Become a Top Wedding Planner - 3 FAQs About Wedding Planner Certification Courses

You don't need a wedding planner certification to work as a professional planner or to have a wedding planning business. However, if you have very little expertise and experience with planning weddings, or if you are finding that brides in your target market are asking if you are certified, then not hiring you because you are not, you definitely want to consider investing the time and money into completing a program.

Many potential clients like to hire planners who have certificates and degrees in their profession. They feel more comfortable with someone who has taken the time to get formally educated.

Here are answers to 3 questions about certification:

1. Will I need to get my high school diploma or GED to begin wedding planner certification classes?

Some certificate programs are part of a community college or online school and would ask you to show a high school diploma or proof that you passed a GED exam. If you are getting a certificate from a local wedding planner or a wedding and event planner association, you may not need to have graduated from high school but you should definitely ask what their requirements are.

Personally, I feel that it is important to complete your high school education. You need to have good oral and written communication skills, be able to do some bookkeeping, understand contracts, and be familiar with art and design so you can understand a bride's vision. Completing high school will give you some of these skills or at least point you in the direction in which you can learn more on your own.

Also, if you ever want to start by working for another wedding planner, caterer, or florist to get some experience with weddings, chances are good they will want at least a high school graduate.

2. Prices for wedding planning courses range from $500 to $2000 or more. There are 6 week, 12 week, 6 month and 12 month courses. How do I decide what to take?

Assess the knowledge and skills you currently have. Decide what you still need to know in order to be a great wedding planner and a successful business person. Then select some offline and online programs that you can afford and thoroughly read through their descriptions to find ones that can meet your needs. (Be careful about spending more money than you can reasonably afford.)

Don't be afraid to call a school or association to ask about their curriculum, teachers, the level of support that they offer when you have questions and the success rate of their former graduates. You also might want to search for comments about them on the Internet to make sure they are reputable and don't have a lot of complaints against them.

Before you sign up you should also be sure you have the commitment it takes to complete the course within the time frame they require. It's a waste of time, money, and energy for you to start something you will not finish.

3. Does a school help me network or market myself after I complete training?

Generally, no. The programs usually train you in the basics of setting up a business and planning weddings. It is up to you to figure out where to keep learning more to increase your knowledge, get the experience you need, find places to network and learn how to market your business.

If the training is from a wedding or event planner association, they may offer you membership in their organization for a few months as part of your course fee. If so, you will have access to the list of planners and vendors who are also members and be able to attend local meetings and conferences where you can meet others.

No one school or program is perfect for everyone. If you feel you need to get a wedding planner certification, do some research before investing your money and remember, a certification is not a guarantee that more brides will hire you. You need continue to study, get experience, keep up with wedding trends, and take the time to market your business to get all of the clients that you want.