ONE THING EVERY NEW PLANNER SHOULD BE DOING NOW

Hi there new wedding planner, congratulations on taking the step in this new career path. I know first-hand starting out as a wedding planner can be exciting but after the “high,” sometimes you can be left wondering “while I am waiting for new clients what can I be doing.”

So here is one thing I think every new planner should be doing now. As things are opening back up you want to position yourself with venues and start to build new relationships. You should be NETWORKING.

When I say networking, I don’t mean just attending an event and looking pretty I mean intentional relationship building.

1. Meet With New Venues: Make a list of 5-10 venues you will love to do weddings with in the future (I love to give you homework 😊) and schedule a tour. Don’t wait until you have a client, get yourself out there and meet event managers. You kill two birds with one stone with this one, you get to tour potential venues in your area for future weddings, and you also get to network with the event manager.

2. Be social: Now that people are having in-person events get yourself off your couch, no more Netflix and chilling, get out there to every industry event you see. So here comes another homework lol 😊 today go online and google wedding associations in your area and find out if any of them are having a mixer, a meet and greet, or any other type of social event. Make plans to attend and make sure you not only take pretty pictures but also introduce yourself to people and learn more about what they also offer. Remember to take your card with you and always be ready to share your Instagram handle. Attending industry events not only helps you build your interpersonal skills, but it also gets your name and face in other vendors' minds and they too could potentially refer you in the future or you can collaborate with them on your future events.

3. Virtual is here to stay: As much as networking outside has its perks I think virtual gatherings are here to stay for another year or more, so don’t disregard them altogether. Follow other blogs and industry event pages on Instagram, sign up for newsletters, and be in the know of what is happening. Also, join live sessions on Instagram and Facebook, join wedding-specific pages on the clubhouse, join groups with other wedding professionals where you can be part of ongoing conversations and benefit from further teachings and things shared. The best part about this is that you can do this from the comfort of your home

Okay, I hope you had fun reading this, now g get to making the list and get out there and start networking.