From Just Married to Wedding Planner

written by

Jac

One of the most frequent conversations I have with people considering a career as a Wedding Planner or Designer, goes something like this;
“I have just planned my own Wedding.  I had no idea when I started how much I would love everything about it.  I am naturally organised and love paying attention to details, but I am also creative.  Planning my wedding gave me a chance to do all of the things I really love to do in a way that no other job ever has.  I met some amazingly creative people along the way too and some of the Vendors who worked on my wedding have been really encouraging when I told them I was thinking of doing this professionally.  I know being a Wedding Planner is what I am meant to do.”
Wedding Planner

The Fire is Lit

Are you a Bride or Groom,who also felt this way?  Did planning your Wedding light a fire in you?  Did your wedding give you the first chance to express yourself creatively, as a Designer?  Now that you are married and you don’t have a Wedding to plan, do you feel frustrated with your current career?  Do you want to be a Wedding Planner, Designer or Stylist?
Well the good news is;  you are not alone.  So many of the successful professionals working in this industry, share the same story.  And whilst many people feel almost silly admitting that they want to turn their own experience into a professional career as a Wedding Planner, your experience is in fact the ideal way to have tested out whether this is a career you could enjoy and be successful at.  You now have first- hand knowledge of what it is like to take your vision for the perfect day and execute it.  You have gained experience in researching vendors, negotiating contracts, working with a budget, managing a timeline and bringing it all together on the day.  If you did this without the help of your own Wedding Planner or Coordinator, we commend you and even if you did have help, you have planned your first wedding; an event loaded with detail to be paid attention to. That is no small feat!
Wedding Planner

Becoming a Professional

So becoming a Wedding Planner after being a Bride or Groom is a perfectly valid way to get started in the industry. But it also must be said, that planning your own Wedding, does not make you a professional Wedding Planner.  Yes, you have gained some experience and skills and a very intimate understanding of what planning a wedding takes, but you did it for one very obliging customer, you and your partner.  As difficult as you may been as a Bride/Groom, doing this for a couple whose values, style and vision for their day is very different to your own, takes Wedding Planning to another level.  Even when you are planning a wedding for a client with a similar style to your own wedding, its different.  And that is where training and some work experience is valuable.  You need to become a professional to plan weddings for clients.
Wedding Planner

The Next Step

The next step is to learn and experience more so you can extend your experience beyond your own wedding.  Here are some of the benefits of enrolling in a course with the Academy & undertaking work experience, before launching yourself into your new career as a Wedding Planner;

  • Training will consolidate the skills and experiences you have had whilst planning your own wedding and help you to see planning a Wedding from a professional point of view (essential when managing someone else’s expectations and budget!).
  • A qualification, gained via training will give you confidence in your abilities.
  • Your future client’s will have more confidence in your abilities when you can demonstrate your professionalism via a recognised qualification.
  • Work experience will give you the chance to be part of ‘wedding day’ as a worker, rather than the star; having planned your own wedding you will already have an understanding of how much is going on behind the scenes to make it all happen.
  • A qualification enables you to charge what you are worth for the services you are offering (no more freebies for friends because you love planning weddings so much and they can see how good you are at it!).

The pressure and challenge of working as a Wedding Planner for paying clients, can’t be experienced as Bride or Groom. But your experience of planning your own wedding is an excellent place to start your new career as a Wedding Planner.
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I'm Jac Bowie

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David Tutera

Leading Wedding & Entertaining Expert, David Tutera is hailed as an artistic visionary whose ability, uniquely creative talents and outstanding reputation have made him a tremendous success in the lifestyle arena. Tutera has created a name for himself by taking his passion for designing spectacular events and transforming it into a lifestyle.

He continuously exceeds the expected with an unmatched level of inspiration, imagination and innovation to create the latest trends in entertaining. Tutera’s grandfather, a successful florist, first noticed his grandson’s artistic ability at an early age and encouraged David to pursue his destiny. At age 19, with the sound advice of his grandfather and only one client, David opened his own event planning business.

Today, David Tutera presides over an award winning company built from experience, dedication and Tutera’s natural talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His name has become synonymous with style, elegance, creativity and vision. David Tutera has a natural talent for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His name has become synonymous with style, elegance, creativity and vision.

Honored by Life & Style Magazine as “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner,” David’s impressive client list includes Jewel, Star Jones’ wedding, Real Housewife Taylor Armstrong’s wedding, Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul’s wedding, NY Giants Antonio Pierce’s wedding, Shannen Doherty’s wedding and events for Jennifer Lopez, Matthew McConaughey, Brandy and Ray J, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Lil’ Kim, the Official Post Grammy Parties in New York City, Elton John, Barbara Walters, the Rolling Stones, Nancy Reagan, Prince Charles, The White House, private events for the Vice President, Kenneth Cole, Tommy Hilfiger, Susan Lucci, The John F. Kennedy Center, as well as countless film premieres and celebrity parties for royalty, politicians and socialites.

Tutera has also designed events for several charities including the Prevent Cancer Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association, DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids) and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. David has made guest appearances on Today, Extra!, Good Morning America, The View, CNN, The Rachael Ray Show, The Talk, Steve Harvey, Wendy Williams and many more. In addition People, USA Today, In Touch, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, In Style, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Bridal Guide and Town & Country have all featured his work.

Tutera has also made special television appearances in the popular daytime soap, The Young & the Restless and TV Land’s The Exes. David lives in Los Angeles with his husband Joey, daughter Cielo and their rescue dog Lucy.