When Does it Make Sense to Work for Free as a Wedding Planner?

As a professional wedding and event planner, we are often asked to do work for free. How do we decide when it’s worth it?

Here are 4 scenarios when working for free makes sense:

1) You are brand new to event planning

When starting out, it’s important to get experience and get a feel for what it is really like to work as a wedding and event planner. You may choose to plan your first few events for free or at a low rate to build your portfolio and gain experience. If you do a great job, these clients may provide a testimonial and reference which can give your new business a boost.

Related post: How to Become a Wedding Planner

2) There are tangible benefits to doing the work

What if a local venue approaches you to plan an open house for engaged couples? They don’t have the budget to pay you but by planning the event for the venue, you can have a display table at the event for your business and they will include your name as a sponsor on the invitations. Not only does this event give you access to potential clients, it helps get your business name out among engaged couples. It also gives the venue a chance to work with you which can lead to referrals from the venue in the future. These are tangible benefits you receive in exchange for doing the work.

3) There are intangible benefits to doing the work

If a well-published photographer approaches you about designing a photo shoot at a venue you have been dying to work at, then it likely makes sense to plan and design the photo shoot. The photo shoot may get published and you will have the opportunity to build a relationship with a venue you would like to be associated with.

After the photo shoot, you can nurture your relationship with the venue and work towards being one of their preferred event planners. You can also share the photo shoot images and details about it on your blog, website, and social media to help with your SEO when potential clients search online for that venue. These are valuable benefits that make it worth your time to do the work free of charge.

Related post: Pro Tips for Styled Shoot Success

Does the work you are giving away provide more opportunity than the financial value of your services? If not, politely decline the offer. If you aren’t sure, ask more questions and don’t be afraid to negotiate. It has to give you the return on investment for time spent.

Complete pricing guide for wedding planners

Not sure how to price your services and what to offer in your wedding planning packages?

Pricing With Confidence: Secrets to Profitable Pricing & Services for Professional Wedding Planners is a comprehensive guide with templates and worksheets that give you the tools and information needed to confidently offer profitable and sustainable wedding planning packages and pricing.

This guide is ideal for both new and experienced wedding planners who want to understand pricing methods and techniques. This guidebook is also perfect for wedding planners who want to save time by having ready-to-use templates for planning packages, examples of website wording, and a professional spreadsheet to rely on for calculating prices for weddings and events.

Learn more and get immediate access!