Dear Prospective Wedding Coordinator,

Thank you for your inquiry about becoming a wedding coordinator. In response, the Austin Wedding and Event Coordinators (AWEC) have prepared the following information for your benefit. We hope this gives some insight into what is required of a coordinator, as well as answering some frequently asked questions.

First things first:
Before committing to opening your own business as a wedding professional, take the time to look at the positive and negative aspects, and be honest with yourself; is this something you are willing to do? Wedding coordinators have few weekends off and work with a highly demanding and, oftentimes, emotional clientele. In some respects, you are on-call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. On the other hand, being your own boss, working out of your home, and a quick-paced, dynamic market may suit your skills quite well. Many people think they want to be wedding coordinators, but last only a short time due to lack of desire, money, and/or skill once they get started. If you want to be a wedding consultant, you will have to work hard, and be determined and patient.

Although owning and running your own business sounds intriguing, be cautious and thorough. There are many factors involved in having your own business, and some are not as appealing as others. Buy or check out a book on starting and running a small business. Educate yourself about the processes and laws. Conduct preliminary research to find out if your area is in need of wedding coordinating services. For example, how many weddings were conducted in your community last year? What is the average age of the population in your area? Who are the coordinators in your area? Researching all aspects of both your business and the local market is essential before you open.