Planning a wedding and running a business might seem quite different in scope and intent, but they’ve more in common than you’d think. Of course, some people even run businesses that plan weddings, so you’re hardly wrong to combine your skills for both approaches.
After all, each involves juggling tasks, dealing with different personalities (and the downsides of that), and trying to stick to a budget that always seems to be shrinking.
If you’ve ever planned a wedding yourself, then, you’ve probably picked up some skills that’d serve you well in the business world. Better yet, if you’re an entrepreneur looking to sharpen your game, you might want to pay attention to what goes into putting together a successful wedding, especially if there’s one going on in your family right now.
Now, we’re not saying you need to go out and get hitched just to boost your business skills. But there are some lessons worth learning. Let’s condense them here for your convenience!
Event Negotiation
When you’re planning an event like this, you quickly learn that everything’s up for negotiation. From wedding venues dates or prices to catering menus, all the way up to the specific entertainment time slots, there’s always room for a bit of back-and-forth. It’s not just about products, but expectations, timings, and agreed terms in the contracts. You can learn that here.
That’s because in both cases, it’s good to know when to push for a better deal and when to compromise. The real secret is to do your homework. Know what things should cost, understand what you’re willing to pay, and don’t be afraid to shop around. But negotiation isn’t just about cutting costs either, it’s more about expanding value. Perhaps you can convince a Church reception area to have a rock band just for your wedding, even if they don’t usually do it, for instance.
Planning For The Unexpected
If there’s one thing any wedding planner will tell you, it’s that something will go wrong. No matter how small. It’s almost like it’s bad luck for things to go off without a hitch, as strange as that sounds. Touch wood before reading this, but your cake might be late, the best man might lose the rings, or it might rain on an outdoor ceremony (especially if you live in the UK). That’s why setting up contingencies now is worthwhile. For all these, it’s important to have a backup plan, keep some resources in reserve for emergencies, and stay flexible or accountable (like making sure one person isn’t solely responsible for the rings).
Learning To Delegate (& Trust Others)
No one plans a wedding entirely on their own, much like no one can really run a business on their own without any help or services or products designed by others. You need to trust the florist to arrange the flowers, the caterer to cook the food, and your future mother-in-law to… well, to try not to take over everything. But it’s also important to assign tasks to those you trust and to be mindful about communicating with them. If you can learn that in both disciplines, you’ll make use of the virtue of teamwork with clarity and care.
With this advice, you’ll sure to ace both possibilities, no matter which one you’re addressing right now.