It took me quite a bit of transition time (years, in fact) from having “day jobs” that helped me fund my event planning business, to being a full-time wedding and event planner.

I slowly transitioned from working a full-time corporate job and working on my business in the evening, to a part-time contract job where I could work on my business 2-3 days during the work week, to finally making the leap into doing my business full-time. I remember sitting in my home office in the evenings dreaming of the day when I could finally quit my contract gig and just plan events. At the time, it seemed like I would never get to that point but I kept plugging away doing one small task each day that helped me learn, grow, and build my business.

Here are four tips to help transition from your day job to your wedding planning business:

1) Commit to loving your current job while you are there

Being resentful and miserable is going to deplete your energy by the end of an eight-hour workday.  If you are miserable all day at your job, it will be really tough to suddenly get passionate and excited about working on your event planning business when you get home from work.

If you struggle with juggling your day job with your growing wedding business, it is important to set business boundaries with your clients.

2) Build a financial cushion with your current job(s)

Most of us need savings to fall back on before taking the leap into our own full-time event planning business. Think of your job as the best way to build up your savings and to finance your start-up business expenses (a.k.a. your business loan).

Wedding planners can make a good income but it takes time to build your business to that level.

When you start your business, there will be expenses such as your website, domain, marketing materials, advertising, education, and office supplies. By having a steady income and savings before launching your business full-time, you will be much better prepared for success.

3) Take advantage of your current job experience

Every single job we have helps prepare us for the next career phase. I worked in the tech industry but still gained a huge amount of business knowledge by having consulting clients, working with other businesses, working on advertising, helping with marketing, and learning how clients were billed. It was a completely different field but I don’t regret a minute of the time I spent in those jobs.

My previous jobs have all helped with my business success including how to start my own wedding planning business.

4) Use any opportunities in your current job to gain event planning and business experience

Can you help plan the next holiday party or company picnic? If there are upcoming conferences, can you help with the planning or logistics? Maybe you can learn more about marketing by being on a new committee at your job? Not all jobs have opportunities like this but keep your mind open for opportunities. These types of side gigs can help you build your wedding planning portfolio.

Becoming a wedding and event planner is an amazing journey. It takes patience and perseverance but you can absolutely do it. Take your time, make smart decisions, and keep plugging away at your day job until it’s time to make the leap!

Are you in the midst of your transition into a full-time wedding business? What’s challenging about it? Leave us a comment!

Are you a new or aspiring wedding planner?

The Wedding Planner’s Toolbox is a complete set of business templates and tools for professional wedding planners. As a wedding planner, you have one chance and a huge responsibility to plan and coordinate the perfect wedding day for your clients. The Wedding Planner’s Toolbox gives you the tools needed to get things done correctly.

Timeline templates, consultation forms, questions to ask vendors, planning checklist, and much more!

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