Home Based Business Wedding Consultant

Wedding consultants play an important part in what is one of the biggest events of a couple's life. This is a highly profitable, but competitive home based business.

When the bride-to-be and groom-to-be both work, a wedding consultant can ease the pressure of planning and can keep peace in the families. A consultant helps the couple to stay within their budget, while helping them make a statement on their big day.

Ideally, your job begins a year before the wedding. You help the couple select the location of their wedding, which then establishes the theme of the wedding.

Your responsibility is to coordinate all the activities that take place on the big day, decorations, reception, caterers, musicians, and so on. You work with the person performing the ceremony to coordinate the service itself.

A wedding consultant builds and maintains relationships with contacts in related industries, such as florists, caterers, photographers, musicians, and so on. This home based business requires expertise and skill. It is a job that be filled with stress. You have to be tactful and diplomatic in your dealings with the couple, the wedding party, the families, and the vendors.

What you earn depends on how many weddings you can fit into your schedule in a year.

You need to build a portfolio. Start by organizing weddings for friends and relatives, get pictures from the wedding photographers and a letter of recommendation from the bride. You can also gain exprience by working for a wedding consultant.

You have to be sensitive to the needs of your clients. Let your ideas become their ideas. The stress may get to you, but remember the client is always right.

As your reputation grows, you have to decide whether you want to expand your business. If you have the room, you can maintain your home based business office and have an assistant working with you.

What does it take for this business?

For this home based business you need excellent organizational and negotiating skills. You need to be detail-oriented, have a pleasing and positive personality, be able to inspire confidence in your ability to arrange and manage an event, small or large within a budget. You need to be able to work under pressure and retain your client's confidence.

You need to have a portfolio to show prospective clients the work you have done with client letters of recommendation.

You need to establish and maintain good relationships with vendors and create a referral network.

What does it take to operate this business?

You should set up a separate space for your home based office. This will make it easier for you to focus on your work.

The start-up cost for this business ranges from $2,000 to $5,000, depending on whether you have any of the equipment or supplies needed.

Basic equipment and supplies:

• Computer
• Printer
• Fax
• Cellular phone/Pager
• Business phone line
• Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
• Contact Management or Database software
• Word processing software
• Business stationery and cards
• Brochures
• Web site

You can review resources for this home based business here.

What services do I provide?

• Assist the couple in selecting the location of their wedding.
• Assist the couple in coordinating the various elements of their theme: invitations, table settings, decorations, music, flowers, and food.
• Assist the bride in the selection of bridesmaid's dresses.
• Assist the groom in the selection of tuxedos for the groomsmen.
• Assist the couple in the selection of wedding invitations.
• Arrange, if requested, for a calligrapher to address the invitations.
• Plan the rehearsal dinner.
• Assist in the design of the wedding cake.
• Rent tents, tables, chairs, and linens.
• Choose a photographer or videotaping service or both.
• Hire a make-up artist for the bride and the women in the wedding party.
• Select a caterer.
• Hire a DJ or band.
• Reserve a limousine service.
• Assist the bride in registering for wedding gifts.
• Accompany the bride to vendors to sample suggested menu items.
• Assist with guest list and monitor response.
• Confirm vendors prior to wedding.
• On site coordination of ceremony and reception on wedding day.
• Create wedding timeline.
• Create seating charts.
• Arrange transportation, accommodations, itineraries, and gifts for out-of-town guests.
• Assist bride in selection of wedding favors.
• Negotiate contracts with vendors.
• Assist with honeymoon planning and reservations.

What are my potential earnings?

$35,000 to $60,000 annually (depends on volume and location)

How much do I charge for my services?

You can charge a flat fee: 10 to 15 percent of the wedding budget; an hourly rate: $50 to $150; or a diem rate of $300 to $1200.

How do I bill for my services?

You present an itemized bill to your client for services rendered. You may want to contract with your clients and collect a deposit up front. Vendor bills should be promptly presented to your client for payment.

How do I market my business?

Offline

• Network and establish relationships with wedding related businesses: florists, photographers, printers, bakeries, caterers, make-up artists, musicians, travel agents, and disc jockeys.
• List your home based business services in the Yellow Pages.
• Join community groups and participate in professional and trade associations.
• Advertise in wedding publications and wedding supplements in newspapers.
• Mail brochures to prospective clients.
• Offer free consultation to couples.
• Give seminars at local community centers and adult education centers.
• Build referrals by planning and managing other types of events and parties, such as anniversary and retirement.
• Place classified ads in local and community newspapers.
• Place brochures in wedding-related businesses: florist shops, bridal shops, tuxedo shops, bakeries, party stores, and so on.
• Create a portfolio of weddings you have planned and include letters of recommendation from the brides.
• Rent booths at trade shows.

Online

• Create an informative Web site and list your home based business services.
• Display your porfolio of weddings.
• Include helpful tips for couples.
• Develop a newsletter advertising your service with helpful tips.
• List your Web site in online directories.
• Issue an online press release.
• Link your Web site to related businesses.
• Link your Web site to local Web sites in your community.
• List your Web site in directories that serve the travel industry.
• List your Web site in wedding directories, such as Modernbride.com and weddingchannel.com.
• Publish letters of recommendation on your Web site.

This home based business requires a great deal of organization and patience. Review resources for this home based business here.