Certified Wedding Planner

Wedding planners combine creativity and organization to help happy couples celebrate the most important day of their lives. Train for a career surrounded by celebratory events!

In this course, you will master the fundamentals of planning, orchestrating, and delivering stunning weddings and parties. This course allows you to earn your certification as a professional wedding planner and will give you an opportunity to put your new skills to work in an optional internship. Lastly, it includes the...

SHARE
9 Months / 340 Course Hrs
Open Enrollment
Offered in partnership with your preferred school

George Mason University

Change School
Learning method

for additional information

Certified Wedding Planner

Enroll Now

Course code: GES204

What you will learn

  • Learn the skills required for a job in the wedding and social event industry
  • Create event concepts and plan celebrations from beginning to end
  • Understand how to negotiate and handle vendor contracts
  • Develop client contracts and service packages

How you will benefit

  • Receive notifications on internships in your area to get hands-on experience
  • Develop skills needed to jumpstart a career as a wedding planner or event coordinator
  • Access an online resource library containing more than 150 customizable documents you can download and use for your clients
  • Receive notifications on internships in your area to get hands-on experience
  • Become an integral part of one of the most important days in someone's life

How the course is taught

  • Self-paced, online course
  • 9 Months to complete
  • Open enrollment, begin anytime
  • 340 course hours
  1. 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 2014
    4. Wedding seasons
    5. The wedding budget
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. Wedding Cultures and Traditions
    1. International wedding cultures and traditions
    2. How to incorporate cultural traditions into signature wedding designs
  10. 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
  11. The Wedding Gown
    1. Selecting and advising wedding gown selection
    2. Basic gown styles
    3. Basic veil styles
    4. The top wedding dress designers
  12. Wedding Music
    1. Incorporating music into wedding day activities and events
    2. Creating a wedding day soundtrack or musical score
  13. Signature Wedding and Events
    1. Creating a signature event
    2. Wedding & Event Design – A6 Production
    3. Sample wedding themes and seasonal weddings
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. Expanding Your Business Offerings
    1. Incorporating additional services and products into your business
    2. Contemporary products and starting expansion
    3. Expanding your business opportunities

Cho Phillips

Cho Phillips is the founder of Lovegevity, Inc. and author of the "Professional Wedding and Event Planning: How to Start a Wedding Planning Business" textbook and resource manual. As founder of The Wedding Planning Institute, Phillips provides an opportunity for subject matter experts to contribute to the standardization and education for wedding professionals. She has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Washington Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, Las Vegas Sun, and has been a guest on NBC, UPN, WB and other nationally-broadcast television and radio stations.

Cho Phillips es el fundador de Lovegevity, Inc. y autor del libro y manual de recursos "Planificación Profesional de Bodas y Eventos: Como Comenzar un Negocio de Planificación de Boda". Como fundador del Instituto de Planificación de Bodas, Phillips proporciona una oportunidad para que los expertos en la materia contribuyan a la estandarización y educación para los profesionales de bodas. Ella ha aparecido en El New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Washington Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, Las Vegas Sun, y ha sido invitada a NBC, UPN, WB y en otros canales de televisión y estaciones de radio de defunción nacional.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites for this course. The course is ideal for you if you're interested in becoming a full- or part-time wedding planner or event planner.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

  • Professional Wedding and Event Planning, How to Start a Wedding and Event Planning Business
  • Dina Manzo's It's My Party and I'll Plan If I Want To

Please note: You will receive a digital book if the physical book is on backorder.

Yes, ed2go courses are completely online. However, keep in mind that not all certifying bodies or industry-specific certifications are recognized internationally. Please review your country's regulations prior to enrolling in courses that prepare for 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.

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.

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.

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.

The course instructor will be available by email to answer any questions and provide feedback on your performance. Occasionally, your course may be supported by a team of industry experts. You will also receive support from the student advising team.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Your earning potential is dependent on 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. Graduates who apply the training from this course to their career have the potential to make $100,000 per year or more, depending on how many weddings and social events they produce 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.

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.

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.

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.

Lovegevity - Wedding Planning Institute (LWPI)
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.
;