You started your own wedding business because you love the idea of creating fairytale moments for happy couples. But unlike fairytales, wedding planning is not always smooth sailing. As you step into the exciting world of wedding planning, it is important to remain mindful of the potential missteps that beginners tend to make. You shouldn't be scared of making mistakes, that is all part of the process, but this article will help you to sidestep the most common pitfalls so that you can focus on establishing a strong foundation for your career and delivering exceptional experiences for your clients.
From inadequate planning and communication to pricing pitfalls, we have identified the most common mistakes of new wedding planners and found actionable tips to help you navigate the challenges and emerge as a successful wedding planner. For an extra helping hand, we suggest exploring the advantages of employing a wedding planning business coach. Want to be a step above the rest? Set your career as a wedding planner off on the right step by avoiding these four common mistakes made by new wedding planners.
Mistake #1: reducing your prices
As a new wedding planner, you'll inevitably feel the temptation of lowering your prices in the hopes of attracting more clients. Whilst it is true that your prices should reflect your level of experience, it is also true that you should never undersell yourself. If you're looking to differentiate yourself from your competition, low prices is a risky way of doing so. Reason one, it can indicate that you provide a lower-quality service—people love a bargain but not if they think they are going to receive a poorer standard as a result.
Secondly, seriously low prices can attract toxic wedding clients; clients who'll want to exploit your services and make it harder for you to build a good reputation as a wedding planner. If you think your prices aren't quite right, conduct some market research to assess the rates of your local wedding business competitors or those of fellow new wedding businesses. Use your findings, along with your understanding of your brand positioning and dream clientele to inform your pricing strategy.
Mistake #2: failing to prepare
As exciting as it is taking on a new client, never let your enthusiasm cloud your judgement. A happy couple is one who feels constantly reassured by your organisation and alertness. "By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail", so always begin your planning process with a thorough client consultation or ask couples to fill out a client questionnaire. By the end of the client consultation, you should have a thorough understanding of the couple's vision and expectations for their wedding day and a realistic idea of whether or not you can deliver.
When it comes to your couple's big day, check and double-check that you have everything you need in order to make the day run as planned. Setting clear expectations is your saving grace for any client miscommunication.
Mistake #3: skipping the paperwork
Because they're pricey and complicated, a lot of new wedding planners put off creating a legal contract until it is too late—don't make the same mistake! Having a legal contract shields you from client conflicts, vendor liability and all the other risks associated with being a wedding planner. A legal contract should clearly state your scope of work, payment terms, and liability limits as a wedding planner. This way, your client can't hold you responsible for issues out of your control. Before taking on any projects, employ a lawyer to help you draft a personalised legal contract.
Another level of defence is wedding planner insurance. Never proceed without insurance for your wedding planning business. In the (unlikely) case that things go wrong, your insurance will have your back.
Mistake #4: project overload
Last but not least, know your limits. Don't be reckless and accept too many projects at once—the fuller the plate the more likely it is to spill! There is no definitive number of wedding clients you should take on per month, you'll need to judge your own capabilities by assessing your availability, your resources, and the project's complexity. As a new wedding planner, the last thing you want is to take on an overwhelming amount of projects that result in you not delivering the best service for each of your couples—client testimonials are everything when you are just starting out. Ultimately, you need to protect yourself from burnout. You are at your most creative when you are well-rested!
