A wedding is much more than a sacred ritual today. Today's brides and grooms want their weddings to be perfect. This has given birth to a huge wedding consultant business. Good wedding consultants not only plan the wedding but also provide guidance on etiquette. They design the invitations, arrange transportation and accommodation for guests, organise the band, dancing and feasting, and, in some cases, even shop for the wedding gown and other bridal accessories. They are like a one-stop wedding shop.

Role of the wedding consultants
If you want to set up a wedding consultant business you need to look into every detail of the wedding. You would be required to play the roles of planner, facilitator, mediator, money manager, artisan and organizer. You may have to set up appointments, offer etiquette advice, mail invitations, ensure proper decorations, negotiate contracts, and take care of every minor detail. Sometimes you may have to face emotional situations from the couple or their families and you should be able to handle them well.

Knowledge and skills

You need to have a multitude of skills to run a wedding consultant business. An essential requirement is to locate suppliers, and to set up long-term arrangements with them. The suppliers that you need to deal with are florists, caterers, hotels, make-up artists, jewellers, photographers, videographers, etc. You should be able to hand them a contract, and leave them to execute it - to your standards and requirements. You should be well organized, detail-oriented and imaginative. Most important, you should be able to come up with solutions at the last minute.

No wedding is complete unless it throws up its own unique crisis. This may even include finding the missing priest. You should also be an expert in hospitality, event planning, wedding trends and traditions. Your fashion sense has to be good because you may be called upon to advice the bride on the proper attire for the wedding party. You should also have skills and knowledge in the field of bookkeeping and marketing. These are not easy requirements to fulfil. That is why your organization skills will be tested to the full when you set up wedding consultant business.

Pricing and earnings

There is no fixed pricing in the wedding consultant business. You may charge your fees as a percentage of the wedding cost, or a flat fee, which may be 10 to 15 percent of the wedding budget. Your earnings will be around $1,500 to $2,000 per wedding. You may also charge hourly rates -- $50 to $150 per hour - and make $1,500 to $3,000 per wedding.

Working at an average of $1,500 per wedding you may gross $45,000 a year. You may provide extra services like printing invitations, selling accessories or renting tuxedos to increase your revenues. But this is seasonal business.

Success Tips

If you are planning to start a wedding consulting business, then you may consider the following steps: