How to Become a Wedding Consultant
To become a wedding consultant you must love all aspects of wedding coordination. From assisting with the wedding party to organizing the entertainment and making suggestions about the food, a wedding consultant must possess a wide variety of skills. Assisting others in planning their weddings is both a rewarding and demanding job.
1. Study all aspects of weddings. No official degree programs exist for wedding consultants. Consultants come to the profession from a multitude of education paths. Some possess a liberal arts degree. Others are artists at heart. Some wedding consultants study formally with a mentor.
2. Practice your advising skills. Test your acumen for wedding planning by assisting friends and relatives getting married. Gauge your ability to be patient and effective in helping them pick out wedding gowns, decorations, venues and entertainment. If they are happy with the results, ask them to spread the word.
3. Search for positions that expose you to weddings. A bridal shop in a department store or a popular wedding venue are both locations to gain greater exposure to various aspects of wedding planning. Whether you work as a bridal consultant in a retail shop or as a coordinator in a hotel, you will become more familiar with the elements.
4. Approach an experienced wedding consultant. Consider working as an assistant to a skilled wedding consultant. They may be self-employed or working for a large agency. Choose an opportunity that exposes you to wedding planning for a variety of cultures and traditions.
5. Consider your employment preference. Working for a department store or an agency that provides wedding consulting will mean being part of a larger structure of rules and doing things. Alternatively, working as a self-employed wedding consultant may give you greater freedom but more responsibility.
6. Market your services. In addition to telling friends and family about your new profession, create business cards, design a website, place an ad in bridal magazines and keep an ear out for anyone getting married soon.