Our June 2014 monthly live wedding planner chat included the answers to several great wedding planner questions.
Wedding Planner Pricing Dilemmas
[00:04:43]Tracey asked, “How do I limit the services that I provide with a partial wedding planning package?”One of the easiest ways to prevent customers from getting more of your professional time than they’ve paid you for is to charge by the hour. This method of invoicing means that you’re fairly compensated for all of your time. The thing is, most of your potential clients won’t like this arrangement.
If hourly doesn’t seem to work for your area, be very specific and list exactly what your services you will provide — line by line — in your wedding package. Being vague or general won’t help you in this scenario. If you agree to accompany your client on four (4) vendor visits, then list that in your agreement.
Working with Clients with Small Wedding Budgets
[00:11:58] Danita has a potential client with a small wedding budget and needs help with ‘cutting corners’. What can she do?This is a situation that almost all of us experience at some point in our wedding planning career — usually when we’re new to the field. If you’re a beginner, then one of the first things to do is determine how much you will charge to plan a wedding.
Do this before you start meeting with your prospects. Know what you’re minimum fee will be and stick to it. If a prospect can’t afford or doesn’t see the value in your minimum fee, move on.
What’s the best way to Connect with Other Wedding Planners?
[00:33:28] Kelly is a new wedding planner in her area and is struggling to ‘get in’ with some of the more established wedding planners. One of the biggest waste of time for new or aspiring wedding planners is trying to work with, shadow, or, in this instance, get the approval of, other seasoned wedding planners.Instead of focusing on other wedding planners, spend more time and energy with other wedding pros — the caterers, venues, photographers, etc. — in your town. Schedule time to go out and meet them in person so that you can learn what it is that they do.
What’s in Debbie’s Welcome Packet?
[00:39:30] This was a question from Debra. Thanks for asking.The welcome packet that I provide to new clients includes a copy of the signed wedding planning contract, my policies and procedures form, a tip booklet, and a small gift, typically a wedding planner book (The Knot’s Wedding Planner in a Box is a favorite).
What Should I Do when the Hotel/Venue has its own Wedding Coordinator?
[00:40:20] Syliva works with a hotel wedding coordinator and wonders how she can guarantee a smooth working relationship. The key is to meet with the venue/hotel coordinator early on to discuss who is responsible for doing what relates to your client’s wedding. Go in peace. 🙂 Don’t assume that there will be a problem.How do I Deal with Clients who won’t Discuss their Wedding Budget?
[00:46:04] If your prospect doesn’t want to talk money, here’s what you need to do: Walk away!Planning another person’s wedding is a very personal service, and there needs to be trust and communication between both parties (i.e., you and the client). Without it, there’s no sense in moving forward.
How to Plan Weddings: Create a System
An effective way to plan each of your client’s weddings is to follow a system. Rinse ‘n repeat. Doing so will make your life as a wedding planner so much easier. Here’s my 20-step system for planning a wedding; feel free to use it as a guideline for your wedding planning business.
Planning Weddings for Free
[01:2:17] Yeri and a friend have agreed to plan a wedding for free, PLUS the client plans on having family members and/or friends provide some of the services (that a professional would usually handle). During the show we discussed a few things to help Yeri out.What’s the Best Way to Market to Men?
[01:08:43] The best way I know to get help with a situation I’m unfamiliar with is to go directly to the source. Why guess? So, if I want to know how to market to a particular demographic — in this case, men — and I can locate and assemble a group of said demographic, that’s the route I’m likely to take.Why not get a group of men together and ask them, directly, where they go, what they read, how they get most of their information…
A Local Wedding Planner Success Story
[01:18:01] Clarissa is a new co-host for a popular, online, wedding talk show on BlogTalkRadio. And as if that’s not enough, she’s managed to host a local wedding event (her second, by the way) in her hometown.Resources Mentioned:
Wedding Business Guide – If you’re ready to launch your own wedding planning business and need help, my Day of Wedding Business course is a step-by-step guide that may be what you’re looking for. Visit WeddingBusinessGuide.com DayofWeddingBusiness.com to learn more.
Download your Free AudioBook, Today! – Here’s a great way to ‘read’ a great business or non-fiction book from Audible. Use this link to try the service for free for 30 days. If you spend several hours of your day commuting or working out, this is a productive way to pass the time.
CostofWedding.com – provides an estimate of how much weddings in your area (you can enter a specific zip-code) cost. Visit CostofWedding.com to learn more.
Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) – This is a great organization for professional wedding planners. Visit the ABC website to learn more.
