In my event planning company, I receive 5-10 emails per week from eager young men and women who are very passionate about weddings and about becoming a wedding planner.  I know what it feels like and I remember it well. Once I realized what I finally wanted to do with my career, I was desperate for information and couldn’t wait to get started.

The one thing that I see happen over and over is that some aspiring event planners have this “dream” but may not want to do the work it takes to actually make that dream happen. It’s easy to say we want to get into the business so we try to find an internship or job with an experienced planner. However, an aspiring wedding planner has to be willing to work harder (much harder) than just emailing a few established wedding planners to see if you can get your foot in the door. Those same wedding planners you emailed also received inquiries from 20-40 other guys and girls in the past month who all want the exact same thing – to get their foot in the door with an event planning business. The reality is that most wedding planning companies are micro businesses with rare job openings or opportunities.

If your dream really is to plan weddings, do something different than what everyone else is doing. The move from the fantasy of becoming a wedding planner to the reality of becoming a successful planner can be challenging. Creating a business for yourself or building a portfolio before you apply for an event planning job takes hard work, hustle and dedication. I know it’s tough which is part of the reason I created Planner’s Lounge.

The good news? You can absolutely do this if you are patient. Take classes, find a mentor, start getting experience, flex your creative muscle and start building your wedding planner portfolio. Every action you take is one more step towards reality. You really can make your dream happen if you put in the time.