If you’re here, you’re likely thinking about how to start an event planning business and turn your passion for events into a rewarding career. I also know that starting an event planning business can feel like jumping headfirst into an exciting (but sometimes overwhelming!) journey. You might be fueled by a love for creating unforgettable experiences or the dream of running a business that feels as fulfilling as it is profitable.
Whether your goal is to design stunning weddings, orchestrate corporate events, or bring luxury social gatherings to life, starting an event planning business can be your path to doing what you love every day. But as a business coach for wedding and event planners, I also know that there’s more to it than meets the eye (so I’m really glad you’re reading this today).
Step 1: Define Your Niche and Vision
The first step in how to start an event planning business is defining your niche. If you want to hit the ground running, I strongly recommend you take time to define your niche (or ideal customer) right from the start. The event industry is vast, and having a clear focus helps you stand out and attract the clients you want to work with.
Do you see yourself planning weddings for couples with big dreams and sentimental details? Or is corporate event planning more your jam? Maybe you want to dive into the luxury market? Or you’d feel more comfortable getting your footing planning birthday parties and baby showers?
Whatever your area of interest is, your niche will ultimately serve as the compass that guides your brand, your messaging, and the clients you’ll ultimately serve.
Finding Your Unique Value
If you’re struggling to narrow down your niche, try this simple exercise:
- List your top three reasons for wanting to start an event planning business.
- Reflect on past events you’ve planned, whether professionally or personally. What did you enjoy most?
- Identify the people you’d love to work with—what’s their style, budget, or vibe?
At the intersection of these answers lies your niche. From here, you can develop your unique value proposition (UVP), the quality that sets you apart. For example, maybe your UVP is your calm-under-pressure attitude or your knack for blending timeless elegance with current trends. Keep your UVP at the forefront—it will serve as the foundation for everything from your marketing to your client relationships.
Want to dive even deeper into this? I promise the results are powerful when you do. Check out my Client Cocktail mini course for my help walking you through it!
Step 2: Set Up the Basics (Legally and Financially)
Now that you’ve identified your niche, let’s move to the foundational steps in how to start an event planning business: setting up legally and financially. Getting the legal and financial aspects in order is non-negotiable. Okay? Okay. Let’s break it down.
Business Structure: LLC or Sole Proprietorship?
Choosing your business structure is a big first step in starting an event planning business. As a new event planner, you’ll likely choose between an LLC (Limited Liability Company) or a sole proprietorship.
An LLC can provide some legal protection for your personal assets, while a sole proprietorship is easier to set up but lacks this shield. If you’re serious about growth and protecting your personal assets, you may want to consider an LLC as it keeps your business and personal finances separate. Regardless of what you choose though, it’s a good idea to set up a separate bank account!
Keep in mind though, this is likely a conversation you want to have with your lawyer or accountant!
Budgeting and Setting Realistic Revenue Goals
Knowing how to start an event planning business also means planning for the financial ups and downs. When you’re just starting out, budgeting is your friend! Estimate your startup costs (think branding, website, marketing, and initial equipment or supplies) and set a realistic revenue goal for your first year. Not every month will be profitable right away, so plan for the ups and downs by setting aside funds from early income for leaner months. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!
Step 3: Create a Brand That Stands Out
Next, when you think about how to start an event planning business in an industry full of talented planners already, building a standout brand is key. Your brand is more than a name or logo—it’s the way clients experience working with you and how they remember you. From the moment potential clients see your social media profiles or visit your website, they should feel that connection that says, “Yes, I want to work with this planner!”
Love this? Head here for some of my favorite blog posts and podcasts about branding!
Focus on Client-Centric Branding
Branding is a whole other topic (that would make this blog post on how to start an event planning business feel like a novel), but I will leave you with this: you need to viewing branding from your ideal client’s perspective. Think about what they’re looking for: Do they want an organized, detail-focused experience? Are they looking for a planner who can take their ideas and elevate them? A collaborative experience? A completely-done-for-them experience?
I want you to think about this as you start to put together all of the “fun” stuff like websites, social media content, or building your portfolio. Make sure your brand speaks directly to their needs and dreams!
Step 4: Build a Client-Centric Marketing Strategy
The next step in how to start an event planning business is creating a solid marketing strategy. Marketing as a new business can be overwhelming—there are so many options! The goal here isn’t to do it all; it’s to set up foundational strategies that will help you get noticed and booked.
Let’s talk about a few key strategies to get your lead generation system off the ground.
Getting Started with Social Media, SEO, and Networking
Social media is a great place to showcase your work and connect with potential clients. Set up profiles on Instagram and Pinterest (ideal for my more visual people), and be sure your posts reflect your brand identity and showcase your style.
Next, get familiar with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) basics. Focus on using location specific keywords in your website copy and blog posts. This will help local clients find you more easily online.
Lastly, networking is a must when it comes to learning how to start an event planning business. Networking is still one of the best ways to build a client base in the event planning industry. Attend local industry meetups, introduce yourself to venue managers, photographers, and caterers—building these relationships can only lead to good things (like referrals and collaborative projects).
Step 5: Get Your Systems In Order
A huge part of how to start an event planning business is knowing how to streamline processes so your business can grow without constant burnout. When your systems are solid, you save time, prevent burnout, and deliver a consistent experience to every client.
For example, for client onboarding, create a checklist for each step, from initial inquiry to signing the contract (my onboarding playbook will help you do this a lot faster). Having consistency here helps you make a great first impression every time.
You’ll also need to set up systems for getting client work done, for marketing your business, for offboarding your customers—the list goes on. If you start to feel overwhelmed and want a short cut (and also want to make sure things are done really, really well), head to my shop for tons of playbooks filled with both information AND templates to help you get it done!
Beginner Tools to Manage Tasks and Communication
As you start to set up systems, you’ll likely want to invest in a few tools to manage it all. I recommend you start with simple tools: Asana is great for task management, HoneyBook is great client communications, and even things like Google Drive for shared documents.
Become an Event Planner Today!
The steps above are just the beginning of how to start an event planning business. But that’s usually what you need to do to get started—taking the first step. You don’t need to have every piece in place right away either. Small, consistent actions will get you where you want to be. And remember, the effort you’re putting in now lays the groundwork for a rewarding, profitable event planning business!
If you’re looking for more guidance, support, and insider tips to help you build a successful wedding and event planning business, check out my wedding planner tools in my shop and join me in The Planner’s Playbook. It’s where I share proven strategies, resources, and a community to keep you inspired and moving forward. I can’t wait to watch your business grow!
Explore More Wedding Industry Resources
- Is Month-of Wedding Coordinator A Niche? The Truth About This Wedding Planning Service
- How To Find Your Niche In The Wedding Industry: 5 Steps For Niching Down
- The Ultimate Checklist for Wedding Coordinators
- What Does A Wedding Coordinator Do? Here’s Everything They’re Responsible For
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- Why You Should Write A Business Plan In 2025 For Your Wedding Business
- How to Start a Wedding Planning Business
- The Best Wedding Planner Podcasts To Grow Your Business
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- 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting your Wedding Planning Business
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- How Much Does It Cost to Become a Wedding Planner?
- How To Become A Wedding Planner in 2025 With No Experience
For More Wedding Industry Business Secrets, Follow Me on Instagram
12 years of being the luckiest girl on the planet.💜 happy anniversary to the person who makes everything about this beautiful life we have possible.
📷 @c10ike
DAY TWO // WPI Spring Retreat 💜
If Day 1 was about getting closer to the question, Day 2 was about getting honest with the answer.
We came back together over mimosas and morning hugs (a WPI staple at this point 😉) and got right back into refinement — this time turning the lens inward. What are you actually building? And are your standards, your pricing, and your daily reality all telling the same story?
The member gives went THERE. We talked about how a systems strategist can help you untangle your process, and how saying no (A LOT) helped two photographers book better weddings.
I spoke about two important topics: setting standards and nervous system – two topics that have become very important inside WPI!
In between these conversations was room for the good stuff: small group breakouts, real talk, a few happy tears, a homemade Caribbean lunch (those pressed sandwiches 🤌), and an afternoon of feet in the pool and brains fully stretched.
Not pictured was the homemade Guac I whipped up and other poolside treats!
All these gorgeous moments captured by our retreat photographer + my business bestie @c10ike 💜💜💜
You might see the highlight reel and think ending up here was always my plan all along but you’d be wrong.
Like any good career, there have been lots of pivots and hiccups, and lessons that had to be learned the hard way.
Not seen here? The time…
- I forgot to add chairs to a rental order and ended up footing the $2,000 bill
- A client sat across from me crying that I ruined her wedding because her parents table had a low centerpiece
- I had to borrow $4,000 from Grandma Vera to make payroll, because I didn’t pay attention to my numbers
- About a hundred “dream clients” hired a different planner than me and I felt like an absolute failure
- I cried in my car before a wedding because I was completely and totally overwhelmed with the amount of responsibility on my shoulders (OK, maybe I did this more than once)
- My seasonal launch of The Planner’s Playbook completely bombed and I felt like my entire business was falling apart
…and roughly 700 other moments I’ve chosen to leave off the highlight reel.
So if you’re at the messy, nothing’s-working stage right now? Just know that if you have been to one wedding in your life, you are starting with more experience than I had.
I’m getting ready to embark on an exciting new chapter that I cannot wait to share with you… it’s big, and scary, and I’m sure in another few years I’ll have a lot more lore to share… but in the meantime…
Cheers to all the ups and downs I’ve experienced over the last 19 years!
And a special thanks to the photographers who made a lot of this lore possible: @c10ike @allanzepedaphoto @stevedepino @withincreative @robertandkathleen @thebrandedbosslady 💜🫶🏼😘
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. 🤍
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