Question
Do wedding planners offer financing to brides? I’m assuming that’s how high-end wedding planners get paid, correct? I would like to be able to offer financing to brides so they can have the weddings they want, even if they don’t have the money.
Answer
High-end wedding planners usually have brides who can afford to pay them or have family members who pay. The planners don’t usually take on clients who need them to finance their weddings.
Offering financing is not something I would recommend. Mostly because you don’t want to be in the business of loaning money, you want to be in the business of planning weddings. Also, unless you have a lot of money, you would have to get a loan yourself to be able to loan money out, this could put you and your business in a precarious financial position.
I know it can be difficult to turn away brides who don’t have the money to pay you, but I have found that new planners who select budget brides get so concerned with being affordable that they give many services away for free. This leaves the planner struggling to make ends meet.
Don’t be afraid to set your rates high enough so that you can make a living. Take care of the brides that will pay you what you’re worth, and try to accept that some brides may not be able to afford you and your high quality of service.