Wedding Planner

The work is meeting couples, planning every detail, booking and coordinating venues and suppliers, managing budgets and running the day itself so everything goes to plan. Superb organisation, calm under pressure, attention to detail and good people skills matter, since you handle big emotions, tight timings and many moving parts, often solving problems on the spot.

The work mixes office planning with venue visits and long, intense wedding days, mostly weekends and seasonal, and pay varies a lot - many planners are self-employed and build income as their reputation grows. It can be stressful when things go wrong, but seeing a day come together is hugely rewarding.

There are no required qualifications, though event or hospitality experience and any planning course help, and a portfolio of successful weddings and supplier contacts matter most. Many start by assisting established planners or in events, and self-employed planners handle their own business and tax.