From the Experts, Your Event Career
How to Get a Job as a Wedding Planning Assistant
Amira Harris is the owner and destination wedding specialist of Aisle Travel™ based in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Aisle Travel™ provides Canadian couples with full group travel services, destination wedding planning, and customized wedding group experiences.
I’ve received my fair share of emails, social media messages and phone calls about whether my destination wedding planning business is hiring. I always appreciate people who put themselves out there, but during peak season, and when we don’t have an active posting, it’s definitely not ideal. You likely won’t get you the undivided attention you’re looking for with this tactic. Most wedding planners like to hire in the fall or after wedding season, once things have slowed down. During this time, planners are working on their business and setting things up for the coming year.
As a business owner, I have hired and worked with many different professionals to assist me over the years. If you’re looking to get some experience, and your goal is to work for a wedding planning company, you may start off by becoming a planning assistant or even interning. The task you’ll do as part of this position will vary; however, it will provide you with a lot of insight for when you start your own wedding planning business. It’ll even come in handy if you’re working up the ranks as a wedding planner with someone else.
What if I don’t have any professional wedding planning experience?
I’ve hired people with and without wedding experience. If you don’t have experience, don’t let this discourage you from applying. As long as the posting isn’t a senior level position, apply anyway. If you don’t have wedding coordination experience, be honest on your resume.
I’ve taken a chance and hired an applicant because they had the education and passion to work in the industry. I’ve also hired someone who had a fantastic cover letter and never worked in the wedding industry. Finally, I’ve hired someone I was volunteering with at another organization since they had confidence and were self-motivated. The key takeaway? Always take a chance and apply!
Your past job experience may have afforded you transferrable skills, including being a problem solver, working in a fast-paced environment, being well-organized, and managing your time effectively. Highlight the skills you do have.
Follow the job application instructions to a T
If you see an intern or assistant job posting, read it thoroughly and see exactly what they require from applications. If it requires your resume and cover letter, make sure to include it. Double and triple check your spelling. And if you can, have someone look over your resume and cover letter. Fresh eyes always help!
If you don’t have a resume, write one. There are so many DIY templates out there. Lots of local and online resume-writing resources and workshops to help you put one together for free or a very minimal cost.
Apply through the method stated on the job post. If it says to send your resume and cover letter in PDF format to a specific email address, do that! Please don’t get creative on this part and decide you want to drop it off in-person, or send it to the email used for bridal inquires. Also, make sure you apply before the deadline! If you want the opportunity, following application instructions is key. It’s crucial since wedding planners are detailed-oriented people. If you want to be seriously considered, follow their instructions to show you can pay attention.
Research the wedding planning company
One of the things you need to do to set yourself apart from all the other applicants is to have a compelling cover letter. This is the time to get creative.
Look though the company’s website, social media, or use plain old Google to see what you can find out about the company or the owner. In most cases, the business owner is the one looking at your resume and cover letter. Include something about the company in your cover letter. It shows you did your homework.
Top tips to land a job as a wedding planning assistant:
Here are my best tips to help you land that planning assistant job.
- Don’t address your cover letter to “Whom it may concern” or casually say “hey” or “hello”. You won’t land the opportunity for an interview this way. Address the cover letter to the owner or, better yet, to whomever it was instructed on the application process.
- Keep your resume at 2 pages maximum. Anything more than that is overwhelming.
- Your cover letter shouldn’t just be about you. It should tell the owner how they can benefit by having you be a part of the team. Why should the wedding planner hire you as the assistant? Why would you make a good fit for them?
- List your wedding planning certifications, wedding planning courses, accreditations, and all your education. No experience might not get you the interview, but your education might. Being a certified wedding planner puts you square within the pool of criteria they’re looking for.
- Clean up your social media accounts. Most employers do look and will look at your social media presence. I always look.
- If you volunteer or have volunteered for an event for an organization, list this on your resume. You should also describe what you did there, since some of those skills may be transferable to many other positions.
- Be available. Most wedding planners need someone reliable and available on nights and weekends.
- Be positive. Having a can-do attitude helps and is encouraged.
These are just a few tips that will get you noticed and get you in for an interview. The interview is your time to shine and the perfect opportunity to show why you’re the perfect fit. It’s also the perfect time to come prepared, show up on time and show your confidence.
What else should wedding planning assistants know about the job? Let us know in a comment!
This was an excellent article. I will take all that advice and look for assistant opportunities even if it is not paid.
Although most people do need to pay bills, and my current job requires be to be available on weekends. So should I be honest with the interviewer that I work weekends at my current job but as long as I know in advance when I am needed, I am able to booked time off at my current job so that I can be available for the assistant position?
Hi Ashley, Thanks for your comment! Honesty is the best policy in these cases. The situation can be quite tricky since event planning isn’t a 9-5 job. As such, you may find yourself working odd hours, which may mean booking time off ahead may not be possible. We suggest you take an honest look at your time commitments. Evaluate your schedule and ask your event employer what they expect from you. You may have to compromise on some areas, but it’s a great idea to have an open and honest discussion about it. Best of luck!
Im having lots of questions regarding this still because Im a kind of person really really want this kind of job because Im love to being socialise but just for now I wanna ask is it compulsory to have the certificate of wedding planners course to get in this industry?
Hi Ash! Wedding planning is an unregulated industry so a certification isn’t compulsory, no. However it’s a lot easier to break into the industry with training under your belt, since it shows that you have the basic skills and knowledge to do the job!
This was very helpful! I especially agree that timing is everything. I would never want to apply for a job right in the middle of busy season when my resume will just get lost in the shuffle. These tips are very helpful and I think even if you don’t have the work experience, the educational experience gives a significant advantage. I am really happy that I can display my QC credentials on my resume for any future event planning job possibilities!
Hi Nicole,
We’re very happy to hear that, too! Regardless of whether one wishes to work as a wedding planning assistant or not, getting proper training and a reputable education in this industry is CRITICAL! Above all else, it’s worth it simply for the way it’ll improve one’s skill-set, confidence, and overall qualifications. On top of that, whether it’s a client, a prospective employee, or someone in your network seeing it on your resume, it’s GUARANTEED to impress. At the very least, it will always serve as proof of your commitment and dedication to what you do, which makes a huge impact on how others will view you as a professional! 🙂
All the best,
Sarah
The QC Team
When starting out in the wedding planning industry it can be tough to find a way to get your foot in the door in order to gain real world experience as a wedding planner. It is awesome that the writer of this article is actually someone that is actually in the industry and has not only worked with but also hired novice planners during her career. The tips and tricks that are provided in this article will surely land an aspiring wedding assistant a job.
We definitely agree! What better way to get an inside look at becoming a wedding planning assistant than by hearing from someone who’s already walked the walk and talked the talk? 🙂 Becoming a wedding planning assistant is an incredibly effective way to gain hands-on experience, network, and get one foot into the door. So, we’re happy to hear that you found the tips and tricks provided within this article so helpful. Thanks so much for reading, Shawniece!
All the best,
The QC Team
Is the best way to find a wedding planning assistant job reaching out to someone’s business already? When I search online, it seems really hard to find anyone who is hiring.
Hi Katie,
It’s entirely up to you! If you’re having trouble finding businesses who are openly looking to hire, you can always do some research into a few businesses you really admire, and then try to establish contact by reaching out and letting them know that you’re an up-and-coming planner who’s looking for the opportunity to get field training and assist an established professional, in the event that they’re ever looking to bring on a new team member. There’s no harm in giving that a try! 🙂
We wish you all the best! xx
The QC Team
I want to gain experience in this industry and hopefully become a wedding planner myself one day. I don’t currently drive, is this going to be issue when looking for wedding planner assistant jobs?