Wedding Planning Business: What It Takes to Get Started

Starting a wedding planning business takes careful research and planning to ensure your future lovebirds will be satisfied. Learn what it takes to get started and discover if there is an easier path to helping couples tie the knot.

Four Tips for Getting Started

If you have a passion for helping people celebrate the big occasions in their lives, starting a wedding planning business may be the ideal way for you to take charge of your future. The average cost of a wedding in the U.S. was $28,000 in 2021, according to The Knot. Couples are willing to lay out the cash for the important occasion, and tapping into the profitable wedding industry can provide profitable returns for business owners.

For most couples, their wedding day is a momentous occasion. They will want a vendor with a solid reputation and credentials to ensure their big day isn’t a big flop.

Complete Weddings + Events helps at least 13,000 couples per year plan their perfect wedding and is ready to give you some tips if you want to get into the business of providing for couples during this special time.

1. Develop Your Business Plan. Most wedding planning services specialize in certain aspects of the event, such as catering, flowers, or photography. Will your business be a one-stop-shop, or do you plan on specializing? While your first inclination may be to manage the entire event, that can be a heavy load for a startup entrepreneur. Complete Weddings + Events focuses on photography, videography, DJ, photo booths, coordination and lighting. We offer custom packages designed to appeal to a variety of budgets.
2. Do the Paperwork. Starting a business from scratch requires navigating a lot of red tape. You’ll need to obtain all the necessary permits, licenses, and insurance required to get your venture up and running. Taking care of the back-office administrative tasks is time-consuming, but it’s a necessary step in running a business successfully.
3. Find Service Providers. Most wedding planners form partnerships with local service providers to make the big day run smoothly. As part of your business, you will need to establish contacts with trained individuals to take care of the tasks associated with the wedding, such as photographers, limousine providers, and florists. Having access to the best talents in your area will help your business thrive.
4. Create a Marketing Plan. You’ve done the paperwork and networked with all the photographers and florists in your area. Now it’s time to start securing brides and grooms. Developing an omnichannel marketing strategy to build your business is a must. You will need a print and online strategy to get the word out. Complete Weddings + Events uses an advertising agency to reach its target market. We also have a search engine optimization provider to keep our brand in front of our ideal customers.

Walk Down the Franchising Aisle with Complete Weddings + Events

Those tips are just the start of the journey you need to take to achieve success in the $72 billion wedding industry. If starting a business from the ground up sounds like a lot to tackle, Complete Weddings + Events has an alternative way for you to achieve your career aspirations.

Consider investing in a franchise business to gain brand recognition and a proven business model alike. For a low initial investment starting at $66,820, you can become the owner of one of the leading brands in the wedding planning industry with franchising support. We’ve been in business for nearly 50 years, and our leadership team can help you realize your dream of owning a full-service event planning business.

Take a look at a few advantages of investing in a wedding planning franchise.

• Year-Round Business Model. To provide you with a year-round business model, Complete Weddings + Events doesn’t stop at wedding planning. Our franchise owners are trained to offer event planning services for every special occasion, including corporate events, bar mitzvahs, and school events.
• Marketing Support. All our franchise owners contribute to a marketing fund to help raise brand awareness. It provides national, regional, and local advertising, as well as marketing materials.
• Pricing Guidance. Knowing how much to charge for services can be challenging for a wedding planner, and most couples are on a budget. Complete Weddings + Events has access to a report providing a breakdown of the total paid for the weddings in your local area. We help our franchise owners set up a base price for their services as part of the training process.
• Training. New franchise owners spend at least seven days training at our corporate office and have three additional days of training locally. As part of the training, franchisees learn about business development, operations, sales, marketing, technology, and networking. Complete Weddings + Events provides ongoing support through weekly webinars and annual meetings. Having support from the franchisor and a network of peers to offer best practices helps streamline the startup process.