By Bonnie Fedchock, CAE, National Association for Catering and Events, Columbia, MD.Owning a wedding planning business encompasses far more than the glamorous and elegant lifestyle that many people automatically associate with the job title. That’s why it’s important for aspiring wedding industry entrepreneurs to gain insight from successful business owners like Danielle Couick, CPCE, of Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events in Washington,D.C., and Matt Trettel and Bruce Vassar of The Wedding Guys® in the Twin Cities. Here is their advice: Know What It TakesPractical, hands-on experience trumps textbook any day. In the wedding planning or design industry, experience is the best teacher. Internships enhance your understanding of what it takes to build an event from the ground up, something that is necessary for any wedding planner, especially those who run their own business. Internships also enhance emotional intelligence by forcing you to constantly adapt for clients and learn how to deal with various types of people. There are many industry avenues from which to gain internship experience, such as working for restaurants, caterers, and vendors. By getting your feet wet in various sectors of hospitality, you can diversify and gain crucial knowledge of what goes into planning a successful wedding. “I encourage anyone interested in becoming a wedding planner to gain hands-on experience in other areas of the industry, even if it means doing so for free. You cannot be afraid to get your hands dirty. Internships are often unpaid, but can be an invaluable means for opening yourself up to learning various skills, building relationships, and experiencing various avenues of your future profession. Understand that success does not happen overnight and to differentiate yourself in a saturated market can be the difference in your future,” says Couick. Trettel adds, “For those who haven’t been in the planning segment, you must have an understanding that it’s not glamorous like it’s often portrayed. Your day starts before the bride’s day starts, and it doesn’t end until the last person is out of the venue.” Mentors also provide insight for aspiring entrepreneurs. Shadowing successful industry leaders with the same passions is a great way to learn the inner workings of owning a wedding planning business.Know the BusinessBusiness owners, especially entrepreneurs, wear a variety of hats. “When you start your company, you take on so many roles,” says Couick. “I quickly learned that I would be better off outsourcing the roles that required more of my time than made sense. I hired a bookkeeper before I ever had a client.”You’ve heard many times that businesses do not see profit until after five years of being in operation. That’s because there are many upfront costs to opening a business, including marketing, insurance, accounting, marketing materials, website, and legal. “The reality is that it’s nearly impossible to achieve instant profitability as an entrepreneur,” says Vassar. “But it’s essential to shovel out the upfront costs in order to structure the business right away rather than later.” Owning a wedding planning or design company means the passion and business aspects have to maintain equal parts. Sometimes, for a principal or CEO, the company takes a back seat to client needs, which isn’t ideal. “As a business owner, you must work on the business rather than in it. It’s a double-edged sword, because it is often challenging to look at the big picture of the company and what it needs when worrying about immediate client needs at the same time,” says Trettel. Know YourselfWhen beginning a journey to entrepreneurship, a successful first step is to understand what you’re good at and how it correlates with the needs that exist in niche markets. Many owners of newly founded businesses start out as planners and then begin to offer several other services. This takes away from the core focus on the business and hinders the growth of the passion that began the entrepreneurial journey. “Trying to be everything for everybody is not a good solution,” says Trettel. “It’s natural for owners of youthful businesses to want to do everything they can, but you must take a breath and define yourself, or your clients will end up defining you.” Above all, don’t sell yourself short. There must be a great deal of thought behind how much time it takes to plan weddings versus how much your time is worth. Pricing has to be true to yourself because your time is valuable. “Put yourself in areas of opportunity and be okay with the fear that comes along with doing so,” says Couick. “I used to get butterflies from anxiety when I was about to do something new. But, I harnessed the butterflies and realized that I was putting myself in a situation where I was growing. The feeling isn’t comfortable, but it’s necessary to take yourself to the next level and turn it into positive energy to propel you forward.” ••