Ask the Experts

Q: “Was there a wedding that you wish you had never taken, and was there a warning sign along the way that you ignored?”- Bethel Nathan, Ceremonies by Bethel, San Diego“I did a wedding last year that was a complete nightmare along the way. The signs were there from the beginning. They wanted a wedding they couldn’t afford. And no matter how many price-reducing options I gave, they rejected them all. The clients ended up spending the money, but made our lives miserable every step of the way. From screaming and yelling, attempting to pit us against each other, playing good cop/bad cop with us, etc.—it was a mess. Unfortunately, by the time we saw the writing on the wall, we were too deep into it to let them go. We had to buck up and deal with it. In the end, their wedding was exactly like they wanted and they loved everything, but the term ‘bridezilla’ doesn’t even scratch the surface of how the bride acted along the way. She has tried to stay friends with me since, but I refused and blocked her. I have no interest in that kind of negativity in my life!’”- Donnie “Yes. Early in my career, I took a couple of weddings that I should not have taken.  The signs were there, but I ignored them because, at the time, I thought I needed to take every job opportunity that came my way, and I felt the couple really needed my assistance.  I have since learned to work only with my ideal clients, but I also learned to never to ignore the warning signs.”-Shelby“I have only had one wedding that I wish we had not taken. The client was abusive and really unkind. It was painful for our company to work with this person, and it impacted the mood of our team for several months. We stayed the course and produced a magnificent event, but there is no amount of money worth this kind of pain. The warning signs, through subtle, were there. My red flags were up, and I ignored them. Lesson learned.” - Merryl“Oh yes! And, my gut said, ‘I should pass on taking this wedding.’ I learned months later that I was correct. The big warning sign was that it seemed like they wouldn’t trust me. They wanted to do things on their own. I’ve learned, if this comes up, to ask the question, ‘Then why are you hiring me?’”- FrankQ: “Is it possible to make the jump from a small side business to full-time wedding planner without incurring debt or having a spouse’s income to rely on?”- Beth Rolfe, Fetching Weddings & Events, Salem, N.H.“This is all about advance planning, something that should be right up your alley! You have to expect a few things to happen when you go from part-time to full-time: 1) Your expenses will be higher than you anticipate.  2) There are ups and downs to cash-flow that you don’t feel as much when you have a full-time outside job.   3) If you don’t want to rely on your spouse’s income, you have to be prepared to save at least a year’s worth of money to cover your costs.  You can mitigate some of this by starting to promote and invest while you have the other job. Invest in better marketing and branding. Take the higher ad placements so you’ll see more traffic. Pre-pay for some things so they don’t affect your cash flow during the first year.  Not incurring debt is simply about cash flow: money in vs. money out. You have to look at this month-by-month, not just annually. Your business will have seasonal ups and downs to its cash-flow, so plan for it, or give payment plans to your clients so they’re paying you throughout the year, not in big lumps.” - Alan“I have seen many planners take on second jobs in a bridal salon or other retail bridal business with the expectation that they could obtain business from those contacts. That way, they can leverage the growth with income. The main thing is to clear this tactic with the company you are working for so there are no misunderstandings.”- Donnie“It is absolutely possible to make it a full-time career. You must be smart with how you go about doing this. Do your due diligence before you go full-time. Create a business plan, a financial plan, and a marketing plan. Make sure you have figured out what kind of planning you will focus on (what is your core competency), where will your business be based (home or office), and what kind of time you can realistically put into this business. Be sure that you have proper tax, insurance, and legal advice before you begin working. We all started small and grew! My advice is to do your homework and then get out there with a positive attitude and make it happen!”- Merryl“Very honestly speaking, ‘No’—unless you are independently wealthy.”- Frank “When I realized that I wanted to leave my full-time job to become a full-time wedding planner, I created both a plan and a savings plan for a two-year period.  During those two years, I purchased some of the items that I needed with the profits from the part-time business.  I also saved enough money that would take care of my expenses for two years.  Once I became full-time, I worked hard to always meet my financial goals so my business would be self-sustaining.  - Shelby