Module 14:
Finding An Assistant Job
To do
[progressally_objectives]
[progressally_progress_bar]
Do A Quick Internet Search
First things first, do a quick internet search for “X (your location) wedding planner assistant” and see what comes up in your local area. If there are a few positions available, see what the requirements are before applying.
Wedding planners who are seeking a wedding assistant will list the key qualifications they are looking for in a helper. Pay very close attention to this list. Be honest with yourself: Is this something you can both physically and mentally do?
The posting should also list the benefits their company offers. It is not unusual for a planner to look for more of an intern role versus a paid employee. As an intern you might get little to no compensation for your time. It’s not particularly fun working hard for no money, but if wedding planning is your passion, then this is a great opportunity to gain experience and learn the ropes.
Ask Friends If They Know Friends
I bet you know someone who has a friend in the wedding business. I even bet you’ve had a friend who’s gotten married recently. Sometimes all we need to do to get the ball rolling is ASK.
If a friend of yours has recently gotten married, they will be a great resource to have at your disposal. In their own wedding planning journey, I’m sure they have gotten close with a vendor or two.
The wedding community is a tight-knit one and it wouldn’t take much nudging to get them to ask around on your behalf. It’s very likely they will come back with a couple of wedding planners who are on the lookout for good day-of help.
Join a Local Bridal Facebook Group
This one might be hard to do if you’re not a current bride. But you could always ask the admin for permission to join. Always be transparent about why you want to be there.
You’ll find newer wedding vendors inside this group. Don’t get me wrong, you might find some seasoned ones as well, but the newer ones will be far more active.
Here, you’ll start to get to know the local vendors. Engage with them. This way they start to get to know you. I highly doubt they will ever ask for wedding day help in this forum, but you could DM them and ask if they could use some help. Remember, if they don’t currently need help, that doesn’t mean they don’t know another vendor who does.
I like newer vendors because they’re not overly concerned about competition. They are more focused on servicing their clients to the best of their ability and that makes them a perfect candidate to approach.
If they don’t know of any planners who are currently needing help, don’t be against helping other vendors out. They could be the linchpin to getting you in the industry where you indirectly work side by side with a planner—who later might need day-of help.
Contact Planners Outside Your Area
Now it’s time for the scary stuff—cold emailing. Cold emailing is not the most fun, but it’s good practice in toughing up your skin (which will later be a helpful skill to have, trust me!). This is the character-building kinda stuff famous entrepreneurs always talk about in their books.
Why am I suggesting looking outside your area? For two reasons. One, you’ve pretty much exhausted all the local resources with #1, #2, #3 in your Road Map to Success. And two, you might find better results in another area because if becoming a wedding planner is your ultimate goal, a planner who will not be your direct competition later will be more willing to hire you.
Do lots of research before emailing a wedding planner. Find the ones that fit your style or the style you someday want to emulate. Be selective when choosing who to email. Planners know planners and they talk to each other often. If you send out a mass email to every planner in town, they will know.
If you passed the certification test, your document is on the way. In the meantime, start researching wedding planners in your area that you’d like to work with. Once you’ve gathered a list, go ahead and use this email as a template to send to them.
Hi {Name of Wedding Planner}!
First of all, I just want to say how amazing your {social media outlet/website} is. {Describe a specific photo you love here} makes me feel {emotion you feel when looking at it}. It looks like you really enjoy what you do, and I would love to be a part of it!
My name is {your name} and wedding planning has been a passion of mine since {when}. I would love to know more about the wedding industry, and I would love to assist you on wedding days if you’re in need of help.
To show you how passionate I am, I recently just completed the Engaged Wedding Planner Academy course, Assistant Wedding Planner Certificate. I’m proud to say I passed with flying colors!! (My certificate is attached.) Inside the course I learned what tasks I might be expected to do and how a timeline has a front end and a back end. I also learned what is expected of an assistant and was given some general guidelines to follow.
Full disclosure, I’m not sure if I want to be a wedding planner yet. It’s something I’m thinking about, but I would like to actually get a feel for what it might be like before making that decision. If you’re looking for a motivated assistant, please know I’m available.
I would love to treat you to coffee if you have time this week so you can see if I’d be a good match for your company. Just let me know what your availability is and we’ll make it work!
Looking forward to hearing from you!
{Your name}
Why do you want to work as an event assistant?
Really think about this question. Why do you want to do this job? I can’t answer it for you, but I can tell you why a wedding planner might ask it: they want to know if this is something you’re passionate about or just a fleeting idea (like, hey, it sounds fun!).
Are you willing to take the time to educate yourself on wedding-specific material?
A wedding planner might ask this because they might not have the time or money to train you. You may need to seek out educational resources on our own so you can be an asset to the team. This is something you’ll need to wrestle with. If you’re applying for an intern position, then this should be automatically included in your training, but as a paid worker you may need to take control of your own education. You’ll learn a lot, but a wedding planner can’t really do a lot of in-depth teaching during a wedding.
Do you want to start your own wedding planning business?
This is the biggie. The question all interviewing wedding planners will ask. They want to know if you’re going to be their direct competition someday. Some wedding planners are okay with you saying “yes.” In their eyes, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander—meaning you’ll be able to refer clients to each other. They will have confidence in the industry and friends who understand their business pains. Some wedding planners want you to say “no” to this question. They don’t want to spend the time training someone who will just steal their process and take clients away from them. Be truthful with yourself and with them. It’s okay if you change your mind later down the road—that happens, life happens—but no one ever wants to be deceived.
Where do your strengths lie? Where are you weakest?
I think you’ll get this question no matter what you’re interviewing for. A wedding planner will ask this question because it gives them a good indication of the types of situations in which you’ll be most helpful. Take some time to consider your answer.
Are you a frequent user of social media?
This is important for a wedding planner to know because they might have their assistants post pictures for them on the day of a wedding. A planner is often too busy to even remember to post to FB or Instagram. They want an assistant who is familiar with the process.
Tell me about your organization style
As I’m sure you can imagine, organization is a must-have skill to possess if you’re in charge of running the wedding day. Think of examples of things you’ve personally organized (kitchen spices, shoes, kid’s room) and then think about the results you’ve had. Be ready to talk about this during your interview.
How well do you follow directions?
This is another key question a wedding planner will ask. It could be easy to give a fluff answer here, but you should try to dig a little deeper. Weddings are hectic and a wedding planner can’t waste their time repeating tasks or checking work to make sure it’s done right. Describe a situation in which you were given clear (this is key) instructions and the result from it.
Do you have any event planning experience?
Another question you will probably get asked. Know that it’s okay if you don’t have tons—or any, for that matter—of experience. When asking this question they want to know if you understand the big picture of an event.
How do you retract when things don’t go as planned?
I personally ask this question because I like to get a feeling for what’s instinctual. Wedding planning seldom goes perfectly on the day of, but it’s how an event assistant reacts to the upheaval that will make the difference.
Why did you list these people as your references? Who will have the best understanding of your work style?
If they ask this, it’s because they want to get a true sense of what it is like to work with you and whether your style is a good fit for their work ethic. Don’t take it personally. It’s just an extra measure to see if you are the best event assistant candidate for them.