the wedding planner's handbook
Skills, stories and workbook pages for planning beautiful weddings and building your business.
Everything a wedding planner needs to know, explained plainly and in the order you'll need it. From your first consultation to the last invoice, with worksheets you can use with real clients the same week.
By Jac Bowie, owner and CEO of The Wedding Academy
Instant download. See it in the shop, $49 USD. Prefer print? Get the paperback ($69 USD).
Since 2004 · more than 11,000 students · 100% online
“People think wedding planning is about pretty things. The pretty things matter, but what couples really pay for is judgement, organisation and calm.”From the welcome, Jac Bowie
This handbook is built on The Wedding Academy's Certificate in Wedding Planning, then taken further. More detail, more examples, the wording to use with clients, and a full section on running a planning business, because knowing how to plan a wedding and knowing how to make a living from it are two different skills.
Read it cover to cover, or keep it on your desk for the night before a site inspection.
seven parts, twenty chapters
It starts with you and the job, and ends with the business. Everything in between is the work of planning a wedding, in the order it happens.
the planner you're becoming
Your role, your habits and the couples you most want to work with.
- 01what a wedding planner actually does
- 02think like a planner
- 03your ideal client
winning and guiding clients
How couples decide, the consultation that turns into a booking, pricing and budgets.
- 04the psychology of couples
- 05the first consultation
- 06proposals, pricing and your portfolio
- 07the wedding budget
designing the day
Concepts, colour, flowers and styling, and how to brief the people who make them.
- 08concept, theme and colour
- 09flowers, decor and installations
suppliers and logistics
Venues, suppliers, food and drink, music and the timelines that hold it all together.
- 10venues and site inspections
- 11building your supplier team
- 12food, drink, cake and hire
- 13music and entertainment
- 14planning timelines and your toolkit
every couple, every wedding
Inclusive, cultural, sustainable, budget-conscious, intimate and virtual weddings.
- 15inclusive weddings
- 16sustainable, budget-conscious, intimate and virtual weddings
the day itself
The run sheet, your team, your emergency kit and the plans for when things go wrong.
- 17the wedding day
- 18contingency plans and thinking on your feet
the business
Setting up, marketing, and turning every finished wedding into the next booking.
- 19running your planning business
- 20after the wedding: reviews, referrals and growth
the reference pages
A glossary of planning terms, a resources page of the tools planners use, and every worksheet in one place when you need it.
See the formats →built to be used, not just read
Real pages from the book. Every chapter follows the same pattern, so you always know where to find things.
Swipe to see more pages →
the part that makes it yours
Budgets, run sheets, supplier briefs, consultation notes, pricing calculators and contingency plans. The worksheets are the tools planners use every week, laid out and ready to fill in.
in the ebook
- Read it on your computer, tablet or phone
- Search it when you need an answer fast
- Print the chapters you want on your desk
in the fillable workbook
- Type into every worksheet on screen
- Save your own copy as you go
- Print a clean set for each new couple
for planners at every stage
If couples trust you with their wedding, or you'd like them to, this book is for you.
starting out
You love weddings and want to know what the job really involves before you take your first booking. Read it from the front.
already planning
You have couples booked and want better systems, clearer pricing and fewer surprises on the day. Go straight to the chapter you need.
moving into planning
You're a stylist, florist, venue coordinator or celebrant and couples keep asking if you plan, too. Start with parts two and four.
It isn't a course, and there's no assessment or certificate at the end. If that's what you're after, our online courses are the place to start.
About the author
meet jac bowie
“I wanted to put the best of that teaching into one place you could keep on your desk.”Jac Bowie, from the welcome
Jac Bowie is the owner and CEO of The Wedding Academy, the online school for wedding planners, stylists, florists and wedding business owners. The Academy has been training wedding professionals since 2004 and has taught more than 11,000 students around the world.
Jac took the Academy over in 2022 and is based in Melbourne, Australia. Before weddings, she spent years producing events and shows, from Mardi Gras to the Burlesque Ball and Business in Heels, so she knows what it takes to make a big day run. She is the author of eight books in The Wedding Academy Handbook series, from this one to The Couple's Wedding Planning Handbook.
What people say about Jac · LinkedIn
“I've had the pleasure of knowing Jac Bowie for 12 years. I have worked with Jac on various occasions and she has always been very professional, dedicated and passionate in all areas of her work.”
Jade SardonFounder, Styled by Jade & Co“Jac is a great operator, full of energy fun and creativity. She has a wide range of talent and produces wonderful art experiences for our enjoyment.”
Roselle GowanDirector, Events Management & Festival Director“Jac is a whizz at organising events that sparkle.....pizzazz....buzz... a wonderful flair and creativity with bubbling enthusiasm.”
Roland H.Business-Life Coachthe ebook, or the paperback
Same book, same worksheets. Download the ebook today, or order the full-colour paperback, printed by Blurb.
the ebook
- The complete book as a full-colour PDF
- Bonus fillable workbook: type into all 139 worksheets and save your copy
- Print clean worksheets for each couple
- Works in free PDF readers on computer and tablet
Digital download, sold direct by The Wedding Academy
the printed book
- Full-colour softcover, printed on quality paper
- Write-in worksheets at the end of every chapter
- Glossary and resources pages at the back
- Printed and shipped by Blurb
Opens Blurb.com. $69 USD; shipping and any local taxes are added by Blurb at checkout.
The ebook is sold direct by The Wedding Academy. The paperback is printed and sold by Blurb.
one shelf. every wedding career.
The Wedding Planner's Handbook is the first in a series. Each book takes a Wedding Academy certificate and brings it right up to date, with stories, worksheets and the tools wedding pros actually use.
the wedding planner's handbook
Planning real weddings and running a real planning business: timelines, budgets, suppliers, contracts and the wedding day itself.
the wedding stylist's handbook
Concepts, mood boards, colour, tablescapes, ceremony and reception design, hire inventory and pricing your styling.
the wedding florist's handbook
Seasonal flowers, bouquets, installations, mechanics, sourcing, quoting and running a profitable floral studio.
the wedding business & marketing handbook
Branding, pricing, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, SEO, CRMs like Dubsado and Aisle Planner, and turning enquiries into bookings.
good to know
What do I get?
The complete Wedding Planner's Handbook as a full-colour PDF ebook, plus a bonus fillable workbook with all 139 worksheets. You can type your answers in, save them and print clean copies whenever you need them. Both download straight after checkout.
Can I print the worksheets?
Yes. You can print as many copies as you need for your own clients and your own business. Please don't share or resell the files.
What do I need to use the fillable PDF?
A free PDF reader such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, on a computer or tablet. Some web browsers' built-in PDF viewers don't save form fields reliably, so download the file and open it in a PDF reader.
Is there a printed book?
Yes. The full-colour paperback is available now from Blurb.
Is there a Kindle or EPUB edition?
A reflowable ebook edition is planned. The worksheets work best in the fillable PDF, and they're included with the ebook.
Are the stories real?
The planners and couples in the stories are composites, drawn from the kinds of situations planners bring to the Academy. Names and details are invented. The lessons are real.
Is this the same as the Certificate in Wedding Planning?
The book is built on the Certificate in Wedding Planning and goes further in places, especially on running a business. It isn't a course: there's no assessment, tutor support or certificate. If you'd like those, have a look at our online courses.
Does it work outside Australia?
Yes. Money is shown in dollars, but the maths works the same in any currency. Contracts, tax, insurance and marriage law vary by country, so the book tells you what to check locally.
Can I get a refund?
Digital downloads are non-refundable, so please take a look inside first. If there's a problem with your order, email [email protected] and we'll help.
keep it on your desk, use it every week
Twenty chapters, forty stories and 139 worksheets from The Wedding Academy. As an instant-download ebook with fillable workbook pages.
Since 2004 · more than 11,000 students · 100% online
