Training Programs

Hospitality

Certified Wedding Planner

Contact: LuAnn Walker
410-822-5400 ext.5833 lwalker@chesapeake.edu

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Certified Wedding Planner

This comprehensive course covers everything an aspiring wedding planner needs to know to get started in the business. Whether you plan on working part-time or full-time, this course will provide all the knowledge you need to work as a professional wedding planner or start your wedding planning business.

$1,595.00 (USD)

phone Call Us: 410-822-5400

schedule
                                340 Course Hrs
                            

                                Code
                                    GES204
                            
calendar_today
                                9 Months
                            
grid_onOpen enrollment
speedSelf paced

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phone Call Us:

410-822-5400

Overview

Objective

Outline

Wedding Industry Overview
1. How wedding planning has evolved around the world
2. The purpose of an engagement
3. Current statistics for marriage-bound couples 2022/2023
4. Wedding seasons
5. The wedding budget
Engagement
1. The opportunity of the engagement party
2. Engagement ring basics
3. Engagement announcements
4. The bride's timeline/checklist
5. The groom's checklist
6. Traditional meanings
7. Engagement party and bridal shower ideas
8. Engagement/wedding FAQs
Your Role as a Certified Wedding Planner
1. The Event Planning Process
2. Questions to ask a new bride-to-be
3. How to develop a client profile
4. How to set vendor expectations
5. How to set the expectations of the bride and her family
6. Event/project management
7. RASCI charting
8. Wedding etiquette, mishaps, and mayhem
Running Your Own Business
1. How to Run Your Own Business Based on your marketplace
2. How to evaluate your competition when establishing your services
3. How to set preliminary marketing objectives
4. Tools and tips for organizing your home office and business practices
5. Business start-up costs
Documentation and Goals
1. The importance of documentation
2. How documentation of your business practices plays a vital role in the success of your business
3. How to set goals for yourself and your business
4. Wedding & Event Design Tool Kit
Vendor and Venue Selection
1. Why vendor selection is a key element in the success of your business
2. How to identify quality vendors
3. The questions to ask when building your vendor network
Contracts and Negotiations
1. Contract Law
2. The key elements of a contract
3. Contract rules to remember
4. The importance of having business insurance
5. U.S. Chamber of Commerce business resources
6. Contract negotiations
The Traditional Wedding Planner
1. Traditional vs Contemporary wedding planner fees
2. How to create wedding packages as a traditional wedding planner
3. Role of wedding planner, wedding coordinator, and wedding director
4. How to work with a prospective bridal client
5. Tools and suggestions for initial consultations
Wedding Cultures and Traditions
1. International wedding cultures and traditions
2. How to incorporate cultural traditions into signature wedding designs
Traditional and Non-Traditional Wedding Ceremonies
1. The key elements of traditional, non-traditional, and civil wedding ceremonies
2. What questions to ask when planning a specific type of wedding and venue
3. How to delegate bridal party responsibilities and who is responsible for what
4. How to keep abreast of wedding trends and fashion
5. Emergency tips and what is included in a wedding day emergency kit
The Wedding Gown
1. Selecting and advising wedding gown selection
2. Basic gown styles
3. Basic veil styles
4. The top wedding dress designers
Wedding Music
1. Incorporating music into wedding day activities and events
2. Creating a wedding day soundtrack or musical score
Signature Wedding and Events
1. Creating a signature event
2. Wedding & Event Design – A6 Production
3. Sample wedding themes and seasonal weddings
Marketing Your Business
1. Partnering with the right associations
2. The importance of marketing and establishing a mission
3. Key elements of your reputation and image
4. Networking
Marketing on a Local Level
1. Self-Promotion
2. Ideas to help you market locally
3. Organizing and conducting a successful seminar
4. Dina Manzo's It's My Party and I'll Plan if I Want To! workshop
Bridal Shows
1. The importance of bridal show participation
2. Researching bridal shows
3. Essential elements of a bridal show checklist
4. Booking a show
5. Working a booth
6. Conducting a post bridal show follow-up
Online Marketing
1. Importance of an online presence
2. Proper way to construct a web page for online marketing
3. Importance of keywords and placement
4. Recommend web positioning companies, software, and websites
Public Relations
1. Approaching the media and positioning yourself as an expert in your field
2. Key elements of a press release
3. Press release exposure
4. Writing your biography
5. Conducting editorial opportunity research
6. Creating an editorial opportunity calendar
7. Contacting local news and radio stations
8. Publishing your articles
9. Creating your business press/ media kit
Destination Weddings and Organizational Software
1. Destination weddings
2. Organizing your business and streamlining your daily activities
3. Planning your work by a work plan
4. Using organizational software
Expanding Your Business Offerings
1. Incorporating additional services and products into your business
2. Contemporary products and starting expansion
3. Expanding your business opportunities

Requirements

Prerequisites

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Instructor

Cho Phillips

Cho Phillips is a visionary leader and community builder who has made a great impact in the entrepreneurial education and skills training industry. As the CEO and founder of Lovegevity, Inc., she provides accredited colleges and universities with cutting-edge courses. She is also the visionary founder of Lovegevity University and Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute. Cho is an educator, course creator, author, and producer of numerous programs that offer continuing education, certifications, and professional designations for freelancers and creative entrepreneurs worldwide. Her work has earned her recognition around the world, and she has coached and guided thousands of entrepreneurs and freelancers in launching and growing their businesses. Apart from her philanthropic endeavors and coaching, Cho resides in Northern California with her family and seven beloved French bulldogs.

Abeki Carter, CMWEP

Abeki Carter is a Certified Master Wedding & Event Planner and a distinguished instructor for the Certified Wedding and Event Planning Program. She possesses a wealth of experience in event planning, management, and marketing and is a trusted figure in the industry. Abeki is a dedicated leader and mentor who imparts her passion and commitment to her students. Under Abeki's tutelage, students acquire the skills, creativity, and industry insights needed to thrive in the dynamic world of event planning.

FAQs

What does a wedding planner do?

According to ZipRecruiter, a wedding planner coordinates and executes all aspects of a client's wedding day. Their duties include developing a detailed wedding plan and timeline for clients, such as researching and selecting vendors, managing budgets, and staying organized throughout the wedding planning process.

Wedding planners also manage bookings and contracts with vendors, ensuring all payments and deposits are made on time, coordinate all logistics from scheduling meetings with vendors and clients to overseeing set up on the day of the event to problem-solving any issues that arise and ensuring client satisfaction (communication, timelines, and budgets met).

As a wedding planner, you must be able to provide creative solutions and manage multiple projects at once. The ideal candidate is highly organized, creative, and has the ability to keep multiple projects on track simultaneously.

Typically, how much does a wedding planner make?

The amount you can earn as a wedding planner is influenced by various factors, such as where you live, the population, your performance and business offerings, and how many weddings and social events you plan annually. Also, whether you plan on working full or part-time will be a major factor. Students who apply the training they obtain from this course to their careers have the potential to make $100,000 per year or more, depending on the volume of weddings and social events they manage each year. Your income and earnings will ultimately be determined by what you plan to offer in your business, any other products or services you provide, and your marketing efforts. This course will walk you through the process step-by-step, to show you how to figure out what you can earn and how to structure your business model and increase revenue. The average wedding planner salary is $53,400 per year, according to ZipRecruiter.

What is a typical day like for a wedding consultant?

A day in the life of a wedding consultant can be an exciting and rewarding one, but it's also hard work. Your workday will be a combination of phone calls, emails, and meetings with brides and vendors, plus research, and of course planning and designing that special day for clients. The needs of each bride will dictate the day's events. A large part of your job will involve communicating with vendors and conducting research for clients. You'll also be overseeing services on the day of the event and will be there to support the bride. Expect to include evening and weekend hours in your business schedule.

What exactly is a certified wedding planner responsible for in working with a bride?

In the initial meeting with the bride, a wedding planner will be asking questions and learning more about what the bride would like for her wedding day. Once this information has been gathered, the consultant will then start researching and talking to vendors to see who is available on that date and will start booking vendors for the couple. If the bride needs a consultant to attend the wedding that day, the consultant will handle all necessary arrangements. It's the responsibility of the wedding planner to be a project manager and help the bride produce her ideal wedding, to guide her in the right direction, and to always look out for her best interest. Ultimately, the bridal couple will dictate what they would like a wedding planner to help with.

Will the Certified Wedding Planner course give me the skills I need?

Certified Wedding Planner graduates are better trained and earn a higher income than the average wedding planner. This is the most comprehensive certification course available for this profession.

What is the difference between a wedding or bridal consultant, a wedding planner, and a wedding director?

A wedding or bridal consultant works in partnership with the couple and guides them through the process of making wedding decisions. Couples working with a consultant are very much in control of their wedding plans, but can rest assured they have professional guidance and assistance when needed. This allows the couple to enjoy the wedding planning process, making it as fun and stress-free as possible. A wedding planner is similar to a project manager. A wedding planner takes charge and plans the details of a wedding from start to finish. The couple is still involved, but most of the leg work is left to the planner, who will make their arrangements for them. A wedding director coordinates the details, vendors, and itinerary on the wedding day. All concerns are placed on the shoulders of the wedding director during the event. The couple doesn't need to get caught up in the small details and can enjoy their guests and the day's celebration.

Does this course prepare you for a certification?

This course allows you to earn your certification through Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute (LWPI) as a professional wedding planner and will give you an opportunity to put your new skills to work in an optional internship.

Lovegevity's Wedding Planning Institute (LWPI) understands that wedding planning is a serious profession and wants to ensure it is treated as such. The Institute works directly with industry partners to create standardized programs that will bring professional recognition to the industry—and help wedding planning professionals demonstrate their commitment to being the best. LWPI's wedding planner certifications are always at the forefront of trends, and you can be as well when you enroll in a certified course from us.

When can I start the course?

This course is open enrollment, so you can register and start the course as soon as you are ready. Access to your course can take 24-48 business hours.

How long does it take to complete this course?

This course is self-paced and open enrollment, so you can start when you want and finish at your own pace. When you register, you'll receive nine (9) months to complete the course.

What if I don't have enough time to complete my course within the time frame provided?

The time allotted for course completion has been calculated based on the number of course hours. However, if you are unable to complete the course, contact the student advising team to see what options you may have available to work out a suitable completion date. Please note that an extension fee may be charged.

What kind of support will I receive?

Our courses are designed to accommodate various learning preferences. Depending on the course structure, you may get different forms of support. Self-paced courses are designed to be user-friendly and independent, minimizing the need for external support. In courses with instructors, our direct platform support feature includes opportunities for questions, discussions, and remediation, with email and phone support available for select courses. Our student advising team is available to guide you on program requirements and administrative requests, but they do not provide assistance with course content. Our goal is to provide you with the necessary support for success, whether it's through self-paced exploration, direct communication, or guidance from our advising team.

What happens when I complete the course?

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion. This course also provides you with a professional wedding planning certification.

Am I guaranteed a job?

This course will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

Can I get financial assistance?

This course is non-credit, so it does not qualify for federal aid, FAFSA and Pell Grant. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses. Additionally, some students may qualify for financial assistance when they enroll, if they meet certain requirements. Financing is available from select schools. Learn more about financial assistance.

How can I get more information about this course?

If you have questions that are not answered on our website, representatives are available via LIVE chat. You can also call us at 1-877-221-5151 during regular business hours to have your questions promptly answered. If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please send us a question using the "Contact Us" form.