Be there for a couple on their important day as a Wedding Coordinator.
If you have an eye for design and extensive organizational capabilities, wedding planning might be for you. Wedding planning can be an extremely eventful but rewarding job that allows you to help a couple plan the best day of their lives.
What Is a Wedding Coordinator?
A wedding coordinator is the person who is responsible for bringing the bride and groom’s wedding plans to life. The coordinator will navigate all aspects of the wedding, from helping the bride find the perfect gown to ordering the wedding cake and the centerpieces. Wedding coordinators need to be extremely detail-oriented and personable. Most brides and grooms will be going through an extremely stressful time, and a wedding planner needs to be able to calm them down and direct them in a constructive manner.
Wedding coordinators usually work alone and are self-employed consultants. They need to be knowledgeable about all of the wedding supplies not only in the area but also available for order online. Often they will need to advise on specific aspects of the wedding such as the best wedding venue and the best catering company. Coordinators will also have to work closely with their client’s budget.
What Does a Wedding Coordinator Do?
The wedding coordinator will usually begin by meeting with the couple and discussing their desires. The clients may only need the wedding coordinator to handle specific areas or may need the coordinator to handle everything. Different couples will also show different levels of preparedness. Some brides may already know exactly how they want their wedding to be while others may need more direction. A wedding coordinator may need to ask the couple about themselves and figure out the best type of service for their personalities.
Once the initial consultation is complete the wedding coordinator will need to bring together the resources necessary for the wedding and schedule everything correctly. Scheduling is extraordinarily important for a wedding coordinator and any issue with scheduling could potentially ruin an entire wedding ceremony.
How Do You Become a Wedding Coordinator?
Wedding coordinators often come from many different backgrounds. There is no central certifying or licensing authority for a wedding coordinator nor is there a required education for one. Rather, wedding coordinators usually get into the industry with experience in party planning. According to the Huffington Post, a wedding coordinator can also have experience with catering companies. Certification is available through some trade schools but it is not a regulated industry.
A wedding coordinator needs to be focused on networking, as he or she will need to build their client base with a combination of advertising and socializing. Wedding coordinators almost always work alone and may work on a referral basis or may procure clients through advertising campaigns. Satisfied clients are often the best form of advertising for a wedding coordinator. The Association of Bridal Consultants also exists for support and for additional advertising and networking opportunities.
How Does a Wedding Coordinator Advance?
Wedding coordinators are self-employed individuals that generally act as consultants. A wedding coordinator can grow their consulting business through the acquisition of new clients over time. Consultants may be able to gather leads through networking or through partnership with related enterprises such as consulting companies.
A wedding coordinator interested in developing their business further can develop into either event planning or catering. Event planning is extremely similar to wedding coordination and many wedding planners also do event planning on the side. Events usually include birthdays, anniversaries, surprise parties, graduation parties and more. Catering is also a related field that those with an interest in the culinary arts can consider.