MARRIAGE TOO IS A BUSINESS

Published In : Education Times
(Times of India)

Making arrangements for any celebration is exhaustive enough to fade away the jovial mood. And when it comes to marriage, the most elaborated celebrations in Indians, there takes place last minute arrangements, which leaves no room to enjoy But a well planned marriage can be a solution and here comes the wedding planner who could be the answer to all your worries. Coming up as a hot and rewarding career, wedding planning gives one the liberty to be his/her own boss. With more than 2.5 million weddings taking place in India alone in 2005, there are more opportunities for one to become a wedding planner than ever before. According to the Association of Bridal Consultants, the percentage of couples using wedding planners has doubled in the past three years, from seven per cent to 15 percent.

A Wedding Consultant Should Have:

• A creative bent of mind
• Business acumen
• A degree in Event Management
• Clear and complete understanding of the wedding industry

Job Description and Responsibilities:

From mehndi to vidaai a wedding planner plays a significant role. Earlier a wedding coordinator handled mostly the booking of venues, caterers, florists, musicians, etc. Over the years other services like style, coordination, etiquette, customised and theme based decoration, wedding day assistance etc have become common. A wedding planner's presence can be felt at other wedding-related business, like flower arrangement, retail sales (trousseau, accessories, invitations, etc.), photography and catering.

Required Skills:

• Patience to handle last minute urgencies and arrangements
• Good negotiating skills
• Awareness about the latest trends
• Strong PR and interpersonal skills
• Knowledge about customs and traditions
• Aesthetic sense
• Well organized

Training Ground:

Event management course is a key for becoming wedding planner. Diploma, postgraduate diploma courses for event management can be pursued by undergraduates and graduates on a part-time basis for a period of one year.

Institute that offer event management courses is NAEMD Academy of Event Management and Development. NAEMD sends students for practical training to the much talked about weddings across India. The academy students are placed in best wedding management companies like Platinum Events, Red Events, Bumako Events etc.

Salary Range

Consulting fees depend a lot on both talents and services, and the local market. However, on an average it is at least 10 to 15 percent of the total budget which is charged as management fees.