. When you receive formal training, you learn the intricacies of the business. As a student, the internship that you undergo teaches you negotiations, marketing strategies, finding out about the ongoing trends, management of budget and preparing plan etc. You also learn about the different kinds of ceremonies, cultures as well as etiquettes. Your certificate is the proof that you are well aware of all such details already.
Gather Experience
Experience is extremely important in an industry like wedding planning, and hence it is highly recommended that you prefer a course that provides you on-site internships. But in case your institute did not provide you any field training, it is a must that you get some on your own. This would make you familiar with the field and will be hugely beneficial in putting this knowledge into your business. When you work as an intern, you learn about the various aspects and the professional environment a wedding planner works under, thus thoroughly preparing you to excel in this field.
Build An Impressive Portfolio
If you are just starting out, then you may not have a big portfolio, but it is always recommended that you get started with developing your own portfolio as soon as it is possible. Invest in a shoot with photographers, decorators, venue managers and vendors to give the clients an idea of your skills and assets. A portfolio is probably the best tool that can help you secure clients. Even if it costs you a bit of money at the start, go ahead with developing a strong portfolio.
Be Realistic
Being realistic doesn’t mean that you don’t dream big. Graduating from a renowned institute will surely give you a great platform to start your business, but do not get overwhelmed by the offers that you get or do not get. Remember, the first few steps are the most crucial. Be prepared that your phone will not start ringing right away. And keep in mind that you must be 100% prepared when you commit to a client. Be comfortable and confident about your wedding planning styles before you dive into the hectic environments.
Start When You Are Ready
For giving a launch pad to your business you need to pay attention to the various aspects of starting a business. You need to be sure of the administration, accounts and the marketing departments. Be prepared with your strategies and start advertising your services. Talk to your friends and acquaintances about your business. You never know, that the lady you met casually at the supermarket, is looking for a wedding planner.
The Bottom Line
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither would your Business. The key, however, is to be consistent in your efforts and work patiently. A career in wedding planning needs a life-long penchant for learning. Keep innovating and hang in there!
Good Luck!