When I was engaged, I always said it was a shame that I’d spend a year struggling through the planning process and learning as I went only to become an expert by the end, but then never have to plan another wedding again. Now that I’m married and I’ve done it, I definitely feel like I’d be an asset for brides who need help. Fortunately, that is an option for many people who love weddings and would like to be an asset in that field. Whether you’ve been a bride or not, you can easily turn your wedding interests into lucrative opportunities. The wedding industry is booming, and brides and grooms everywhere are looking for help and fresh ideas to make their wedding unique. Becoming a wedding entrepreneur could be for you!
DIY Master
Weddings are really just giant DIY projects. If you love all things crafty and DIY, consider starting a business where you create the DIY masterpieces that adorn the wedding corners of Pinterest. By charging the cost of materials, an hourly fee, setup, and transportation, you can help brides everywhere by creating some amazing decor for their weddings. If you’re crafty anyway, why not craft some things that will make you money, keep you in the wedding industry, and help other brides? Becoming an entrepreneur is no easy task; it requires taking risks and putting yourself out there. However, with high risk comes high reward, and becoming the go-to DIY artist in your area could be a great journey for you creatively and professionally.
Re-Selling Wedding Decor
After you’re married, you’re left with boxes and boxes of wedding decor that will only take up space. In order to take care of wedding decor hoarding, you can start a business buying used wedding decor and selling it to other brides. Why spray paint fifty wine bottles when you can buy pre-spray painted from another wedding? This may involve a lot of leg work, networking, and advertising, but it’s a great way to make money in the wedding industry. You’re offering a service that isn’t very common and solving a problem that many newlyweds have. I can tell you if someone had approached me after my wedding and offered to pay me for my used decor, I’d happily accept the help getting those boxes out of my garage while making a little money back.
Photography
If you’re already a photography buff, you may find a ton of opportunities to utilize your craft in the wedding photography industry. As long as you have a photographic eye and a nice camera, you can start your own photography business. It does take a lot of skill and a lot of practice in order to capture such important moments, but many photographers start their business in this fashion. There is a lot of competition, but the more your name is out there, the more business you’ll get. However, with wedding photography being one of the bigger investments in a wedding budget, you’ll want to pay close attention to the business aspect of this venture to ensure you get paid. Create contracts, market yourself, and work on refining your skills, and wedding photography can be your entrepreneurial venture.
Wedding Planning
Aligning the wedding party, hiring the florist, cueing the music, fixing any problems, informing the bride of anything she’s forgetting, and being the go-to for the entire event are all a part of being a wedding planner. My wedding had a venue coordinator and my photographer helped with day-of coordination. With that said, my life would have been a lot easier with a wedding planner for the entire process. Becoming a wedding planner means taking all of the wishes of the bride and groom and trying to turn them into reality, while also making things as easy as possible for them. Work on networking, promoting yourself, and honing in on your organizational skills, and you can be a stellar wedding planning entrepreneur.
Do It All
There are so many different aspects to all things wedding, so why narrow yourself down to just one? Market yourself as an all-in-one wedding guru. Some other wedding related services you can provide are:
- Calligraphy
- Invitation design and creation
- Wedding stationery printers
- Wedding dress personal shopping
- DJ-ing
Hair/Makeup artist - Officiant
- Dance lessons
- Baked goods
The list goes on and on, but you’ll be a huge asset to brides if you can be a one-stop-shop for a few different services. If you bring a new, fresh feel to traditional wedding styles, you’ll be a bride’s best friend. Providing wedding creations, design, setup, invitations, dress advice, beauty, planning, and dance lessons or a combination of these things as one service will really set you apart from your competition – which is important in any entrepreneurial venture.
Planning my own wedding was a blast – though extremely hectic. However, it immersed me in an industry that I’d never been a part of. I miss designing the invitations, creating my own wedding decor, and writing my own vows. Just because I won’t be able to do that for myself again, doesn’t mean I can’t do that for other brides. It’s important for others to realize that as well. If you’re passionate about all things wedding-related, consider making it your career in whatever way you’re most excited about.
