In my very first class, I started the lesson by asking the students what their greatest motivation is in wanting to become a wedding planner. Had the Principal been in the classroom at that very moment, he would have probably stopped me midway as soon as I presented my slide. How very discouraging to eager hearts. No refunds on the fees please. Either I suck big time as a trainer or I bring to class the exact characteristics and nature of my personality.

In the wedding planning industry where we are all targeting a niche market of clientele, it is so very important that any newcomers be reminded of the necessity to uphold the integrity of which every trustworthy wedding planner has built over the years in educating clients and changing the general market perception of planners which have been so polluted by errand and irresponsible planners.  

How well do you know yourself is just as important as how well you need to understand your clients. In the rat race world of weddings, it’s tempting to seek immediate gratification amidst relentless demands from couples who not only expect you to deliver efficiently, but expect instantenous information at your fingertips.   

Who are  you? What are your greatest strengths? What are your values? What drives you? If you are not focused on your direction, if you don’t know what you want or who you are, then it’s easy to have your morale stripped when times are desperate, or when you break down at 3am in the morning a day before the wedding working on the crazy last minute changes,or when you meet a gazillion people and yet not being able to close a single sale.  Running a wedding planning business is just like any other service businesses out there. It will test you left, right and centre, your emotions, your beliefs and your confidence. And after all these, you need to know the why’s to keep moving forward, and moving forward while upholding the very values that make you unique and valuable.

It was through this class that I relooked at my building blocks again, which I wrote on a piece of paper many years ago as soon as I started the business. Later on, I printed it out, framed it and stashed it somewhere. Feels great to be reminded of them again. It’s easy to get loss in transition when you allow your business to run you instead of you running the business. Of all the topics I covered on that day, the first two slides are ones I hold dearest (and stressed on). They are your building blocks to starting your business in wedding planning.