8 Reasons NOT to Get Your Event Planner Certification
Sure, we’ve already covered the pros and cons of event planner certifications—but how do you really know if it’s for you? Getting your event planner certification takes time and effort, and it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.
Some people show clear signs that they’re destined to be event planners. For others, the opposite is true! If any of these characteristics describe you, well, take our advice—that event planner certification just isn’t meant for you.
1. You don’t want to be an event planner
It’s that simple. If you don’t want to be an event planner, you probably shouldn’t get your event planner certification. We’re hoping this reason doesn’t need any extra explanation. Why are you even reading this?
2. You just want to plan your sister’s/daughter’s/best friend’s wedding
Will the skills you learn in your event planning certification program be valuable in planning a single wedding? Of course. Are they necessary? Not really. For instance, learning how to network with vendors won’t help you much if you’re just planning on working with them for a single event. Sure, you’ll be a very prepared one-off planner for that lucky person in your life.
But unless you intend to continue with your planning career, this is one situation where we’d recommend you do a little online research and DIY it or hire an already qualified pro that offers a “month-of” service.
3. You’re not a people person
If you don’t like being around people, well, we’ve got some bad news for you—event planning is a super social career! Much of your time is spent meeting with clients, coordinating with vendors, and of course attending events to make sure everything goes smoothly. You need to be ready to work with all sorts of people on a day-to-day basis. Unless you think an event planner certification can help you become more social (personally, we don’t), this may not be the career path for you.
4. You’re totally disorganized
Drinking champagne at bridal salons, sampling expensive cakes, attending exclusive events you planned for top brands…that’s what the job’s all about, right? Not quite. Event planning takes a lot of work. In particular, it takes a lot of coordination. As anyone who’s ever planned an event knows, even an intimate birthday party involves a lot of moving pieces. Event décor, food, drinks, rentals, invitations, RSVPs, plus-ones, cancellations… the list goes on. Successful coordination is something every event planner can (and does) learn on the job, but if you’re hopelessly disorganized to start with, that certification alone won’t be able to save you.
5. You hate dealing with conflict
In a perfect world, planning an event would be totally conflict-free. The bride-to-be and her mother would agree on every detail of the décor, the conference organizers would respond to every one of your emails within minutes, your clients would have realistic expectations for their budget, and vendors would always produce stunning work that wows the guests.
Unfortunately, all of that is pretty far off from reality. People fight, forget, or refuse to compromise. Vendors make mistakes. As the event planner, you’re the mediator in all of it. The process of getting your certification will help prepare you for dealing with these conflicts (and more), but if the idea of acting as a mediator horrifies you, consider picking another profession.
6. You don’t want to put in the work
True or false: all it takes to get your event planner certification is an in-depth knowledge of the latest in designer wedding dresses, Pinterest-worthy DIY décor, and gourmet dining trends. Yep, you guessed it—false. It takes more than being a dedicated fan of Style Me Pretty to earn your event planner certification. You’ll also need a head for budgeting, conflict resolution, coordination, people skills, and more. And the work doesn’t end once that shiny gold-stamped certification arrives in the mail—building a career as an event planner will be even more work! If you’re thinking event planning will be easy, think again.
7. You just want to relive your own wedding
Tons of wedding planners end up in the industry after they’ve planned their own weddings and fallen in love with the experience. There’s nothing wrong with that—as long as you remember that it’s not actually your wedding you’re planning. If you think getting your event planning certification will give you the license to recreate your dream wedding over and over, think again. Becoming an event planner is about working with your clients to create their vision. It’s their big day—your job is to take care of the dirty work and bring their own special dreams to life.
8. You think it’ll be an easy route to a high-paying job
Sorry, but no. Many wedding and event planners run successful, profitable businesses. Luxury wedding planners also get some of the glamour that goes along with celebrity clients and extravagant events. But it takes a ton of work to make it to the top. See #6—if you don’t want to put in the work, you’re not going to get very far.
