Weddings are just like any other event right? There are people, a venue, catering, so your staff don’t need specific wedding training – as long as they understand events they’ll be fine…….wrong.
Weddings are the pinnacle event in people’s lives. Their hopes, dreams and fairytale fantasies rest on that one day. For your staff, that’s a lot of pressure and expectation to live up to. For you, it’s your reputation on the line.
Weddings are also a big money industry. With people willing to pay far more than a standard event for the guarantee of a perfect day.
That’s why specific wedding coordinator training for your staff is an essential business cost. Because if you get weddings right, they can be hugely profitable for your hotel or venue. But if you get them wrong? Yeesh, it causes a lot of stress and headaches!
Why should your hotel or wedding venue invest in wedding coordinator courses for your staff?
From the moment a couple walk onto your grounds or through your door for a viewing, you’re on show. No scrap that; from the moment they first call or email you, you’re on show! Your levels of professionalism, empathy and excitement need to be sky high and stay that way.
No challenge is too big, and no request too outlandish – everything delivered with a smile, while making the couple feel like the most special people in the world. That’s the role of a wedding coordinator.
Then from a business perspective, you need them to convert show rounds to paying customers. And you need to facilitate weddings without interrupting the day-to-day operations (or any other guests!)
It sounds like a big job when you put it like that, doesn’t it? You wouldn’t put that much responsibility on any other member of staff without providing the right training for them. It’s the same for wedding coordinators. They’re an integral part of your business, and you need to support them to do the best job possible. It’s your hotel or venue’s reputation and profits on the line if they don’t manage it.
What are the benefits of a wedding planner course for staff, the hotel and the customer?
The right wedding coordinator training course benefits everyone from the venue to the staff member to the customer. It’s a win win win situation. Let’s take a look at what those benefits are:
Retain staff
Good staff can be hard to find, and great staff even harder. So when you do find them, you need to make sure you keep them for as long as possible. Offering your staff training to help them develop their skills is one way to do that. Not only do you benefit from their new skill set or knowledge, but it makes them feel appreciated and valued.
Happy staff are more productive and more willing to go the extra mile, which in the wedding industry is essential!
Increase your profit
When a wedding coordinator understands the business side of things as well as the client-side they’re able to make much more effective business decisions.
The result for you? More profit.
Knowing how to do a great show round, how to upsell and how to create cost-effective packages will all impact your bottom line. Every sale is essential, and highly trained staff will be in the best position to convert leads into sales.
Reputation
You don’t need us to tell you how important your reputation is to your hotel or venue’s success. A great reputation is a marketing tool that you just can’t buy. That reputation comes from happy clients, guest satisfaction, sparkling reviews and word-of-mouth referrals. How do you get all of those things? From first-class professionalism and service. How do you get that? From the right training for your staff – like wedding coordinator training.
Experience of a lifetime
Excited couples looking to plan their special day might come with unrealistic expectations or specific requests. Your wedding coordinator’s role is to bring these ideas to life, maybe in a slightly more realistic manner but to keep the couple happy, so they have the experience of a lifetime.
Specific wedding coordinator training helps your staff to have the knowledge and confidence to do this. Both in managing the couple’s expectations and also in the creative side of wedding planning. Fulfilling their dreams and upholding the reputation of the venue helps attract future bookings.
Selling point for clients
You don’t just want the best venue, you want the best staff. Highly trained wedding coordinators on site, handling all of your bookings is an incredible selling point. Who do you think your clients would prefer to be dealing with, the receptionist who dabbles in show rounds and weddings on the side or a specifically trained wedding coordinator? Not every hotel or venue has such a resource at their disposal; make sure yours does!
Impact on other staff
Without an experienced hand, weddings can quickly take over a hotel or venue. If your guests have exclusive use, then that’s not a problem, but when you have other guests in other spaces, or if you have more than one wedding space, that can become an issue.
Trained wedding coordinators are best placed to manage guests, suppliers and staff, helping to minimise the wider business disruption. Whether that’s liaising with the kitchen and waiting team, managing setups and breakdowns, or even managing the constant stream of show rounds. Creating a smooth experience for both guests and internal staff helps keep business running regardless of how many weddings there are or how many guests are in attendance.
Don’t we offer wedding coordinator courses?
We do, and our Certificate in Wedding Planning course is suitable for those working in a wedding venue or as part of a wedding planning team.
But we aren’t necessarily the right course for everyone. You see, like weddings themselves, there are a whole host of training courses out there depending on your location, what particular aspects you want to upskill in and also your budget.
If you are serious about training your staff, then you need to make sure that you’re choosing the right course for them and your business.
That’s why we’re also going to talk you through some other wedding coordinator courses out there too!
Of course, we’d be delighted if you chose us, but more importantly, we want you to find the right provider for you. We know just how important training is for your staff, and it’s vital you choose correctly.
What other wedding planning courses are there?
There is a whole world of wedding coordinator training courses out there. Here are a selection broken down by location:
Wedding coordinator courses and certificates for those in the US
QC Event School
This course focus on practical planning tools before moving on to look at cultural and religious variations of weddings. You’ll also receive 1-1 feedback from your tutor to help your progress.
Wedding Planning Institute
Offering comprehensive training over 8-12 weeks, this course also has optional live weekly class discussions to help you learn business best practices, methods, and techniques.
New York Institute of Art & Design
Their online course is certified by the Association of Bridal Consultants and allows you up to 18 months to complete the course at your own pace.
Weddings Beautiful
With over 50 years in the industry, Weddings Beautiful Worldwide look to support aspiring and established wedding planners with two certifications available.
Wedding coordinator courses and certifications for those in the UK
The Event School London
With a choice of online or in-person courses, you’re given the opportunity to learn from one of the UK’s leading wedding industry leaders and influencers – Siobhàn Craven-Robins.
The Wedding Planner School
Offering a huge range of courses from home-based to 1-1 to video, you’ll find a course to suit your lifestyle and ambitions here.
UK Alliance of Wedding Planners
As the leading industry body for the UK wedding industry, you can guarantee the level of professionalism and knowledge in these courses.
Wedding coordinator courses and certifications for those in Australia
Wedding Planner Institute
The Wedding Planner Institute’s aim is to help people build a successful career in wedding planning by giving them all the tools they need.
Institute of Wedding Planning
Offering online training courses based on real-life practical experience. Whether you need a basic course or something more advanced they have plenty of options.
Want to know more about us?
Our fast-paced, online Certificate in Wedding Planning course will help your staff become certified wedding planners, giving them everything they need to plan, design and organise beautiful weddings for your clients.
We also have an Advanced Certificate in Wedding Planning, which will help your staff plan and style beautiful weddings AND understand how to get new clients, upselling and marketing.
How should you choose?
It’s not only your staff that will benefit from specific wedding coordinator training. You’ll see the difference in your business and your guest satisfaction. But like all courses, there are many options, so do your research and, with your wedding coordinator, find the best course to support their development and learning.
