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
- How To Build Your Portfolio As A Wedding Planner When You’re Just Starting Out
- 8 Free Ways To Market Your Wedding Planning Biz
- How To Get A Wedding Planner Job In 2024
- Creating Wedding Planner Packages for Your Business: How To Find the Best Way To Position Your Offer
- How To Book Your FIRST Client As A Wedding Planner
- 6 Things You Need to Include In Your Wedding Planner Pricing Guide
- Here’s What Every Wedding Planner Needs To Include In Their Wedding Design Proposals
- Wedding Planner Pricing: How Much Should You Charge As A Wedding Planner? Learn How To Figure Out Your Price
- Pricing Mistakes You Can’t Afford To Make In Your Business As A Wedding Pro
- 6 Ways Wedding Planners Leave Money on the Table
- 5 Ways to Make More Money As A Wedding Planner
- Why Honeybook Is The Best CRM for Wedding Planners
- How Much Does It Cost to Become a Wedding Planner?
- Wedding Planners – Should You List Your Wedding Planner Pricing Packages On Your Website?
- Day of Coordination: The Pros and Cons as a Wedding Planner
- How To Sell Your Wedding Planning Services: The 7 Stages Of The Sales Cycle
- 5 Contracts Every Wedding Planner Must Have To Be Legally Set
- How To Get Wedding Clients When You’re Just Starting Out
- Are Your Wedding Industry Sales Down? Here’s How To Figure Out What’s Wrong
- 9 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting Your Wedding Planning Business
- How to Book Destination Weddings And Elopements In Your Wedding Business
- Why You’re Not Attracting The Right Clients and How to Fix It
- How To Become A Wedding Planner With No Experience
- Why You Should Write A Business Plan In 2024 For Your Wedding Business
For More Wedding Planner Business Secrets Follow Me On Instagram
Being a business owner is hard, but it’s especially hard if you don’t have a supportive partner.
I’m so grateful to have such a supportive spouse who supports my every idea and lets me do my thing. 💜 @jasonkistoo
Photography @c10ike
You were made to believe your business was too unique to fit any software. I disagree. 🤍
For years, every tool on the market was so rigid, so clunky, so clearly built for someone else, that you learned to blame yourself.
“I guess I just do things differently.”
“I guess my business is too specific.”
“I guess I’ll keep duct-taping five tools together and make it work.”
But that was never a you problem. That was a software problem.
That’s exactly why I built CUE. Not a rigid box you have to contort your business to fit but a tool that flexes to how you actually work, whatever kind of planner you are. Destination, luxury, micro, solo, teams of ten, coordinators, cultural celebrations, every couple and every kind of love. All of it belongs here.
And because Cue was built by a former wedding planner, with years of experience coaching other wedding planners, I know exactly what you need (and if I miss something? I’m only an email away and will add it to my roadmap).
Comment CUEWAITLIST and I’ll send you the link. 💜💜
I haven’t worked this hard or this much in years. I’ll be honest, it’s been both rewarding and exhausting. There’s a lot happening behind the scenes and so much to do. But the one thing driving it all is my passion to help as many wedding and event planners find a forever home for their business that makes the work you do easier. We are so close to being ready 🙏
A special thank you to every client of mine who has encouraged me and cheered me on, and every beta tester who has started using Cue. Your feedback, excitement, bug spotting, ideas, and presence has meant more than I can ever express!
I also want to thank everyone who has signed up for the waitlist, shared Cue, or reached out to me personally. I am SO excited for you to see what we are building for you and your excitement for Cue has motivated me beyond what I thought I was capable of. 💜
There’s still time to get on the waitlist for Cue and see what the fuss is all about. Comment CUEWAITLIST and I’ll send you the link to get in line to be the first to try out Cue when we launch on 12/1!
Still catching up on sharing our April mastermind retreat (because apparently I need six months to recover from hosting 🤣). Here’s day three: WPI at sea.
Every year, I treat the ladies to a catamaran cruise here in Barbados, and every year, I remember why this is a nonnegotiable on our itinerary!
We swam with turtles, had a beautiful lunch, drank wine, did tequila shots, and talked about work and life while floating around in the Caribbean. Honestly, a very productive day in my books!!
One of my favorite things about coaching these women is getting to know who they are outside of their businesses. And getting to spoil a group of women who are usually the ones making everything special for everyone else? I’ll happily do that every year.
I love these ladies. I love this little island. And I love that my job brings us all together, preferably on a boat with someone else handling lunch.
Applications for WeddingPro Insiders are open, and we have a handful of spots. If you want to spend the next year working on your business with us, then come hang out at my house in April 2027 and experience this for yourself, I’d love for you to apply.
Head to the link in my bio for the details, pricing, and application. Come meet your people. 💜💜💜
Special shout out to @breezy_days_barbados for the *incredible* day and to @c10ike for the photos!!
All, Building Your Brand, Getting Down to Business, Goal Setting, Growing a Business, Mindset's To Fix
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