Become a Wedding Planner

Creating your own business in this day and age is more important than ever. The trick is to find a niche market and tap into it on the way up. It is no secret that the wedding industry is huge. There are somewhere around 2.5 million weddings every year in the United States Alone! So…. About $40 billion is spent on weddings every year in the U.S. Some believe that number is low! The # then rises to be around 80 billion! Today’s average couple will spend roughly $18 – 30 thousand dollars on their wedding!

The beauty of this kind of business is that it’s not a huge investment. It can easily be done from your home. All you need is to be professional and very very organized to gain people’s trust. But once you have planned a few weddings you’ll find so long as everything went smoothly that people will drop your name to others and more business will come your way.

Things that you’ll need to consider for your new planning business includes:

Image:

When creating a Wedding a Consulting Business one of the most important aspects is your image! You need to create a look that shows both professionalism and beauty. You can hire an expert for this but I suggest just doing it yourself! I create many logos using royalty-free stock photo that I purchase from istockphoto.com. This logo needs to go everywhere, your letterhead, business card, brochures and most importantly “invoices”. Remember image is one of the most important aspects of a business!

Business Supplies

Much of the investment when first starting out will be getting the proper supplies. However in today’s day and age most things can be done relatively quickly and cheap even from the comforts of your own home. Although this may be the case, you need to remember that you must look professional! Brides wont be letting Jo Schmo with a cheap brochure plan their Wedding! You want to wow your potential clients and turn them into potential paying customers.

You need some Planning Software. For this thee are professional options and free options. I prefer the free options since many can do just about everything the paid ones can. I suggest checking out versiontracker.com and doing a search for Wedding. You will be amazed at the software you can get. One of the best pieces of shareware I have found was located here. seatingarrangement.com. Imagine how pleased my recent couple who were having an outdoor tent Wedding was when I gave them a complete professionally drafted paper which included each person, table, chair! The drawing looked as if a large construction firm using AutoCAD did it! Don’t just go out and purchase this software! Take a look around! Thousands of programs exist out there to make you more of a professional Wedding Consultant! Most people can accomplish many of these tasks with Microsoft Word or Exel!

So I have outlined just a few things to consider before starting up your Wedding Planning Business. Take the jump and try your hand. This is a great niche business to set yourself up in. It’s a time consuming process but it’s better to set yourself up now rather than later. I have no doubts you will be a success.


Tips For Your Fun And Cheap Wedding Centerpiece Idea

Fed up with flowers or candles for your cheap wedding centerpiece idea, or find they are just too much like every other wedding you go to then help is here.

Help in the form of you, that is you from your childhood when nothing else mattered but having the latest toy or craze. Think back to the days when you saved all your pocket money to ensure you were the coolest kid in the playground, how good would it be to have that feeling back? I am not talking the latest games console but inspiration for your cheap wedding centerpiece idea.

Having games and gadgets at the table is a great ice breaker and can easily set the tone for a relaxed and fun wedding reception. Make a space in the middle of your table for the games and away we go.

Games that work well are ones that everyone can play, play quickly and that they have played before. Lego, pick up sticks, trump cards, marbles, tiddlywinks. With the building toys you could set each table a challenge; make a wedding cake or a limousine, use your imagination, what are you both into? Bikes, planes, boats etc

The great thing about this cheap wedding centerpiece idea is that it works as a great ice breaker.

To display the games you could have them in a big box or material bag on each table - decorated in your wedding colors.

To take this theme one step further you could have the tables named on the plan for each type of game that you have and don't forget the top table!

The Cheapest Wedding


Recently I had the pleasure of helping a friend organise her sister's wedding. It didn't just have to be cheap it had to be the cheapest wedding ever, they had both just finished university and like most students they were pretty broke.

The date was set and to keep costs down the local registery office was the venue, not the prettiest of places, it was definately built for function rather than looks. Luckily the public park was close and we helped find some great places for the photographs.

The bride to be had some fantastic and unusual ideas for her cheap wedding dress but on one of the many shopping trips fell in love with a beautiful cream summer dress, perfect for the wedding day. Shoes were borrowed from the big sister - very important to have sister's or friends with the same size feet!

Flowers were kept very simple with button holes for the groom and best man and a corsage for the bride.

The venue for the wedding reception was at the big sister's garden - not massive but with standing room only 65 people were fitted in - very good job everyone knew each other!

The wedding breakfast was a buffet, all sourced from the local supermarket, and we made a stunning display with fruit as the centerpiece.

The total cost for the wedding was only a few hundred, but the day was beautiful and simple and all about the happy couple.

About The Author
Suzanne Daykin is owner of http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com

Suzanne has spent the last 12 years working in the Hospitality Industry as a wedding planner and event manager. Organising thousands of functions from small personal parties to large corporate product launches in the UK and Europe. Currently a work at home mum, Suzanne set up her own event company in 2006 and now looks to help future brides and grooms save money on their wedding

Wedding Etiquette - Your Most Common Wedding Etiquette Dilemmas Solved

As one of the biggest and most potentially stressful events of your
life, getting engaged and subsequently planning a wedding brings with
it an onslaught of questions. As times change and weddings evolve,
traditional rules of etiquette have followed suit, only adding to the
confusion.

To gain perspective, first understand that
"etiquette" is above all about treating people with courtesy and making
them feel comfortable. When an etiquette question arises, consider the
feelings of those who will be affected. To steer you through the fog of
questions, I've compiled a quick look at the top five most common
wedding etiquette dilemmas: Family Etiquette, Invitation Etiquette,
Gift Etiquette, Attire Etiquette and The Cash Bar Issue.

Family Etiquette:

Introducing Your Parents -

If
the bride and groom's parents have not met prior to the engagement,
tradition dictates that the groom's family calls and introduces
themselves to the bride's family and arranges a meeting. If the groom's
parents do not make the first introduction, then the bride's parents
should. Nowadays, who makes the first call is irrelevant; all that
really matters is that the parents meet. If meeting face to face is
impossible, a letter or phone call will suffice.

Introducing Divorced Parents -

If
the groom's parents are divorced, the parent with the closest
relationship to the groom should take the first step in meeting the
bride's parents. If both sets are divorced, the parent closest to the
groom should first contact the bride's suggested parent. If no one
begins the introduction process, the couple should step in and ensure
that everyone meets, while refraining from forcing potentially awkward
situations.

Your In-Laws -

The groom's parents often
feel left out of the planning process. To avoid this, invite your
future in-laws into the initial dialogue. You should immediately inform
them of your ideas regarding location, date, size and style of the
wedding. Take queues on their desired level of involvement and include
them accordingly. Let them make offers to pitch in with finances or
planning. Above all, keep them informed throughout your engagement.

Invitation Etiquette:

Inviting partners and guests -

If
an invited guest is married, engaged or living with a significant
other, that partner must be included in the invitation. A single
invitation addressed to both individuals should be sent to spouses or
couples who live together, while separate invitations should be sent to
each member of an engaged or long term couple who don't live together.
Inviting single guests with a date is a thoughtful gesture, but one
that is not required. If you are inviting a single guest with a date,
try to find out the name of your friend's intended date and include
that person's name on the invitation. Otherwise, inner envelopes may
include "And Guest," indicating that he or she may bring any chosen
escort or friend.

Guests Who Ask to Bring a Guest -

Your
guests should know better! It is never appropriate for a guest to ask
to bring a date, and you have every right to politely say no. However,
if you discover that a guest is engaged or living with a significant
other, you should extend a written or verbal invitation.

Invitations to out-of-town guests -

Many
brides ponder whether or not it's appropriate to invite long distance
guests for whom it may be impossible to attend. Use your best judgment.
Is this person truly a close friend who would want to attend your
celebration? If so, failing to extend an invitation may be insulting.
Remember, these days friends and family are often spread all over the
country, and people are accustomed to traveling. On the other hand, if
you haven't spoken in years, an invitation may look like no more than a
request for a gift. In those cases, send a wedding announcement
instead, which carries no gift-giving obligation.

Gift-giving Etiquette:

Yes,
we all love to receive gifts, and weddings are a perfect occasion for
gift-giving. Friends and loved ones customarily honor the commitment of
the newly betrothed by showering them with gifts. As the happy couple,
just remember to always feel privileged—not entitled. So, let's review
a bit of etiquette as it relates to wedding gifts...

1) Never mention gifts (gift choices or gift registry) on the invitation.

2)
Publicize your registry information by word of mouth. It's also
acceptable to include it on a wedding website or shower invitation
(since showers are not typically hosted by the bride or groom)

3) There is no polite way to ask for cash gifts. This can only be done through word of mouth.

4) Honeymoon registries are appropriate.

5) Do not use any gifts until after a wedding.

6)
All gifts, even shower gifts, must be returned if the wedding is
cancelled or annulled before living together as a married couple.

7) Gift giving for vow renewal, reaffirmation ceremonies or encore weddings is not mandatory, but is a nice gesture.

8)
There is no special formula for determining the appropriate amount a
guest should spend on a gift. The idea that each gift should cost as
much as one plate at the reception is an impractical misconception.

Attire Etiquette:

While
rules for modern wedding attire have evolved with the times, there are
still traditional standards for fabrics, lengths and styles. Here are
some guidelines:

The formality of your bridesmaids' dresses
should match that of your wedding dress. Although traditionally the
dresses were the same length as the wedding gown, the rise in
popularity of tea- and knee-length bridesmaids' dresses has relaxed
that rule. As long as the fabric and overall style matches the
formality of your floor-length gown, shorter bridesmaids' dresses are
perfectly acceptable.

For evening weddings, guests should
dress for a nice dinner or event - which includes suits (or black tie)
for men and dresses or skirts in sophisticated colors and fabrics for
women. Lengths can vary according to the style of the event and
location. Female guests may now wear black, but never white.

The Cash Bar Issue:

Yes,
weddings are expensive. Yes, couples should be on the lookout for
budget saving tips. Yes, weddings are expensive - we know. But never -
under any circumstances - should you ever consider hosting a cash bar
at your reception. Think about it - you would never ask anyone to pay
for a cocktail in your own home. People at your reception are still
your guests, even if the event is not held in your house. That said, if
a full bar is not within your budget, consider these alternatives:

Host a soft bar, in which guests can order champagne, beer and wine.

Find
a reception site that allows you to bring in your own alcohol; you will
save serious cash, and anything unopened can be returned for a full
refund.

Cut down the size of your guest list - the only significant way to reduce costs in the first place.

For a complete guide to creating an elegant and memorable wedding celebration, visit http://www.elegala.com, your ultimate wedding planning resource.