Here are tips for what you can do if you don’t feel you fit the standard expectation of what a wedding planner looks like.
Question
I need advice about my personal appearance. I live in the Bible Belt, and while I’m not saying that all wedding planners are like this, most whom I’ve seen on websites appear to be clean cut and conservative.
I am the complete opposite of that with my full collection of body art and modifications. Most can be covered but I still I fear that since I look a lot different from most of the people in the wedding industry here, or people here in general, I’ll be quickly rejected and my passion will be overlooked because of how I look.
How can I get brides to see me as a professional who is passionate about being in the wedding industry and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed?
Answer
I can tell that you have a real passion to be a wedding planner. If you want to work with traditional brides, you may need to cover up your body art, especially when you first start your business. Once you gain a reputation for being a fabulous wedding planner, brides may be less concerned about how you look.
However, I have a different suggestion for you because I don’t think you should need to hide who you are in order to fulfill your dream of becoming a wedding planner. I realize you are in the Bible Belt but I’m sure that not all brides in your area want a traditional wedding. Many couples today feel free to be who they are at their weddings, especially since many are paying for the event themselves.
I would like you to consider specializing in a niche of brides who look like you and/or want creative, non-traditional weddings. Surf the Internet for inspiration and ideas. Put in words like; “offbeat,” “punk,” “rock n’ roll,” “badass,” “alternative” and “tattoo” followed by the word “bride” and you’ll find websites, blogs, Pinterest boards and books available on this topic. Become an expert in this wedding style and study traditional wedding planning too so you can incorporate ideas from both worlds.
Then go out and talk to your friends to see if they know brides who want a different style of wedding and ask them to refer you. Go to the place where you get your body art, engaged couples sometimes get tattoos together, and find out if they would be willing to refer couples to you. Also, find wedding vendors who would be willing to work with you and your brides.
It could be that you develop your wedding planning business so you not only work in person with brides in your area, but also consult and guide non-traditional brides all over the country, and maybe even the world.
You’ll find the most success when you allow yourself to be who you are and work with brides who appreciate your uniqueness.
And if you have a pressing question about starting or running your wedding planning business, you can send me an email at [email protected]. I will answer them on this blog or in my ezine, “Wedding Planner Tips,” which you can subscribe to here.
