I decided to become a wedding planner during a few sick days off from work in 2007, curled up on the couch, binge-watching wedding shows. I was working a job I absolutely hated, so making the leap from side hustle to full-time wedding planner was a pretty big priority for me. Can you relate? Whether you love your day job or not, working while building a business is pretty damn exhausting. And almost every side hustling wedding planner I know is longing for the day they can quit their job and go full time! Inside this article, I’m sharing with you how to go from side hustle to full-time wedding planner.
As I reflected on some of the wins we had in my mastermind during the last year, one of the things I am most proud of is how many wedding planners quit their day jobs last year and took their wedding business full-time. And might I add, they’ve done it while in the middle of a pandemic! Even though there’s still some level of uncertainty around us, women are building businesses they love and, best of all, trusting themselves to make it happen.
While I don’t think you need to (or should!) quit your job with your last $7 in your pocket to go “all in”, I do have just a little advice if you have “become a full-time wedding planner” on your vision board.
First, talk with your partner (if applicable) about your plans.
Going from a side hustle to a full-time wedding planner is not something you want to tackle alone. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need a supportive partner to succeed, but it can certainly make things easier. Plus, you have the chance to address any concerns they might have upfront. Is your partner worried about you working all the time? Now is a great time to set some working hour boundaries. Are they worried about the income fluctuation that entrepreneurship can notoriously bring? Talk to them about what they need to feel comfortable (so that they can support YOU and cheer you on when you make the leap!).
If you don’t have a partner, consider a friend with similar goals to talk to and hold each other accountable. It can be scary to quit a “secure job” (if there really is such a thing!). Sharing your goals and getting an outside perspective from someone who cares about you can help you see blind spots (AND opportunities) as you take the next step in your business. Need someone to lean on? The Planner’s Playbook is the perfect opportunity to connect with women who are in the same boat as you.
Create a plan to quit your 9-5 (and set an end date!)
My two cents? Make this plan realistic but still ambitious. Like I said in the beginning, I’m not one to encourage you to leap and hope the net appears. Once you have talked to your partner, it’s time to create a plan to quit your 9-5. You probably already know you need to start a savings account (more on that next!), but you also want to make a list of what you need to have in place before you are ready to hand in your two weeks’ notice. Think about what your job is giving you that you’ll need to replace (like health insurance and/or a retirement plan).
On top of that, think about what you want to be set up in your wedding business before quitting your day job. Perhaps you want to book a certain number of clients, finally get your CRM setup complete, or launch your new and improved website. Creating a goal to work toward, with your full-time badge as a reward, is a good idea.
Save at least 3 months of income to cover your expenses.
Possibly the least sexy part about becoming a full-time wedding planner, right? As a general rule, I recommend saving at least 3 months of income to cover your expenses before you quit your day job. Although I have no doubt that you can hustle and make it work no matter what, having a savings account to fall back on ensures that during your first months as a full-time wedding planner, you don’t make decisions out of scarcity.
Here’s the tea – taking on low-paying clients or ignoring red flags to get the sale (and pay your rent!) are just never worth it in the wedding industry. Seriously, as a full-time wedding planner, you might work with each client for a year (or three, if heaven forbid events keep postponing in your area because of a global pandemic or something else unprecedented). Having a savings account helps keep off those rose-colored glasses and ensures you are making the right decisions for your business.
The other sad truth? Shitty clients are like a magnet for more shitty clients. Don’t let yourself book nightmare clients. Listen to this episode where I spill all the tea about red flags wedding pros always miss. And if you don’t know yet who your ideal clients are, I created the client cocktail for you to have this part of your business plan figured out this weekend.
While you are building your savings account, write your business plan.
Despite what some business gurus online are screaming at you, you don’t have to wing it. In fact, I don’t think you should. I’m a big fan of creating a solid business plan right from the start so you can have a strategy to move forward. If you already have one for your side hustle, pull that baby out and do a check-in. Are you still working on your plan? Are there any changes you want to make moving forward as you embark on your journey as a full-time wedding planner?
If you’ve never built a business plan, you are not alone. I created a guide to writing your business plan outline, and it’s still one of the most popular downloads in my freebie shop (that’s right – you can shop here for FREE). Not only will your business plan (hopefully!) help you cement your vision, but it will force you to put pen to paper on what it will really take to make your dream a reality. If you need a little extra support – make sure to read this post on how to write a wedding planner business plan and this post with tips for writing a plan that will fill your calendar with ideal clients.
As you can tell, this is something I get pretty fired up about because I KNOW it’s one of those steps you want to skip. But trust me, spend a little extra time on this one, and it won’t go to waste.
Invest in business coaching and/or community
I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t do business (or happy hour) alone. As a wedding planner coach for over a decade now, it’s probably not a surprise that I believe, before you take one of the biggest business leaps, you should invest in a business coach who has been where you want to go. I don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to coaching, either. If you are reading this and think I might be someone you want in your back pocket, you can learn more about different ways to work with me here.
Wondering what to invest in first? Here’s a cheat sheet:
- Just getting started as a full-time wedding planner? Sign up for my masterclass where I’ll walk you through how to start your business and book your first clients, even if you don’t have a portfolio, a certification, or a clue where to begin.
- If you are a wedding planner with less than 5 years in the industry, it’s time to join The Planner’s Playbook. There is even a community component to help you connect with other full time wedding planners inside (and it just might be your favorite part).
- If you are ready to scale your business (I’m talking about growing your team, diversifying your revenue, and more), apply to join me in my signature group coaching program: WeddingPro Insiders.
- Finally, If you don’t have ideal clients knocking on your door asking to work with you (yet), sign up now for instant access to my client cocktail.
The easiest way to get to where you want to go is to learn from someone who has done it before you. With that said, if, for whatever reason, you don’t want to invest in business coaching right now, I want to encourage you to still find community. The wedding industry is truly like no other. What better time to start curating and cultivating strong relationships than BEFORE you need them? Be intentional and pour into your community while you have the time to do so.
Next, Increase Your Prices (probably).
When you first set your prices, what did you do? If you are like most wedding planners, you either looked at what those around you were charging and chose something that was equal to or less than the “going rate,” OR you found an hourly rate you were comfortable with and started there. I hope that served you well so far (you don’t want to burn out even BEFORE you are a full-time wedding planner). However, before you take the leap and go full-time, I want you to take another look at your pricing page.
Here are *just a few* things you need to think about when setting your wedding planner prices:
- Do your prices leave room to invest in your business? Education is lifelong, and you want to set your pricing so you have room to attend those dreamy wedding conferences that are on your vision board.
- What about outsourcing? If your dream business idea has you working 20 hours a week and making a 6-figure salary, does your pricing include room to outsource the things you have no desire to do?
- If you continue to sell your current packages, do you have room to pay for the things you (as an employee) need? Health insurance? Retirement funds?
- Is your business making a profit? After it pays YOU what you want to make?
Maybe you need to raise your prices, and maybe you need to scale back your offerings. Regardless, give your services page another look before you take the leap and go full-time to make sure you are building both the business AND life that you want. As a business coach for wedding planners, this is a question I get asked about (a LOT), so if you want a little extra reading, check out this post on how much to charge as a wedding planner.
Take the leap – you’ve done hard things before.
When I write these blogs, I’m pretty intentional about keeping them “no fluff.” But listen, you’ve done hard things before. I don’t want this list of things to do before you quit your 9-5 to keep you stuck. That’s NOT the goal. Instead, I want you to follow these steps while taking messy action and doing the thing anyway. You CAN do this.
Looking for your own community of wedding planners? I would love to invite you to join us inside the Planner’s Playbook.
This membership was created to set up new wedding planners for a lifetime of success in the wedding industry. And the community is truly icing on the cake. If you haven’t found your people yet, they just might be in there!
Have More Questions? Here Are Some FAQs About Going Full-Time as a Wedding Planner
How many weddings should I book before I quit my 9-5?
There’s no magic number, but most planners feel more confident leaving their day job once they’ve booked at least 4-6 weddings—or have clear leads in their pipeline. You’ll also want to know how long your sales cycle typically takes so you can predict future income.
What if I don’t have a portfolio yet?
You don’t need a full portfolio to go pro, but you do need a strong foundation. Start by planning a styled shoot (or two!), collect testimonials from friends or vendors you’ve worked with, and use content strategically to show off your processes and style.
Do I need a certification to become a full-time planner?
Absolutely not. Experience, leadership, and process matter more than a piece of paper. If you’ve planned events, supported other vendors, or worked in hospitality, you probably have more transferable skills than you think. Clients want someone who knows how to get results, not someone with a certificate hanging on the wall.
How do full-time wedding planners handle health insurance or retirement?
It’s one of the least fun but most necessary parts of going full-time. You’ll want to research self-employed insurance plans, open a SEP IRA or Solo 401(k), and bake those expenses into your pricing. (Need help with pricing? This blog post is a good place to start.)
What if I’m scared to take the leap?
Honestly? You’re supposed to be a little scared. You’re doing something bold and brave, and it’s okay if it feels messy. That’s why I created this class to help you skip the guesswork, take real action, and book your first five clients with confidence.
Explore More Wedding Industry Resources
- How To Become A Wedding Planner With No Experience
- How to Become a Certified Wedding Planner
- How To Get A Wedding Planner Job
- Should You Work For Free As A Newer Wedding Planner To Gain Experience? My Honest Opinion
- Why Honeybook Is The Best CRM for Wedding Planners
- Looking for a Side Hustle? Here’s How To Become a Wedding Planner on a Budget
- 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Wedding Planning Business
- Stand Out in a Saturated Market: Performing a SWOT Analysis as a Wedding Planner
- Are You a Disorganized Wedding Planner? Let’s Fix That With These Organized Wedding Planner Tips!
- How To Build Your Portfolio As A Wedding Planner When You’re Just Starting Out
- Day of Coordination: The Pros and Cons as a Wedding Planner
- Wedding Planner Problems: The BIGGEST Problems Wedding Planners Deal With
- How To Get Wedding Clients When You’re Just Starting Out
- 5 Contracts Every Wedding Planner Must Have To Be Legally Set
- How To Become A Destination Wedding Planner
- 4 Strategies That Will Help You Book MORE Of Your Ideal Clients
- 5 Tips On Crafting a Business Plan To Book Out Your Biz With Your Ideal Clients And Get Paid
- Grow Your Wedding Business with Pinterest Trends
- How to Battle Imposter Syndrome in the Wedding Industry
For More Wedding Planner Business Secrets Follow Me On Instagram
I’ve come to realize that many of us want to have a village, but we don’t recognize that we have to be a villager first.
My friend carla @c10ike is one of those rare exceptions and I want to introduce you to her!
When I started my planning business, I had no contacts and no real idea what I was doing. I was so green it makes me laugh to look back on it now!
And somehow, I got lucky enough to be taken under the wing of this incredible woman who showed up for me then when I was a little baby business owner, and has kept showing up ever since in more ways than I could possibly count.
She’s taught me so much over the years, and I don’t mean in the traditional sense of teaching someone something. She simply lived her life, and I paid attention.
She modeled what it means to be a friend.
A sister.
A daughter.
A wife.
A mother.
A business owner.
A boss.
I learned generosity by watching her be generous.
Compassion, connection, leadership… none of it came from advice. All of it came from the way she carries herself and the way she treats the people around her.
She has taught me more than she will ever know by the sheer act of living loudly and joyfully in every corner of her life.
I am so lucky to call her my friend. So lucky to be one of the many, many people she has been a villager for.
Carla thank you for letting me grow up right beside you. I love you. 🤍
DAY ONE // WPI Spring Retreat 💜
This was our first real day together! The theme of this whole retreat was refinement, so we wasted no time getting into it on Day 1!
The women shuttled up to my home, walked through the gate to mimosas and the biggest hugs, and got their welcome totes filled with goodies I curated from female owned businesses that were mostly local!
Then we settled in, did some tapping to manifest all the answers we needed for the week, courtesy of our very own @ashley.peraino (who couldn’t join us this year, but was SO THOUGHTFUL to record a video for us!)
I opened with a talk on complexity, discernment, and self-trust (today’s podcast episode, BTW) simplifying your business and actually trusting yourself to lead what’s left.
From there the room took over. We had three incredible member gives: @c10ike on trusting your creative instincts, @ininkweddings on refining your creative POV, and @welldressedevents on generating real revenue through Google Ads (it’s giving… LEADS 😉).
In between we had small group discussions, hot conversations about where instinct and POV are out of sync, a homemade Caribbean lunch, and an afternoon of poolside snacks and conversation.
This is what the WPI room looks like. A talented group of women who came with one big business question and spent day one getting closer to the answer while having fun and getting their brains stretched!
All these gorgeous moments captured by our retreat photographer + my business bestie @c10ike 💜💜💜
Do it or delete it.
I said this recently to a coaching client, and now it’s sort of become our mantra inside WPI, because almost every business owner I know has a to-do list with 47 things on it (the same 47 things that were on last week’s list, and the week before that).
They don’t get done. They just travel from week to week collecting guilt, and that guilt somehow makes it even harder to get anything done at all.
After years of coaching women through this, you start to realize that most of those tasks don’t actually have dire consequences if they never happen. They just feel important because they’ve been living on your list rent-free for six months.
I want you to look at your to-do list right now and choose.
You do it… meaning you do it right now or at the very least put it on the calendar with a real deadline.
You delegate it… but only if it’s actually worth someone else’s time, not because you’ve been avoiding it and want to make it someone else’s problem.
Or you delete it… and I mean actually delete it, not shuffle it to a “someday” list where it will haunt you until 2027.
The guilt you feel about your undone tasks won’t go away if you magically “get more productive.” Instead I want you to see it for what it is: a list-curation problem.
What’s one thing you’re deleting today?
PS: I can confidently say these @aritzia sweatpants are 10/10
Syd from @ininkweddings spent $$$$ on a rebrand... and a year later, her gut told her to do it again.
She listened, and that’s how Messy Luxury™ was born.
The Behind the Brand series is BACK on the podcast, and this episode is one of my favorites yet. I’m excited to introduce you to Sydney Meyer (AKA ya girl, SYD) – a talented, vibrant, and dynamic wedding designer / planner based in Austin but serving clients worldwide.
I’ve been coaching Syd inside WPI since 2022, so I’ve had a front row seat to her evolution.
I’ve gotten to watch her build an iconic brand from the inside out, and it’s been one of the great joys of my coaching career. I’m so excited for you to hear her journey and some of the interesting twists and turns she’s encountered because boy, are they RELATABLE.
In this episode, we get into:
- What inspired her to start In Ink
- Why her first rebrand still didn’t feel right and how she knew
- The rock-bottom moment that forced her to build a business for HER, not everyone else
- How she trademarked Messy Luxury and turned it into the most recognizable design philosophy in Austin
If your business doesn’t feel like you anymore or if you’ve been searching for your unique creative POV, you’re going to LOVE this week’s episode!
Drop MESSY LUXURY in the comments and I’ll send you a link to listen!
A special shout out to all the photographers whose images reflect Syd and her great work: @alicialeighphoto @anastasiastratephotography @fallonstovallphoto @lightasgold @natalienicolephoto @haleyfolkman.photo @c10ike
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