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Elegant Affairs | Seattle Wedding Planner

10116 36th Ave. Ct. SW. Suite #12
Lakewood
253-279-6485
We create awe-inspiring weddings + events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision that is unique to you.
 
 

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info@elegantaffairswa.com

 

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Elegant Affairs | Seattle Wedding Planner

Want to be a wedding planner, but don't know how?

October 11, 2022 Lori Losee
Coaching wedding planners to be very successful.

The planning of weddings is a complex process and involves many factors. The best wedding planners have experience in this field and specialize in one thing: planning weddings. They know exactly what their clients want, and they make sure that the bride, groom and guests are happy with the results. Before starting your own career as a wedding planner, there are several things you should consider first!

What is your competition doing?

If you want to be a competitive wedding planner, it's important to know what your competition is doing.

To do this, you need to understand your competitors' strengths and weaknesses. You also need to understand what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong. This will help you see how you can differentiate yourself from them when attracting clients.

Which services do you want to offer?

The services you decide to offer will be the backbone of your business, and they should reflect your strengths. If you're great at helping people plan their weddings, but not so good at managing finances or booking vendors, then it's best not to offer those services in addition. The more services you offer, the more time and energy it will take for you as a planner (and for your clients). This can lead to burnout and frustration on both sides.

The flip side of this is that if all of your experience has been working with couples who have already planned their weddings (or some part of them), then offering other wedding planning services may be an opportunity for growth in terms of gaining new experiences. If this is something that interests you, start by researching which areas interest you most—perhaps there are parts of planning that aren't covered by an existing vendor? Or maybe there are ways in which technology can help make things easier!

Do you have the right experience for that?

When you’re deciding what kind of experience to look for in a wedding planner, ask yourself these questions:

  • Do I have the right experience for that?

  • How can I get the experience I need?

  • How can I get the experience I want?

What are your key strengths?

The next step in the process is to identify your key strengths and weaknesses. You can do so by asking yourself:

  • What are my strengths?

  • What are my weaknesses?

  • How will I use my strengths to my advantage, and how will I overcome my weaknesses?

Who will be the ideal client for you?

The first step to becoming a wedding planner is to find the ideal client for you. This is the person who will hire you because they like your style. Take some time to think about what kind of bride would be drawn to your approach and how you can control how much time and money they spend on their wedding.

Doing this research now will help when it comes time for marketing, as well as keep things fun when you start planning!

What is your pricing strategy?

Your pricing strategy is the most important aspect of your business. It will shape how you position yourself in the market, and it will determine how much money you make. The first thing to do is figure out what kind of profit you need to make. What’s a realistic amount that can cover expenses and provide some income at the end of each month? Once you know this, decide on an hourly rate that covers those costs while still providing a decent wage for yourself.

Next, think about your target market: Are they willing and able to pay what you need them to pay? If not, then look at other ways in which they can contribute toward covering costs (such as by doing some work themselves). If so, great! Hire an accountant who can help set up a business plan and figure out all the tax requirements for running a wedding planner business.

Where do you want to work from and when to start?

  • Location: Where do you want to work from and when?

You will need a space where clients can visit you for consultations, for example, an office in a building or a room in your home. You also have to consider how much time each day will be spent traveling between the office and client locations. If there is no way around it, then your travel costs will become part of your overall business expenses.

  • Cost of Rent & Utilities: How much does it cost per month?

If you are working from home, remember that this could affect the price point of wedding planning services as well as how much time is spent on administrative work (i.e., paperwork). It may be worth considering renting an office rather than working out of your home entirely so that clients feel more comfortable there (and vice versa).

Take time at the beginning of your career to plan thoroughly.

Your wedding planning career will be a great success if you take the time to plan thoroughly. This means setting goals, creating a timeline for those goals, and making sure you stay on track. It's important to measure your progress along the way so you can see how far you've come and make adjustments when needed. Here are some tips for setting up an effective plan:

  • Set goals that are realistic and measurable. If you want to increase revenue by 15%, that's something specific that can be measured (and compared) over time.

  • Write down all of your goals in one place so they're accessible when needed—this might be in an email or Google Docs file; it could also be on an app like Evernote or Trello in case this is something you need access to while traveling or away from home base (your computer).

  • Create timelines that include deadlines for each step required to complete each goal, whether this is finding vendors or booking venues and photographers—make sure these deadlines fall within reasonable windows of time!

Wedding planning is a very exciting and lucrative career. You can make money while doing something that you love. However, if you want to be a successful wedding planner, it’s important to start planning your business right from the beginning.

And dont forget, the next Wedding Planner Academy starts on Tuesday, November 1 so enroll today!

Enroll in the Wedding Planner Academy
In Wedding Planning Advice, Wedding Planner Academy Tags tacoma wedding planner, Tacoma day coordinator, Seattle Day of Coordinator, seattle wedding planner, wedding planner, wedding planner academy
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Perfect Spring Wedding | Annie + Richie | Liljebeck Farms

October 28, 2021 Lori Losee

Wedding Planner: Elegant Affairs | Photographer: Caitlyn Nikula | Florist: Floral Design by Maria | Venue: Liljebeck Farms | Beauty: Bridal Beauty Agency + Divine Touch | Catering: Maverick Catering | Rentals: Cort Party Rental | DJ: DJ Rian Souleles

One of the best ways to know you are good at what you do is when couples get referred to us. For Annie + Richie, it was the bride’s sister who referred us. I have know her for many years serving as her sorority advisor and then collaborating on a project a few years ago. So when her sister got engaged she put Annie in touch with us.

Originally these two were supposed to get married in September but decided to postpone to have a wedding closer to their vision even during a pandemic. Once the couple decided on a new date, they came to the realization they wanted a new venue to align with their new vision and that was Liljebeck Farms, located in Woodinville, a newer venue that because the perfect place to say I Do. This venue truly has it all including a beautiful indoor and outdoor ceremony locations and an incredible reception space. Personally, I am a huge fan of both of the getting ready areas.

Annie + Richie had the most perfect wedding, and we are so happy that they finally got to have their wedding day and it was so beautiful.

One of the best traditions for this new venue is that couples get to brand their names on their Sweethearts wall. What a great way to forever cement your wedding and for a lifelong memory.

Congrats Annie + Richie and we wish you all the love and happiness in the world.

Lori
Seattle Wedding Planner

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In Real Weddings Tags Seattle Wedding Planner, Seattle Day of Coordinator, Seattle Bride, Real Wedding
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Creating the perfect wedding budget!

December 1, 2020 Lori Losee
Kelly Rodriguez Photography

Kelly Rodriguez Photography

Budgeting is one of the most important and most dreaded parts of planning a wedding. The budget conversation should be one of the first with your partner.

 

Who is contributing financially?

Figuring out who pays for each part can be tricky and potentially awkward. Here is a very TRADITIONAL and very basic breakdown of who is expected to pay for what:

The Couple: the rings, all gifts for family and bridal party, the marriage license, and their share of the bachelorette/bachelor party.

The Wedding Party: Their outfits for the wedding and their share of the bachelorette/bachelor party.

The Groom’s Family: The rehearsal dinner and a shower, if they choose to throw one.

The Bride’s Family: The wedding and reception.

However, nothing is traditional these days, especially when it comes to weddings. Couples themselves are often paying for a lot more of their big day, leaving their families with less of the financial burden. Or some couples opt for more simple and inexpensive weddings, such as backyard ceremony or reception to save money. But no matter how you break down your budget or how much you plan on spending consider everyone who is helping you pay for your big day when making decisions so no one ends up breaking the bank. It is also important to keep in mind how much you are expecting each person or family to pay. Don’t expect too much or push too hard because money is one of the trickiest topics to talk about and to decide upon. So be smart and save when you can to ensure your big day goes off without a hitch! 

Making your dream wedding come to life on a budget may seem like a difficult task, especially when you know what you want. However, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to help you get there without breaking your bank account.


Agree to a specific $$$ amount!

First and foremost, set a budget number and stick to it. This is the most important rule of budgeting. You need to keep that figure in the back of your mind when considering all the details of your big day. The point of a budget is to prevent you from overspending, so you need to establish this dollar amount as a hard stop. 

Set individual budgets. After you set the overall budget amount, breakdown budgets for each individual area of the wedding. Set a dollar amount for your dress, the groom’s attire, flowers, favors, catering, décor, etc. Also, make sure you include taxes, service fees, and gratuities.

 

Create a Budget Spreadsheet

To keep yourself on budget, you need a system in place to keep yourself on track. Create an excel spreadsheet or find an online Wedding Budget form. I recommend separate categories for the estimated budget line item and what you actually spent so if you spend more or less in areas you can readjust.

 

Estimated Guest Count

When you’re thinking about who you would like to invite to your big day, remember that you’re paying for their accommodations as well. If you really can’t compromise on cutting anyone from your guest list, then retract a plus one from the invite. This will help save cost on food and drink more than you may think.

 

Non-Negotiables

Identify what are those must-haves for your wedding like a certain wedding vendor and make sure to budget accordingly.

Set-up separate bank account or credit card

Rule of Thumb: Don’t get into debt for your wedding. Set aside money each paycheck into a separate bank account that you won’t be tempted to touch for other things. If you are going to pay for all your wedding expenses, consider applying for a credit card with rewards. Only use this card for the wedding and be easier to track it your spending.

It’s never easy to set limits, but if you sit down with your partner and draw up guidelines about what you both really want and what you can do without, then set the budget will be much easier. It all comes down to what is most important to the two of you and the rest will follow! 

Let's Chat about how we can help with your wedding!
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In Wedding Planning Advice Tags Seattle Wedding Planner, Seattle Day of Coordinator, Tacoma Wedding Planner, Tacoma day of coordinator, Wedding Budget
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