šµ The Power of Experience: Unveiling the Significance of Expertise in the Wedding Industry
A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding the Essence of Experience in Choosing Wedding Vendors
I am taking a quick break from music this week to talk about a hot topic on the wedding planning boards recently.
How much does experience mean to couples hiring wedding vendors? Experience typically will coincide with vendor fees. The more experience will result in a higher cost. However, many specialties within the wedding industry do not require educational certifications in order to create memorable weddings. Thus, letās delve into the importance and pitfalls of relying on experience.
According to The Knot 2022 Real Weddings Study, engaged couples hire an average of 14 vendors. The study also mentioned the most common vendors hired are for:
Wedding dresses
Venues
Photographers
Groomsā attire
Caterers
Bakers
Hair and make-up
DJs
Florists
For my examples today, I will speak on 3 wedding specialties: DJs, Photographers, and Bakers. No educational degrees or certifications are required to offer wedding products/services from these industries (assuming bakers pass food handling and other codes).
As they say, a jack of all trades is a master of none. This is why many wedding pros will primarily focus on one part of a wedding (or related products/services). Examples of related wedding offerings:
A cake baker may offer cake pops, tiered wedding cakes, and cupcakes.
DJs may offer music entertainment, master of ceremonies, and uplighting.
Photographers may offer engagement sessions, photo albums, and pre-wedding moments.
In order for wedding businesses to be successful, they are forced to differentiate themselves from their competition. I have seen an emergence of specialized roles of wedding pros. Many will focus on one aspect of their offering that makes them stand out - and easily remembered.
A wedding photographer who specializes in a photojournalistic style. A wedding DJ company that has a multilingual DJ teams with cultural personalization. A baker who specializes in personalized cakes for one of the marriers.
My point in mentioning specialized wedding pros is that they can bring your personality into your wedding with specific knowledge of their craft in order to exceed your expectations.
I personally donāt believe every industry needs to have formal education to be a professional wedding business - such as a certified wedding planner. This is when experience comes into play. Any friend or relative ācanā bake a cake, take pictures, and play music. This is when formal education is replaced with real-life hands-on experience.
Every wedding is unique to each couple. It is the expectation of wedding pros to provide a product/service that the couple desires. If the wedding pro cannot, it is their responsibility to not accept the work. At the same time, couples must be diligent in reviewing the skills of wedding pros before hiring them.
Each industry has its own challenges. Wedding DJs must be able to read guests and how they are reacting to music to create the perfect music mix for the ultimate wedding experience. Bakers must know how to stack a tiered cake and keep it straight vertically. Photographers must work around lighting challenges to create shadowless pictures.
Experience of the wedding pro plays a pivotal role in the success of a wedding! Experience brings:
High adaptability to unexpected scenarios
Quick thinking in high-pressure wedding environments (you only get 1 chance)
Teamwork with other professionals
Knowledge of little details to create a unique and memorable celebration
Quote from DJ Rachel Lynch
"Authenticity and a real experience are crucial in navigating once-in-a-lifetime events. Hiring a great DJ can make the difference between a good party and a great one. DJs have the responsibility of delivering on every detail and promise in real-time, with no ability to edit or redo moments. They rely on intuition and talent to ensure that your dream event unfolds minute by minute, live and in color."
We all have tales of wedding disasters. (Have you visited the website Cake Wrecks?). Rather than focusing on the train wrecks, letās focus on the successful events.
DJ Gig Logs are great for finding out the DJās style such as making announcements, commanding the room and dance floor, and music knowledge. Even though this DJ Gig Log is 5 years old, it highlights what you need to know about the DJ before hiring them and the demonstrated experience they have accumulated.
Your wedding pros donāt need to have full-length videos. I particularly like YouTube Shorts too. To watch a baker create a wedding cake in the style a couple wants is golden. See this bakerās wedding cake-making short.
https://youtube.com/shorts/SvuSjaubEMY?si=WfBqNXaudgJuhmHY
Another characteristic of experienced wedding pros is that they share tips to educate their industry. This wedding photographer offers 7 tips on taking wedding photos.
Experience is valuable. Experienced wedding vendors add value through personalized services and creative solutions.
Let me play devilās advocate for a second. Not all experience is created equal. A wedding pro who has been working on their craft needs to be analyzed.
Are they working 3 weddings a year or 3 a weekend?
Have they taken the time to have a business license and be insured?
What does the planning process look like once the contract is signed?
Do they have examples of work on social media?
Does the wedding pro complement the coupleās budget?
Weddings never go off without any hiccups. That being said, what do the majority of reviews say about the vendor? Word-of-mouth referrals are priceless- not only from married couples but also from other vendors.
Remember people buy from who they like and trust. Experience of work completed will create trust. Newcomers in the wedding industry are at a disadvantage trying to generate trust in them. Newcomers need to establish a positive reputation as quickly as possible.
Experience is, and always will be, a major factor in hiring wedding professionals. Of course, couples must like the personality of who they hire but they also must trust them. Some tips on hiring a wedding pro:
They prioritize the coupleās needs over their own
Provide referrals from past weddings
They work with other wedding pros to create an ultimate wedding experience.
Are you a wedding pro and donāt have the necessary experience? Consider mentorship! Experienced pros love sharing their knowledge. The biggest thing mentor pros look at in a mentee is their passion. It all starts there. The mentee must analyze current advancements in the industry from the mentor versus traditional methods. Think CDs versus MP3s versus streaming for wedding DJs.
Experience in the wedding industry of pros should never be overlooked. Through experience, pros have unique skills for managing wedding moments, adaptability to problems, and creative knowledge to personalize your celebration.
Formal education by wedding pros is not required for magical wedding moments. However, real-life wedding experience outweighs any videos watched, at-home practice, and books read.
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Key takeaways:
Experience is an invaluable asset in the wedding industry. Experienced wedding professionals bring a wealth of knowledge, adaptability, and problem-solving skills that are crucial in creating successful events.
Experienced professionals can provide personalized services and creative solutions tailored to the unique needs of each couple. Their expertise allows them to exceed expectations and bring the couple's vision to life.
Trust. Couples need to like the professionals they hire and trust them to deliver a flawless wedding experience. Trust is built on the foundation of prior successful work, referrals, and positive reviews.
Specialized roles within the wedding industry. These roles allow professionals to focus on specific aspects of weddings, honing their skills and delivering exceptional results. Specialization also enables couples to find vendors who align with their unique personalities.
It's not just about the number of weddings a professional has worked on, but the quality of those experiences. Factors such as professionalism, licensing, planning processes, and social media presence are indicators of a reputable and reliable wedding professional.
Continuous learning in the industry is required. Newcomers can benefit from mentorship, learning from experienced professionals, and staying updated with industry advancements. Passion, coupled with a commitment to learning, ensures a successful career in the wedding business.
While formal education has its merits, nothing compares to the hands-on experience gained in real-life wedding celebrations. Experienced professionals have the ability to turn potential disasters into seamless, magical moments, making weddings unforgettable for couples and their guests.
If you have any thoughts, please share them in the below comments.
Thank you for reading + Have a great day!
Matt, My Wedding Songs