With over 110,000 couples getting married every year1, the wedding industry in Australia is booming like never before. Following such monumental growth, being a wedding planner also appears to be a rewarding career path, which frees you from the traditional nine-to-five and promises every day at work “a special day”. Even though there is no fixed procedure for being a wedding planner in Australia, we have collected and enlisted 4 vital steps that would fast track your success in the wedding planning industry.
Step 1: Get yourself trained and certified
Becoming a wedding planner in Australia doesn’t require a college degree or specific qualification. However, it is strongly advisable that you get trained with professionals to survive the increasing competition, build trust with clients and hit the ground running effectively. Today, there are various online as well as on-campus courses that provide such training for both newcomers and wedding planners seeking to upskill. Within 3 months, you will be equipped with industry insights and practical skills such as: first meeting with clients, wedding attires, budget management etc. Upon completion, you can earn a certificate for working as a professional wedding planner or, should you be an ambitious person, starting your own wedding planning business.
Step 2: Choose your own career path
Job prospects for wedding planners are diverse and limited only by your career goals. Once earning the certificate, you can seek employment in companies across the country, work as a freelancer or (as many planners prefer) obtain the license to operate your own wedding planning business. Think of a catchy business name and choose a prime location to even enhance your chance of success. Currently, New South Wales and Victoria are two best states to base your business and start looking for vendors and clients2. Some also choose to take the shortcut by purchasing franchise from market leaders and enjoy their well-established ecosystem.
Step 3: Join a professional organisation
As a newcomer in the market, having the membership of an industry organisation could be your best bet to network and affiliate with trusted vendors like caterers, florists, photographers etc. The general rule of thumb here is: the more service providers you have the connection with, the more clients you will attract. Another benefit of joining professional organisations are their exclusive privileges for members such as: client referrals, entry to some biggest wedding fairs, endorsements in the portfolio and legal support.
Step 4: It’s time to go digital!
Judging that most of your clients will be Millennials who are active on the internet and extremely busy balancing work and wedding preparation, you need to enforce connection and interaction with them via digital channels. Building a website and optimising it for Google’s search results have become mandatory for any wedding planning business. The website is where you showcase your portfolio, services and further details at your clients’ convenience. Besides, social networks (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Youtube…) are also promising to attract, build conversation and trigger sales from these modern couples. For a new business with limited budget, online advertising in social networks is even more beneficial due to their targeting functions, engaging ad formats and limitless configurations.
Should becoming a professional wedding planner be your career goal in 2019, let’s spring forward with our Wedding Planning Certificate here. This online course is designed by professionals and experts with decades of experience to impart to you the required skills, tips and knowledge to succeed in the wedding planning industry.
