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When you are a new wedding planner you might find yourself being asked by family and friends to help them plan their weddings. If you have decided to run a business as a wedding planner, you must act professionally and treat your friends as clients.
Here are some DO’s and DON’Ts of planning a wedding for a friend:
DO’s
DO start by sitting down and finding out what she wants for her wedding
Even if you have known her for a long time, you want to have the same discussion with your friend that you have with other brides. What she has told you in the past may be different now that she is engaged. You should go through the same questions you would with any other bride to find out her budget, vision and plans.
DO ask what she means when she says, “plan my wedding”
Is she looking for full service planning? Your list of vendor contacts? Help just on her wedding day? Tell her the types of services you can provide, what you charge and determine together what would work best for her and her budget.
DO have a written contact
You have to handle this job professionally and have a contract between the two of you, just as you would with any other bride.
DON’Ts
DON’T gossip about your friend’s wedding plans among your mutual friends
Give her the same privacy as you would any other clients. Refrain from giving details without her approval and, of course, never tell anyone how much money she is spending.
DON’T mix personal conversations with business ones
Set aside specific times to discuss her wedding and do your work. I once made the mistake of allowing a friend to talk about her wedding whenever and wherever she saw me, I never separated our business conversations from our personal ones. She wore me out with her constant questions and, needless to say, she got a lot of free consulting.
DON’T take advantage because she is your friend
Just as you want her to respect your work and your time as a wedding planner, you want to be sure you respect her as a client. Be professional and perform your work in the same excellent manner that you would for others.
If she is happy with your work, make sure you ask her for a testimonial that you can include in your portfolio and post on your website.
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Source by Sharon Hill
