You’re a natural entrepreneur, always have been, and recently you’ve been thinking about breaking into the wedding industry. While there might be highs and lows in the economy, people are always going to be falling in love, and there’s always money to be made when people are getting married. Whether your specialty is event planning, designing custom bridesmaid dresses, or consulting on wedding budgets so the happy couple doesn’t end up with a boatload of debt, there are great ways to make money in the wedding industry, no matter what kind of business leader you are.
To learn about all the ways you can make money while also helping two people in love create their perfect dream wedding, check out this list:
1. Wedding planning
Maybe you’ve recently seen The Wedding Planner, starring Jennifer Lopez, and you think: “Hey, I could do that, too. I’ve always kind of related to the characters JLo portrays, and in this case, it’s especially true. I’m great at planning.” Or maybe many of your friends have been getting married recently, and even though they’re happy with the wedding planning services, you know that you could do a way better job. And with your business-minded spirit, why not give it a try?
After all, wedding planners generally charge $40-$70 an hour, with rates even higher in big cities like New York, so if you’ve got experience in events planning, are a highly-organized person, it’s one of the most financially rewarding ways to work in the wedding industry.
2. Get creative
According to youngadultmoney.com, “If you search ‘wedding’ on Etsy, you will get over one million results. People sell everything from card holders, picture frames, bags, signs, decorations, and more.” So if you’re a creative or crafty type, why not combine that with your business acumen to create something the bride and groom will never forget?
Whether you’re an origami expert creating paper cranes for the tables and paper bouquets for the bridesmaids to hold or you design beautiful wedding invitations crafted from vintage newspapers and twine, there are some great opportunities for you to make money on Etsy. Once you’ve got enough people buying your products, you can even start your own website and sell your products and services directly.
3. Take some pictures
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and nowhere is this truer than in the wedding industry. After all, Americans are spending on average over 4 hours a day on their phones, and we know many of them are choosing to take pictures with their phones instead of with an ordinary camera--but when it comes to weddings, there’s always a photographer around. However popular selfies and photo booths are at weddings, there’s nothing that can replace an artful photograph to capture the love between the happy couple, or the look on the bride’s face during the father-daughter dance.
In today’s modern world, however, you’ll still want to invest in a beautiful website, write some blog posts, and get the word out on social media about your services. For more on how to become a professional photographer, check out this article from The Balance.
4. Advise the happy couple on money
Did you know that the average cost of a wedding in the US is $35,329? So if the happy couple wants to get a reasonably priced wedding (and know how to save if their budget is lower than that), and still have money afterward to afford their honeymoon and pay their rent or a downpayment on a new house, they’ll definitely need someone to talk to about finances.
So if you’ve got experience in budgeting or accounting, or you have a masters that will demonstrate your expertise in finances, this is a service that couples won’t mind spending a little extra on. Because, after all, it’ll be saving them money in the long run.
5. Blog
Even though you won’t be directly working with couples if you become a wedding blogger, you will be helping anyone who comes across your page and making a difference worldwide to couples that need some guidance when it comes to all kinds of wedding-related questions. So pick a niche, whether that’s offering makeup advice or finding cheap airfare for honeymoon destinations, and start writing.
By 2020, the number of bloggers is estimated to reach 31.7 million, and that’s because it’s one of the best ways to make money online these days. So if you want your blog to the best it can be and start earning you money, check out this guide on blogging from HubSpot.
As you can see, there are lots of ways to get started in the wedding industry. It’s all about understanding what your talents are, and making them into a business where you can help couples create the perfect wedding.
How do you plan on making money in the wedding industry?