They work with a bride and groom to plan and execute the details of a wedding. There are no specific educational requirements to become a wedding consultant, but a background in business, event planning, or marketing is helpful.
Tasks
A wedding consultant can plan an entire event or just one specific part, like the reception.
How much they do depends on the needs of their clients.
Consultants have a variety of duties:
- Plan, order and send invitations
- Choose registry items
- Help the bride choose a dress and coordinate wedding party attire
- Suggest decor
- Book the venue, florist, and caterer
- Hire the photographer or videographer
- Book live music or a DJ
- Possibly plan the honeymoon
Organizational Skills
To excel as a wedding consultant, it is important to be highly organized, skilled in customer service, have superior attention to detail, and the ability to work within a strict budget. Consultants who enjoy socializing, networking, and know a variety of wedding traditions often do very well.
Organizing the many people, tasks, and details of a wedding is no easy job. One event involves many vendors who provide the location, flowers, music, and food. The long list of people that a wedding consultant works closely with may include:
- Hotel and restaurant managers
- Florists
- Caterers
- Photographers and videographers
- Invitation providers and calligraphers
- Musicians and DJ’s
- Rental companies that provide chairs and other specialized equipment
Business Know-How
Business professionals often excel as wedding consultants.
They use financial skills every day, and couples expect their consultant to save them not only time but money. They might also use negotiation skills to get the best deals from vendors. Maintaining good business relationships with vendors can even result in discounts consultants then share with customers.
A wedding consultant is also invaluable for their troubleshooting abilities. They relieve the stress of high costs and planning mistakes and take care of last minute details so the bride and groom can enjoy their day.
Another less obvious, but highly important skill is to be a mediator in disagreements. Heard of a bridezilla? How about demanding in-laws? A successful wedding consultant has exceptional people skills. They help the couple work with their family and friends at a time when many are acting crazier than usual.
How does a Wedding Consultant Make Money?
Now that you have learned more about what is a wedding consultant, you may be asking how do they make money? Wedding consultants generally earn about 15% of the cost of the wedding. And, $20,000 is the average spent on a wedding these days, meaning a $3,000 commission per event! They can bill an hourly rate or a fixed fee and some even earn their money from supplier commissions, allowing them to charge the couple little or no fee.
This growing field offers the flexibility to earn a full-time income or just some extra cash. Wedding consultant schedules must accommodate client availability, so they often work on evenings and weekends. Those wanting more predictable hours are often employed by companies involved in the wedding business. These include bridal shops, hotels, or wedding consulting companies.
How Can I Find Out More?
Find out more about what is a wedding consultant by taking the Wedding Consultant Course at Stratford Career Institute.
This affordable and convenient online course can teach you the basics and you could soon be well on the way to a successful career as a wedding consultant.
RATE THIS POST
Loading...Become a Wedding Consultant
Start your career by learning more about wedding consultation at the Stratford Career Institute!