Should you work for free to gain experience in the wedding industry? That’s what I thought when I first started my wedding business. As a business coach for wedding planners, I’ve seen this debate from every angle, and it’s not always black and white. Sometimes offering your services for free makes sense, while other times, it’s important to stand firm on your value and financial integrity. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the tricky question of when it pays off to work for free and when it’s best to just say no, and I’m going to share my thoughts (and kind of unpopular opinion) when it comes to whether or not you should work for free.
The Problem With NEVER Working for Free
Let me back up a second. For many years, the wedding industry has demanded a steep learning curve. New wedding professionals often work for free to gain experience, build portfolios, and establish connections. This practice, almost a rite of passage, leads countless newcomers to offer their services at no charge, hoping to break into the competitive field. Unfortunately, many new wedding pros get taken advantage of, ultimately burning out and leaving the industry.
However, in recent years, there has been a pretty significant shift in the desire to work for free. The pendulum has swung hard in the opposite direction, and now it seems that the willingness to work for free has all but disappeared. And hey, I get it. Like I mentioned above, this change is, in part, a reaction to the exploitation and burnout experienced by many bright and ambitious wedding planners who felt undervalued and overworked.
The truth is, though, that refusing to do ANY work for free can hinder the growth of a wedding planning business (especially in its early stages). While it is important to value your time and expertise, there are strategic instances where offering free (or discounted) services can provide big returns. We will talk more about this below, but participating in styled shoots, collaborating with other vendors, or assisting in high-profile events for free can open doors to new opportunities, enhance your portfolio, and build a network of industry connections.
These experiences can lead to paying clients and long-term success, proving that, sometimes, working for free is a worthwhile investment in your future.
When You Should Say NO To Working for Free
That being said, there is some free work that you should absolutely say no to. When I was starting my business, I sat down with a financial advisor to discuss my goals and the vision I had for my wedding planning company. During our conversation, he asked me how much I was planning to charge for my services. I told him I was going to do some work for free to build my portfolio and then offer my services at a very competitive, below-market rate to get more weddings through the door. This is the same song and dance many new wedding planners follow, believing that working for free or at very low margins is the way to kickstart their careers.
My advisor then asked me what types of weddings I hoped to plan. I enthusiastically described my ideal clients: those with big budgets, a keen attention to detail, and a sophisticated sense of style. He pointed out that by working for free or at such low rates, I was setting myself up to attract clients with low budgets or no budgets at all. If I wanted to work on high-end projects, I instead needed to position myself accordingly from the very beginning.
If that’s you right now, resist the urge to post in those wedding Facebook groups offers to plan a wedding for free “for experience”. Trust me when I say that you will rarely get the kinds of weddings that you can actually use in your portfolio or get the experience you really want out of a wedding day (ie. be prepared to assemble a hundred DIY projects the week of the wedding).
When Wedding Pros SHOULD Work For Free
I’m never going to make you work for free, but here are some examples that might make sense for you and your business.
First, one prime example of when it makes sense to say yes to free work is when it offers an opportunity to truly build your portfolio. As a new wedding planner, having a strong portfolio is essential for showcasing your skills and attracting potential clients.
Participating in styled shoots, for example, can offer an incredible ROI. I truly believe that styled shoots have been a big part of why I was so successful as a wedding planner, and if you’re interested, make sure to grab the entire Playbook I wrote on them. These collaborative projects allow you to work with photographers, florists, and other vendors to create a visually stunning event setup (and network with one another, too!).
The other time I think it makes sense to say yes to free work is when it helps you network and get into rooms you want to be in. Attending industry events, offering your services for industry events (and venue openings), or assisting seasoned professionals can help you network with people who will be invaluable over the course of your career.
Basically, these opportunities not only allow you to learn from experienced peers but also enable you to establish relationships with key players in the industry. It’s cliche to say that your network is your net worth, but it’s kind of true. Relationships are huge in the wedding industry.
My Experience Saying Yes to Free Work
I want to shift the idea that everything has to be paid work. There are so many awesome opportunities that can help you in other ways, even if you’re not getting paid. And I know what I’m talking about here because while I never offered to plan weddings for free, I did say yes to plenty of free opportunities (and still do!).
For example, early in my career, I collaborated on a styled shoot for a magazine. While it wasn’t a paid gig, it turned out to be a huge catalyst for my business. This experience allowed me to meet and network with the vendors I knew I wanted to work with and to design the types of weddings I wanted to plan.
Had I turned down that opportunity simply because it wasn’t paid, I would have missed out on the invaluable connections and portfolio-building experiences that came from it. I’m so glad I didn’t!
Should You Work For Free to Gain Experience?
To sum up, the question of whether to work for free in the wedding industry is a complex one with no one-size-fits-all answer. There are times when offering your services for free can be a strategic move, helping you build your portfolio, establish valuable connections, and gain experience. However, it’s also important to know when to say NO to working for free to stand firm on your worth and to avoid undervaluing your expertise.
If you want honest advice on growing your wedding business, I would love to invite you to join the Planner’s Playbook. Each month, I host office hours where I dive into topics just like this, offering my insights and honest advice (even when it’s unpopular and not what you want to hear). Let’s work together to build a thriving wedding planning business! Hop on the waitlist now!
Explore More Wedding Industry Resources
- How to Start a Wedding Planning Business
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- How To Book Your FIRST Client As A Wedding Planner
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- Wedding Planner Pricing: How Much Should You Charge As A Wedding Planner? Learn How To Figure Out Your Price
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- Are Your Wedding Industry Sales Down? Here’s How To Figure Out What’s Wrong
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- How to Book Destination Weddings And Elopements In Your Wedding Business
- Why You’re Not Attracting The Right Clients and How to Fix It
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For More Wedding Planner Business Secrets Follow Me On Instagram
💸 Last year, I spent $60,000 on my own education and business development.
Courses. Masterminds. One-on-one coaching. All of it.
And while those numbers sound big (and they are), I also love investing in my business. I’ve worked with a coach since 2017, and I can confidently say while not every investment I make is a winner, many of the investments I’ve made are a major reason my business looks the way it does today.
But here’s what I’ve learned along the way:
✨ Not every investment gives you the same ROI.
✨ Where you are in your journey matters when deciding which style of education and support is right for you
✨ Growth happens when you’re the smallest fish in the room
In this week’s podcast episode, I’m breaking down exactly what I learned from investing $60K into my growth and more importantly, how you can use those lessons to make smarter decisions about YOUR next investment.
Think of it as a buyer’s guide to business education, told by someone who’s been on both sides: student and coach.
Comment 196 and I will send you the link to listen.
#candicecoppola #weddingpros #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness #thepowerinpurposepodcast #weddingindustryeducation
Over the weekend I celebrated another birthday, and this year, it was amazing ✨
Thank you for all the texts, calls, voice messages, DMs, and comments. Between my friends, my clients, my colleagues, and my students I really felt all the love.
To a fresh year filled with love, gratitude, and beautiful sunsets with friends.
As a wedding planner, time is your most valuable resource.
So why are you spending it…
🌀 Writing the same damn emails over and over again
📋 Building timelines from scratch for every single wedding
🧠 Staring at a blank screen trying to sound professional in your client updates
💬 Preparing client updates manually
📑 Starting your wedding design proposals and presentations from scratch
You don’t hate your job…. you’re just drowning in the part that should’ve been automated by now.
That’s where AI comes in.
But not the way you’ve been using it.
In 90 minutes, I’ll show you how to train ChatGPT to actually think like a planner so it saves you hours every week and makes your life way easier.
Comment MASTERCLASS and I’ll DM you the link.
Hitting six figures in your wedding business is a big deal but let’s be honest, it doesn’t feel as good as you thought it would, does it?
Suddenly, you need more leads just to keep your team busy. The stakes get higher, your time gets split between client work, team management, and growth… and now you also have to be the CMO of your own business.
I hate to be the one to tell you this but the strategies that got you to six figures won’t get you past six figures.
In this week’s episode of The Power in Purpose, I’m sharing some of the biggest problems I see wedding pros tackle AFTER hitting that coveted “100K” mark in their business.
I’m sharing things like:
→ The hidden roadblocks keeping you stuck in the busy-but-not-profitable cycle
→ Why broken systems and over-delivering will cap your growth
→ The mindset + strategy shifts that help you step into your CEO role
👉 Comment 195 and I’ll send you the link to listen
#candicecoppola #weddingindustry #weddingpros #weddingpro #weddingindustryexperts #weddingpodcast #weddingbusiness
All, Building Your Brand, Getting Down to Business, Goal Setting, Growing a Business, Mindset's To Fix
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