So you’ve been bit by the wedding planner bug, and now you want to start a wedding planning business. Great! It’s a wonderful career with huge earning potential, and you get to spend your days making people happy. What more could you want?

California is big. Really big. In fact, there are over 230,000 weddings EACH YEAR! But with that big market comes big competition. If you’re looking for the top tips on how to become a wedding planner in California, your search is over.

You Need a Nice Website
This doesn't mean expensive. It should be clean, user friendly, and simple. Companies like Squarespace and Wix make building your own easy. Google the top wedding planners and check their sites. Browse this one (I build myself using squarespace)! Take notes. The last thing you want is to lose clients to an another planner because he/she has a better website.
Spend the time, make your site enjoyable to click through. GET HELP if you need it.
Show your face
Being in the good graces of a venue manager or other industry vendors can be sooooo valuable. Imagine the bride who’s obsessed with her photographer, but hasn’t booked a planner, so she asks him for referrals. Just so happens you’ve been building a relationship with that photographer at networking events. If you want to become a wedding planner in California, be ready to network and keep your name fresh. You’ll be shocked at how far that takes you.
Learn From the Best
Become an intern for an established planner and take notes. Pay close attention to how the rehearsal and wedding days are organized. Notice all the moving pieces and how the planner handles everything. A good planner will have a very solid structure. Make copies of the outlines and timelines and imagine how you would handle different situations. Be proactive too! Ask the planner if he or she needs help with anything, do not wait to be given assignments.
**PRO-TIP** The rehearsal super important. It’s your first impression to the parents and wedding party and all eyes are on you. It’s the perfect time to inspire confidence in your clients. If you want a free guide on how to run the perfect rehearsal, I got you. Drop your email below and I’ll send it right over.
Niches Make Riches, Bitches
There are lots of planners out there. So how can YOU set yourself apart? What can you specialize in? Maybe it’s Indian weddings?. Maybe you’re into the hippie vibes and you want to attract those clients. Jewish weddings are popular too. In the beginning, try to corner the market of a certain niche. Then as business increases, you can expand your base.
Hustle
California is competitive. There’s plenty of hungry girls out there ready to make a name for themselves. What’s going to make you stand out? Working smarter not harder, and pure persistence. Never take shortcuts that sacrifice your quality of service, but ALWAYS take shortcuts that can get the tedious stuff done quicker. That’s why I created the Wedding Management Mastery course, (which I’ve discounted especially for you for reading this article to just $49) so you can work smarter not harder from the get go, and stay ahead of the competition.