I want to be a wedding planner but I need help! Some advice from wedding planners?

I'm 16 years old and i want to be a wedding planner but I have no idea where to start. Please help!





-Where would I start?


-What schooling would I have?


-What could i do for business?


-What are the odds that a wedding planner would be successful in today's economy?





Any advice or stories would be greatly appreciated.I want to be a wedding planner but I need help! Some advice from wedding planners?
Wedding planners work with couples who are about to be married. A wedding planner helps couples organize and coordinate the events of their wedding day.





No one really knows the average cost of a wedding, but many experts say it is more than $20,000. Some couples spend two or even three times that amount! With that much money involved in an event that lasts only a few hours, many couples want help setting up their day. They hire a wedding planner who coordinates every aspect of a wedding.





Planners organize the caterers and photographers, order flowers, and hire musicians or DJs. They may work to scout and secure a location for the wedding. Some wedding planners also help design the invitations.





Wedding planners work closely with many people, often during stressful periods. Thus it helps to be friendly and personable. Planners work closely with the bride and groom as well as their families. To begin the planning process, they interview the bride and groom. Their goal is to learn about the couple's personal tastes and their vision for the wedding.





Planners also network with many people from many different ';wedding vendor'; businesses (e.g., photographers, florists, caterers, and DJs). Planners must develop good relationships with these vendors. Establishing good connections ensures that you get good deals. This is essential because you must present the bride and groom with choices that fit their budget. Wedding planners also review the contract offers from vendors. They may explain the contracts to the bride and groom so they can make educated choices.





Wedding planners often are involved with more than one wedding at a time. As a result they must be good at staying organized. Throughout the planning process, planners keep in touch with the engaged couple and the vendors. They must document revisions to the wedding plans to make sure all parties know of the changes. On the wedding day, planners are present to oversee the delivery of the contracted services.





Weddings can be stressful for everyone involved. Unexpected problems may pop up. What do you do if the photographer is running late? What if an outdoor wedding is hit with a sudden rainstorm? A wedding planner must act quickly in a crisis and be good at soothing the nerves of the bride and groom, their families, and guests. At times like these it helps to be good at thinking on your feet.





Successful wedding planners also spend a lot of time promoting their business. They constantly need to recruit new clients. Thus planners must create a plan for marketing their services.





Wedding planners are also known as wedding consultants or wedding coordinators.





Employment


In Oregon, very few people work in this very small occupation.





Most wedding planners are self-employed. However, some inns, hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, and gardens that are popular for weddings have an ';in-house'; wedding coordinator. In many cases, in-house coordinators are not involved in all aspects of planning. They generally focus on the services provided by their employer.





Major employers:





* Wedding consulting firms


* Hotels





Outlook


As the population and personal incomes grow, the demand for wedding planners should increase. As the wedding industry grows, there will be a need for wedding planners to help families locate services that meet their needs.





You should take a general high school curriculum that meets the state's graduation requirements. You will be required to take both math and science classes to graduate.





Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this occupation include:





* Art


* Computer Fundamentals


* Hospitality


* Interior Design


* Public Speaking





Most wedding planners are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:





* Accounting


* Entrepreneurship


* Introduction to Business





The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.





You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.





Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.





reparation





To work as a wedding planner, you must:





* have a high school diploma or GED; and


* complete a training course or gain planning experiI want to be a wedding planner but I need help! Some advice from wedding planners?
The most important thing needed to become a good wedding planner is a love for the job. This is one of those careers where if you like what you're doing, you'll probably be great at it. You'll need to be good with people and have some taste, of course. And it's important to have strong organizational skills, but those are things you can learn from training and experience. A love for the job is something you'd need to have inside you.





Okay, here's a good online school you can consider and some info from their website:





U.S. Career Institute


We are one of the largest distance-learning education institutions in the nation. For nearly a quarter of a century, we have trained thousands of men and women for exciting careers that can be performed at home or in an office.





When you enroll in one of our programs you receive what we like to call ';personal home-study training.'; That means that even though you are in a class of one, you are never alone because you can contact us whenever you need help by calling our toll-free student help line.





When you join us, you become a part of our family. That's a true statement because, as a graduate, you receive lifetime graduate support. What other school, that you know of, can make that claim?





2001 Lowe Street 鈥?Fort Collins 鈥?Colorado 鈥?80525


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http://www.uscareerinstitute.com/wedding鈥?/a>





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And some info about the career:





Vocational Schools offer courses of study for wedding planners (wedding consultants, bridal consultants) for those who like working with people, who enjoy planning large gatherings, and who are good at negotiating and networking.





Too often, brides and grooms are busy with their jobs and don't have time to spend planning their weddings. The wedding planner, or wedding consultant, facilitates, mediates, manages, and fulfills dreams of their clients. Wedding planning is a stressful job, requiring patience and the ability to remain calm in adverse situations. On occasion, wedding planners may feel as though they are cast in roles as therapists, sounding boards, and ';punching bags.';





The wedding planner must be personable, a good listener, and a good delegate for their clients. They are the spokesperson for the bride and groom in all facets of planning, including ordering flowers, hiring musicians, hiring photographers, finding a caterers, finding locations, choosing colors, etc. Wedding planners look for the best services, best prices, and connections that will ensure successful events. Wedding planners must be very organized and must be adept at handling financial arrangements they make for their clients, as well as their own finances.





Knowledge of customs and traditions of various ethnic groups and various religious practices is essential for wedding planners. Professional wedding planners should expect to regularly read current materials throughout their careers to keep abreast of the latest wedding styles, colors, and trends.


http://ezinearticles.com/?Wedding-Planni鈥?/a>





And there's also a very good article here that should help you:





http://www.elearners.com/guide-to-online鈥?/a>








Good luck!