Let’s be honest — just because you planned your own wedding doesn’t make you a wedding planner.
It’s like saying you can open a restaurant because you made dinner once.
Ever since COVID, there’s been a wave of newlyweds who fall in love with the process and decide, “You know what? I planned my wedding, I could totally be a wedding planner.” And while the enthusiasm is lovely, here’s the truth: planning your own wedding and running a professional wedding planning business are two completely different worlds.
1. You Had One Wedding. We Run Dozens.
Planning your own day gives you one experience — yours. A professional planner has managed events in every kind of chaos: extreme heat, supplier cancellations, venue delays, last-minute weather flips, forgotten licences, power failures — all while keeping the couple blissfully unaware.
You can’t learn that from one wedding. You learn it from hundreds.
2. You Were the Star, Not the Stage Manager
You were walking down the aisle, not wrangling vendors. You were sipping champagne, not triple-checking the floor plan against the hire list.
Professional planners are in the background making it all look effortless — while quietly putting out fires you never even see.
You had your moment. We make sure everyone else gets theirs.
(And to be completely honest, you might have planned it to within an inch of its life, but you probably didn’t see all things that went wrong or were wrong from the outset because you missed things. You most likely didn’t see all of your vendors and venue running around like crazies fixing things behind the scenes because they wanted you to have the perfect day. You probably didn’t realise the stress and strain not to mention the free work, effort and collaboration that had to happen to make your wedding come to life. But that’s not your fault; you’re not a wedding planner.)
3. Aesthetic Isn’t Logistics
Having great taste is wonderful. But running a wedding isn’t about mood boards — it’s about operations. Timelines, contracts, staffing, permits, insurance, delivery windows, weather contingencies, supplier coordination… all executed to the minute.
It’s very common to hear the phrase ‘oh you work in wedding’s that must be fun!’ and in all honesty, it’s incredible and there is nothing else us wedding planners would rather be doing. But the pretty things is all surface level, the operational know how, the spreadsheets, the business acumen, the people skills, all come way before the pretty things even start.
It’s not “being organised.” It’s being operationally fluent.
4. They Always Undercharge — Until Reality Hits
Almost every “newly-wed-turned-planner” starts by charging next to nothing. They think it’s easy money for something they already “love doing.” Then they realise each wedding eats hundreds of hours — not counting admin, emails, travel, prep days, and 16-hour Saturdays on site.
It’s not part-time pocket change. It’s a profession that demands expertise, endurance, and accountability and newbies never understand until they’re actually in it.
Then they realise.
5. They Don’t Realise It’s All-Consuming
This isn’t a side hustle. It’s weekends, public holidays, nights, back-to-back event weeks, and constant mental checklists.
True wedding planners miss birthdays, dinners, and long weekends because someone’s once-in-a-lifetime day comes first.
The amount of wedding planners who came on the scene during COVID, and then left straight after is testament to the fact that the wedding industry is hard gruelling work, with new vendors who can’t hack it. It’s not a hobby, it’s a career.
You can’t half-do this job. It takes over your calendar — and your life — in the best (and most exhausting) way.
6. Your Wedding Was About You — Ours Are About Them
When you planned your wedding, it was personal. Every decision was about your vision, your taste, your people.
When we plan weddings, it’s about translating someone else’s vision into a seamless, beautiful, operational reality — even when their family, budget, or weather doesn’t cooperate.
It’s empathy, management, and adaptability all rolled into one, and for new wedding planners that can be a hard pill to swallow.
7. Love It? Great. But Respect the Craft.
If planning your wedding made you fall in love with events — amazing. We need more passionate people. But please, learn the ropes before you call yourself a planner. Shadow someone. Assist. Understand logistics before you start selling packages.
And I cannot stress this enough, get a job in hospitality first. Go get a job as a waitress in a function centre or hotel, learn the ropes, learn how to carry 3 plates, learn how long it takes to serve 150 people, learn how many tables can fit in a room, learn the size of linen that goes on that table. All this operational knowledge will stand you in good stead because each planner and stylist has their own unique style, but not many know the operations of how a wedding actually works.
P.S. I won’t hire anyone unless they have hospitality experience, it’s not worth it, because I know that someone who has worked in hospitality just gets it, and you can tell the people who haven’t from a mile away.
Look: Signs you need to hire a wedding planner (AND STAT)
Planners make it look calm, seamless and beautiful — but trust me, behind the scenes it’s spreadsheets, strategy and caffeine. If you’re ready to be the bride, not the project manager… it’s time to call in the planner.
Follow alice’s wedding planning journey → @aliceheydonevents
The Final Word
At Alice Heydon Events, we don’t just plan weddings — we build systems, manage teams, and make impossible timelines look effortless (with a lot of effort!) I love what we do, but make no mistake — it’s not something you pick up after one wedding.
So if you’ve just tied the knot and think you’ve found your “calling,” wonderful. But before you print the business cards, make a website and an Instagram, do your research and spend some time behind the clipboard. You’ll learn very quickly that wedding planning isn’t a “vibe”, it’s a vocation, and those of us who have been doing it for years, have worked very hard to get where we are and charge what we charge.
The wedding industry is an absolute joy to be a part of; it’s fun, empowering and an absolute adrenaline rush, and we are always happy to welcome newbies into the fold. But you have to do it in a respectful way. Respect your fellow vendor, and they’ll respect you back and support you on your journey.
Don’t, and be ready for an industry backlash.
