With the increasing popularity of destination weddings in India, many are considering wedding planning a prospective career opportunity. The business of professionally planning weddings opens the doors to a massive Rs. 1,10,000 Crore-worth Indian wedding industry. Such services also aid in making the lives of those about to tie the knot a lot simpler by saving their time and effort.
This has thus prompted many couples to seek the aid of a wedding planner to ensure that their special day is organised seamlessly.
Quick look into India’s wedding industry
- Rs. 45,000 Crore – Expected market size of destination weddings in India by 2020.
- Rs. 16,000 Crore – Expected market size of wedding planning industry by 2020.
- 10 Million – Approximate number of weddings each year in India, making the market recession-proof.
But even with more individuals hiring professional planners for their weddings, securing the first work experience opportunity can be difficult. Especially since the course requires no particular educational qualification, most individuals put special emphasis on a planner’s previous experience of organising weddings, while choosing one. That is why making a breakthrough in this fiercely competitive industry can be arduous.
Tips to help secure work experience in wedding planning
Even though securing a job in wedding planning without prior experience can be tough, the industry can be extremely rewarding to those with the necessary expertise.
Following are a few tips that can help you to hone your business acumen and venture into taking the first steps into wedding planning –
- Take up a job in the industry
Before venturing out on your own in the industry, it is practical to take up an internship or a full-time job with an established wedding planner. The hands-on experience on the job will not only help you to polish your skills but also provide you with the much-needed attestation about your qualification for the job.
Additionally, working under an already established organisation can aid you in making connections with various premium vendors who frequently handle weddings. These vendors may include caterers, florists, and professionals offering bridal makeup packages, among others.
- Certification and educational qualification
Even though there are no official educational disciplines when it comes to pursuing a career in this industry, a course in event management can be helpful for a prospective wedding planner. Such a course provides useful knowledge about business administration and also aids in increasing your credibility and marketability with prospective clients.
The knowledge that you will inherit through this management course will be especially helpful while organising a large scale event like a destination wedding. These events come with a long wedding to-do planning checklist that can be difficult to manage without requisite prowess and experience.
- Working on your people skills
Even if you gain the necessary experience and educational qualification for the job, they cannot be a substitute for strong people skills. It is always advised to further cultivate such skills and develop them as well as the networking over time. Without the appropriate know-how of the ways to handle clients, it can become difficult to secure a job as a wedding planner.
Additionally, people skills can also go a long way in helping you to negotiate with the vendors, which will be a key part in organising a wedding successfully.
- Set up a comprehensive business
When an individual avails the services of a professional wedding planner, they look for someone providing all-round facilities. That is why to secure a wedding planning job, it is crucial for you to ensure that you have the necessary resources to organise the event successfully.
To do so, it is crucial to set up a comprehensive business. In recent times, the easy availability of advances like loan against property from various financial institutions in India has made it easy for individuals to avail the credits required to finance their business effectively. For instance, you can avail a high amount of value of up to Rs. 3.5 Crore offered by financial institutions without any end-use restrictions.
Additionally, they also provide pre-approved offers on such loans that can make availing advances faster and easier. These offers are available on several financial products, including home loans, personal loans, business loans, etc. You can check the pre-approved offer by providing your name and phone number.
Apart from the above, you can also make use of marketing strategies to promote your business, establish it with appropriate legal proceedings, and other such steps to help scale sustainably. Undertaking these measures can become significantly easier if you avail an advance and do not have any financial constraints.
But there are things you should know before applying for a loan against property such as the required documents and eligibility criteria. Make sure you check these factors before you apply for the advance to make sure that there are no hassles with the application process.
