If you’re not a wedding or event planner yet and are considering taking an online class, here are tips that will help you choose the right course of study.
Question
I want to become a wedding and event planner and I am planning to study with an online school to get a certificate or diploma. Should I study to be a wedding planner or an event planner? The courses look very similar.
Answer
The course that you chose depends on whether you have a real passion for weddings and plan to build a business as a wedding planner or if you would prefer to mostly plan other types of events and just do a few weddings. In other words, what you want your core business to be?
A course of study for wedding planners and one for event planners will have some similarities. They may both teach you basic planning skills and how to set up and market a planning business. However, a course for wedding planners should go into depth about how to plan different types of wedding ceremonies and receptions, work with brides, partner with wedding vendors and market to brides.
An event planner course of study may include training on planning corporate events, fundraisers, and business and social celebrations and weddings. It should prepare you to market and work with both business and social clients. However, be aware that the more types of events it covers, the more likely you will only be getting a bird’s eye view of each of the subjects.
Before you invest in any school, please do thorough research into their courses and make sure they offer what you need. There are many places that offer online courses and certificates or degrees and the industry is not regulated so the quality of courses can vary. Ask for references, talk to graduates, and check their refund policies before you enroll. And, of course, don’t select a course just because it has a celebrity endorsement.
If you decide on a wedding planning course, read my tips about selecting a wedding planning certificate course in my previous blog post. Understand that you don’t need a degree or certificate to work as either a wedding or an event planner. Also, good education is helpful but you need to combine it with experience in order to attract brides.
And if you want more help to become a top wedding planner, sign in to get my free Special Report, “7 Steps to Becoming a Top Wedding Planner.”
