Although complicated, planning a wedding can be a fun challenge that appeals to many.
Before choosing to go to wedding planner school, it’s a good idea to make sure you understand what a career as a wedding planner involves, including the all-important question “How much do wedding planners make?”
Because wedding planners are paid per wedding, it can be difficult to estimate exactly how much they make in a year. According to the US Department of Labor, the annual medial pay for an event planner is $49,370.*
Ultimately, how much a wedding planner makes is dependent on several factors.
Factors that Affect Wedding Planner Salaries
Experience
The first thing that can affect a wedding planner salary is experience. Someone who has been in the business a long time will not only have more knowledge, but also the proof that they can deliver high quality and well-planned weddings.
Prior experience from other fields in hospitality, like interior design, can help boost a wedding planner’s income. Of course, the more experience you have the higher your clients’ expectations. Someone with lots of experience can charge more because they are familiar with and know how to handle these high-pressure situations to make a wedding go perfectly.
Location
Where you are plays a huge role in the amount a wedding planner makes because it determines how much business you get. A wedding planner in the middle of nowhere or in a small rural city will get less business than a wedding planner in a big city simply because there are fewer people to get married!
Even in a big city, though, it’s important to consider what your extra costs might be. Rental fees for the venue may be higher and you may need to pay more for materials depending on where you are.
Services Offered
In addition to actually planning weddings, a wedding planner can boost their salary by expanding into other related services. Does your client also need floral services? What about renting tables, chairs, and linens? Managing these other aspects of a wedding can allow you to charge more.
Additionally, a wedding planner may also act as a travel agent for their clients, arranging flights for out-of-town guests and even arranging the honeymoon. Increasing the number of services you offer as a wedding planner not only allows you to charge more, but it can also make you a more appealing option because the bride and groom will have to deal with fewer contractors.
Reinvesting in Your Business
One of the most important things that can affect a wedding planner salary is reinvesting into the business. By continually aiming to improve, market, and increase the quality and capability of the business, a wedding planner can often charge more. This includes learning about competitors, looking at better ways to cut costs, and understanding cash flows.
Interested in Becoming a Wedding Planner?
Realizing your dream of becoming a wedding planner is simple and can be done without the long college process. Get started with one of Stratford Career Institute’s distance learning programs, like the Wedding Consultant Course.
Enroll today to get started on your path to becoming a wedding planner!
*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Become a Wedding Consultant
Are you interested in becoming a wedding planner or consultant? Learn more about this career path and what to expect in our distance learning course.