Is Your Party Planning Game Epic? Why Not Start a Wedding Planning Biz From Home?

Are you the mom (or dad!) who’s famous on your block for throwing the best kids’ birthday parties or holiday celebrations? Did you sail through the chaos of your own wedding without losing your mind? Well, if you’re a parent looking for a way to balance the school run with a fulfilling career, you might be overlooking a great side hustle or career. If you’d love to know how to start a wedding planning business from home, we’ve got the basics covered.

Why wedding planning?

• This WFH-friendly career is flexible enough to work around nap times and soccer practice.
• You’ll get to channel your organizational party-planning superpowers into launching someone else’s dream day.
• You’ll earn money instead of spending it. The average income for event planners starts at about $50/hour, making it a great way to earn some extra income.

Ready to learn more about wedding planning as an at-home career? Read on!

Create a Dedicated Workspace for Wedding Planning

First things first: you’re going to need a spot to work at that isn’t the kitchen table covered in dirty dishes and breakfast crumbs. Why? Because the clutter of everyday life, especially with small children, isn’t very festive or elegant.

If you want to be in the right mental and emotional space for your work, you’ll need a space to work in that supports the right energy.

 So, even if you don’t have a spare room or home office, try to carve out a professional nook. It’s always a good idea to separate your “parent mode” from your “boss mode.” But it can be even more important in a career that is built on helping clients forget about the everyday to create something magical.

Smears of cream cheese on your work surface are not magical! =)

Having a designated area for your business helps you focus. If square footage is a problem in your home, you might have to get creative with your solution. You could use a corner of the bedroom or convert a closet. There are plenty of clever ways to make the most of a small workspace. Try a few options out until you find a way to make space for your business without taking over the house.

What to Consider When Creating Your At-Home Wedding Planning Workspace

While you’re setting up your workspace, think about your goals and the work you’ll do there. For example, you’ll probably be meeting virtually with clients and potential clients.

Here are some factors to keep in mind:

• Stable video conferencing capabilities. You’ll want to be sure your calls aren’t going to drop midway through. If your internet is slow or unreliable, look into upgrading. If your workspace is far away from your router, consider a booster or an Ethernet cable to connect you directly for reliable connections.
• A quiet atmosphere for meetings. Future brides and grooms want to feel like the center of attention as they plan out their big day. If you don’t have a door to close when meeting with clients, try to arrange calls for when your kids aren’t home, are asleep, or are otherwise occupied to avoid interruptions that look like you’re focused on something besides your clients.
• A professional, attractive climate. Would you trust a wedding planner whose office was disorganized or didn’t give any hint about their work? Make sure you tuck away clutter before your calls. Adding touches like some flowers, romantic artwork, or wedding cake toppers to your work area doesn’t need to be expensive (you can even thrift items!). And it will send a visual message that you’re serious about your work. As a bonus, it can get you in the right mood every time you enter your workspace.

Want a better idea about what this looks like in real life? This news program video shows a spare bedroom converted into a thriving wedding planning office.

Build Up A Network of Vendors

A wedding planner is only as good as their contacts. That makes creating a reliable list of florists, caterers, photographers, and venues a must. When you’re learning how to start a wedding planning business from home, trustworthy vendors are a non-negotiable.

But how do you know who you can trust when you’re still in the setup stages of becoming a wedding planner?

• Think about who you need on speed dial. You’ll want a mix of high-end and budget-friendly options to suit different clients, so look into a variety of options.
• Spend time researching local businesses. Some will have fantastic reputations and reviews. These can be your early go-tos.
• Take some time and introduce yourself. If you do this before you have any clients, the vendors will already know you when it’s time to book their goods services.
• Learn about how they do business. For instance, how far in advance do they book? What kinds of deposits do they require? How flexible are they? Do they give refunds for cancellations? Knowing these details means you can share them confidently with your future clients.

Set Services and Pricing for Your Wedding Planning Biz

A crucial decision when you’re starting a wedding planning business is deciding what services you will offer. For example, some couples want full-service planning, where you handle everything from the engagement party to the honeymoon. Others might be looking just for “day-of” coordination to be sure the wedding and reception run smoothly so they can sip champagne and not worry.

While you can earn more for full planning services, day-of might keep your workload more manageable and allow you to book more events overall. It’s important to find a balance that works well with your life.

Here’s a bit more detail on the types of planning you might offer:

• Full planning: You manage the budget, vendors, design, and logistics for the entire wedding period. This means the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon, too. You can expect to be very busy throughout this period.
• Partial planning: You step in halfway through to finalize details. You’ll have less to do, but you may have to catch up quickly.
• Day-of coordination: You manage the actual wedding day timeline. You’ll be very busy during the events, but you’ll have a lot more flexibility ahead of the event.

How Much Should I Charge to Plan a Wedding?

Before you even have clients, you’ll want to be clear about your pricing.  

Here are some tips to help you set prices that are reasonable.

• Research what others in your area are charging. This will help you understand what your local market can bear.
• Remember that you may need to charge less when you’re just starting out. It might help to only offer one package at the beginning, or even to work as an assistant for an established planner to build experience and your reputation before launching your own business.
• Don’t undervalue your time and labor. Remember, your fee needs to cover the hours you work and the expertise you provide, right from the start.
• Look for the hidden costs. Things like insurance, assistants, website, travel, and advertising can all eat into your profits, so plan for them in your fee.

Here’s an excellent video that explores pricing your wedding planning services right from the start.

Market Your Brand As A Wedding Planner

Once you set up your wedding planning business, you’ll need clients!  But how do you find them or, better yet, help them find you?

Here are some ideas to land your first jobs:

• Tell everyone you know about your new busineess. Word-of-mouth is powerful, especially in the wedding industry.
• Design business cards and get in the habit of carrying them. These are a great and inexpensive way of providing your basic biz info to anyone interested.
• Build a simple, beautiful website that showcases your style and services.  You don’t need to spend a lot or be skilled. There are inexpensive drag and drop options available.
• Join groups online and in person.  These can help you discover what couples are looking for in a wedding planner, and being helpful might lead to bookings.

Conclusion: You Can Start A Wedding Planning Business From Home!

Starting a new business while raising a family comes with both challenges and rewards. If you’re a natural planner and love hosting memorable events, you could make a great wedding planner.

Now that you know the basics of how to start a wedding planning business from home, you can use your skills and drive, to create your personal plan. So go on! Build a new career, and make peoples’ dream weddings come true!