How to Start a Wedding Planning Business
7 Must-Do Steps
Step 1: Decide on service offerings by doing market research
Start by researching other wedding planning businesses in your city and state to better understand what types of services and packages are available near you. You can also take note of their pricing if it’s readily available on their websites. From this, you can determine if you’d like to offer event management, partial planning and/or full-service planning.
Step 2: Identify your target client
To identify your ideal client, you’ll need some wedding planning experience. Consider taking on three or four family members’ or friends’ weddings to determine how you work best. This can also show you what service offerings people need most. By taking on a few test weddings, you can learn if you prefer more DIY weddings, elevated weddings, adventure weddings, intimate elopements, and more.
Step 3: Select a company name
Next up is the fun stuff! Come up with a company name for your wedding planning business. I recommend brainstorming a few you like and polling friends and family to see what rolls off the tongue best or what others think resonates best with your target client. Also, don’t forget to do your research to make sure the name you’ve chosen is not taken by someone else already.
Step 4: Form your LLC or sole proprietorship
Now that you’ve determined your company name, it’s time to legally register your business. Requirements vary from state to state, so I recommend starting with a quick Google search to determine exact steps. The U.S. Small Business Administration has great resources for entrepreneurs, too. You’ll likely need to fill out a form and pay a small fee to register. You’ll do this each year to keep your business registered with your state.
Step 5: Set financial goals and determine where to best spend your money
After your business is established, it’s important for you to set financial goals for the business. These goals should have a set time frame and should be measurable and achievable. Setting goals can also help you allocate where to spend your money. You can budget for things like advertising spend, wedding expos, hiring assistants, and more. Whether your business is part-time or full-time, it’s important that you set realistic goals and hold yourself accountable as you reach for your dreams.
Step 6: Set up your website URL and social media links
After you’ve set the foundation for your business, it’s important to set up a URL and social media links for your business. There are quite a few options for URL registration, but I recommend GoDaddy. They typically run promotions for your first year, and you can sometimes get a URL for under five dollars. For social media links, I recommend keeping the handles consistent across the platforms so that potential customers can find you more easily.
Step 7: Get started and join The Planner’s Vault
Now that you know how to start a wedding planning business, it’s time to dive in and get started! If you’re feeling overwhelmed by it all, consider joining The Planner’s Vault. The Planner’s Vault is an online education platform and membership community just for new wedding planners. It’s part business coaching, part online course, part template library, part community of business besties, led by a wedding industry expert. Learn more about the membership and sign up for our waitlist to be notified when the doors open next here!
Need individual help? Consider 1-on-1 coaching from wedding planner business coach Megan Gillikin.
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