Finding Your Niche as a Wedding Planner

written by

Jac

Finding your niche as a Wedding Planner is one of the first things we talk about in our courses as the Wedding Academy.

Why? Because it serves as the foundation of everything you do.

When you build a house you start with foundations. You wouldn’t build you house on top of a load of mud you’d put your foundations down first. Then you build up from there. Starting a business is very similar.

When you’re in those early stages of starting a business there are so many things to think about. You know you need a business name, a logo, business cards, website and email addresses, to name but a few.

You’ve heard people talk about defining your brand and having a strong brand message, and all these are things are important. But before any of that you need to discover what your niche is.

There’s one big mistake that many rookie wedding planners make; thinking they can be all things to all people. They can’t. It doesn’t work that way.

How do you define your niche?

Let’s use cars as an example.

If you were in the market for a luxury car you wouldn’t go to a second hand car dealer. You’d be off to one of the more exclusive looking showrooms. You’d be looking for the red carpet treatment you expect for purchasing a luxury car.

How would you feel if this luxury showroom displayed a mix of luxury and secondhand bombs?

I’m guessing you’d be confused because I know I would. Immediately the showroom is sending out mixed signals.

Are they a luxury dealership or are they specialising in people looking for their first car?

Do you see where I’m going with this?

The same applies to your wedding business. If your niche is packages for the budget bride then you can’t claim to be a luxury wedding planner. It simply doesn’t make sense.

On the flip side just because you have a niche it doesn’t mean you can’t work with other clients.

One of our mentors at the Wedding Academy, Zoe, her niche is marquee weddings. However, she still works with clients who don’t want a marquee.

What she is able to do though is tailor all her marketing so it speaks to couples looking for a marquee wedding. It makes her a marquee wedding specialist. It makes her an expert in that area.

Can’t I work with all couples?

No you can’t! A common misconception for new planners is they work with ALL couples.

Let me stop you right there.

You cannot work with all couples. All couples are not your client.

It’s impossible to market your wedding business to all couples.

However what you can say is that you’re a wedding planner specialising in vintage weddings for brides in the London/Sydney/San Diego area. You then know your brides are probably scouring blogs like Love My Dress or Chic Vintage Brides.

They might be attending the Vintage Wedding Fayre or maybe shopping for a dress on Vintage Aisle

This gives you an advantage. You know where you need to be from a marketing perspective. You know which Facebook Groups you want to be showing up in.

This of course is only half the story. You still need to know your ideal client intimiately and ask all the usual questions.

Where would my couple go on holiday? What restaurants would they eat at? Where would they shop for furniture? What designers hang in their wardrobe or closet?

Finding your niche is the first piece of the puzzle. You’ve eliminated the couples that aren’t applicable to you and what you offer. Now you can hone in on your target audience much quicker by knowing what your niche is.

And remember, your niche should be something that feels easy for you. Something that’s a natural fit with who and what you represent as a person. What you’ll find is that you come across as authentic and genuine and your perspective clients will believe in you and the services you are offering.

Today is Day 1 of our Wedding Business Bootcamp and it’s not too late to join us. Four days of FREE online training to help you start your wedding planning business. We’ll be covering how to find your niche as part of this so you don’t want to miss it.

 

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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.