Planning your big day or looking to become an independant wedding planner? Then Wedding Planning Courses can help you achieve perfection for you or your clients.
Our model is simple but effective as we provide fast paced essence training in areas such as;
Preliminary Planning - Wedding Brief, Planning and Budgeting
Wedding Guest Management - The Guest List and Cost Management, Wedding Guest Seating Plans
Wedding Outfitting - The Bride & Groom, The Groomsman, Bridesmaids and Ushers
Wedding Countdown Logistics - Entertainment, Photographer and Videographer
Wedding Ceremony - Civil Weddings, Ethnic Weddings and Celebrity Weddings
Our Diploma In Wedding Planning Course is Industry recognised and Internationally accredited by the Institute of Commercial Management with a transferable qualification recognised in over 130 coutries worldwide.
Course Content
Preliminary Planning
Wedding Brief, Planning and Budgeting
Creating an Outline Plan covering availability of Main Guests; Timing of the Wedding; Choosing the correct Day of the Week on which to be Married;Setting out an Outline Budget from Wedding Jewellery to Catering; Upgrading your Wedding; Wedding Contingency Planning.
Location, Time Management and Wedding Legalities
Choosing the Right Location for the Wedding, Unique Reception Venues, Themed Weddings, Wedding Styles; Wedding Coordination Planning Setting out a Critical Path ; determining if the Outline Plan can be Achieved in the time and on Budget. Checking the Legalities, Wedding Risk Management Insurance, Legal Documentation; Prenuptial Agreements etc.
Wedding Guest Management
The Guest List and Cost Management
Drafting the Guest List; Inviting Children; Immediate Relatives; Relatives one step removed. Consulting Parents about the list; Endeavouring to Invite Equal Numbers between Bride and Groom. Inviting Parents to Contribute to Costs; Managing and Coordinating the Growing Guest List; Limiting Numbers; Agreeing Final Guest List with both sets of Parents. Managing Two Event Guest Lists: Full Day Guest List and Evening Guest List.
Managing Wedding Guest Special Requirements
Wedding Guest Etiquette- Guest bringing friends; Facilities for Special Needs Guests - High Chairs and Baby Facilities, Disabled Guests and Accessibility, Vegetarians and Vegan Guests. Seating Plans. Out-of-town Guests - Accommodation, Maps, Contact Details.
Wedding Guest Seating Plans
Types of Seating Arrangements; Coordination of Ceremony Seating Layout; Reception Seating Layout; Top Table Plan; Parents Table; Seating Layout by Family; Buffets.
Wedding Guest Invitations
Pre-Wedding Parties; Invitation Sent, Gift Received, Thank You Notes etc. Wedding Printing Invitations - Engraved, Hand Printed. Reply Paid Cards. Gift Lists. . Order of Service Sheets. Menus. Wording, Press Announcements Style. Maps. Cake Boxes. Place Cards. Envelopes. Seating Plans. Costs.
Wedding Outfitting
What to Wear, Hiring versus Purchasing Clothing
Coordinating the Bride, Groom, Best Man, Ushers, Bridesmaids, Fathers, Mothers. Hiring a Designer; Difference between a Designer and a Dressmaker. Buying off the Shelf. Hiring Clothing Fittings; Hired Clothes Contracts; Retrieving and Returning Hired Items; Dealing with Clothing Disasters.
The Bride & Groom, The Groomsman, Bridesmaids and Ushers
Borrowed Wedding Dresses; Family Heirlooms; Types of Fabric to Choose; Beading and Detail; Veil Styles; When to Buy; Wedding Shoe Essentials; Going Away Outfit Purchase; Emergency Repair Kit; Suit versus Tuxedo; Hire versus Buying; Hire Checklist; Accessories; Colour Coordinating the Groomsman, Bridesmaid and Ushers Outfits, Hiring versus Buying; Bridesmaids Jewellery, Accessories and Headpieces; Coordinating Ushers Outfits; Collection and Return of Hired Outfits; Contingency Planning.
Wedding Catering
The Wedding Cake
Specially made versus Store Bought; Choosing the right Baker; Selecting the appropriate Cake for your Guests; Themed Cake Decoration; Number of Tiers; Cake Flavour Filling and Size; Cake Accessories; Number of Servings Required; Wedding Favours; Commercial Baker versus Caterer.
Menus and Catering
Planning Menu Options and Reception Styles; Liasing with Caterers; Menu Budgeting; Taste testing; Food Preparation and Handling Check; Ethnic Recipes; Guaranteed Numbers; Ratio of Servers to Guests; Dress Code; Tableware, Linens, cutlery and Glassware; Catering themes and Decorations; Licences; Special Occasions Licences; Health and Safety; Purchasing Alcohol; Catering Staff Costs.
Wedding Countdown Logistics
Hair, Makeup and Jewellery
Choosing Wedding Rings; Bridal Jewellery; Choosing the Right Make-Up Artist; Make-Up for Photographic Shoots; Coordinating Make-Up and Outfit; Skin Preparation; Trial Make-Up Tests; Essential Emergency Make-Up Kit; Choosing the Best Hairstyle ; Finding A Stylist; Presenting your Ideas; Stylist Portfolios; The Stylist Client Communication Process; Home Versus Salon Styling; Styling and Coordinating the Bridal Party;
The Gift List
Compiling the Gift List; Choosing Gift list Vendors; Returning unwanted Gifts; Displaying Gifts; Security of Gifts; Gifts for the Bride and Groom.
Entertainment
Hiring Musicians; Hiring DJs; Hiring Audio Visual Equipment; Selecting Ceremony Music; Choosing Play lists for Reception
Photographer and Videographer
Photographs and Video Recording - prints, copies of films etc Videoing the Wedding Ceremony; After Ceremony Photography; Reception Video; Group Shot Planning; Selecting Photographic Style; Choosing the Wedding Photo Album; Hiring a Good Photographer.
Transport to the ceremony; Limousine and Bus Hire; Designated Drivers List; Managing Parking at the Various Locations; Breakdown Contingency Planning.
Wedding Ceremony
Types of Ceremony
Words to be used, promises to be made - are they acceptable to both parties.
Church Wedding
Person giving bride away. Marriage preparation requirements. Order of service. Vows. Music. Signing the register. Choir and seating. Bell ringers. Confetti
Civil Weddings and Ethnic Weddings
Differences which may exist between Civil and Christian weddings and weddings involving people from different religious groups etc.
Celebrity Weddings
Dealing with the special needs and requirements involved in planning and managing celebrity weddings.
Location of Ceremony
Approved Premises; Types of location; Special Settings; Obtaining permission; Listed Buildings; Stately Homes; Outdoor Ceremonies;
Wedding Ceremony Logistics
Wedding Rehearsal; Best mans role. Roles of family members. Booking a time; punctuality. Documents; witnesses. Fees. Flowers. Music. Confetti. Timetable of ceremony. Planing the Seating. Legal requirements. Payments and collections. Rehearsals.
Reception
Types of Reception - Hotel, Home, Barns, Marquee, etc. Food, Wine, Champagne. Sit-down or buffet. Confetti. Insurance. Car Parking. Changing Rooms. Security Plans. Cloakroom and Toilet Facilities. Heating. Drinks Licence. Disabled Guests. Planning the Accommodation for Guests Overnight. Master of Ceremonies Duties. Drinks on Arrival. Top-table-relationships. Toasts. Teetotallers and drivers. Duties of Bride and Groom. Role of Best Man and Groomsman.
Speeches
Best Man. Groomsman. Bride. Brides Father. Brides Mother. Special Requirements for each Speaker - Toasts, Responses to Toasts. Planning a Speech. Delivering a Speech. Messages. Encouraging Practice. Practice Guidelines.
Honeymoon
Coordinating the Honeymoon. Documents. Hotels. Insurance. Choosing the Perfect Location. Night after Wedding. Arranging Work Leave. Passports. Cost.
Final Plan
Creating a Comprehensive Plan for all activities, for the Bride, Bridegroom, Bridesmaids, Flower Girl, Page Boy, Mothers and Fathers, Best Man. Duties of all participants to be listed at each location. Final Budget Decisions. Using a Software Planning Package. Databases and lists.
Running a Wedding Planning Consultancy
Forward Planning. Attention to Detail. Financing your Business. Telephone, e-mail, the Internet. Records. Counselling. Client Contact. Preparing Wedding Plans. Budgets. Time Management. Coordinating Databases and Lists.
Marketing a Wedding Planning Consultancy
The Internet - Websites and Search Engines. Exhibitions. Magazines. Networking. Brochures. Engagement Announcements. Media Advertising.
Preparation and Research; Speech Content; Subject Matter and Objectives; Speech Delivery and Variety; Body Language, Eye Contact, etc.; Presentation Aids e.g Visuals, etc.; Management of Locations and Audiences; Presentation Structure.
Wedding Planning Pitch Project
The project is an important part of the course. Each course participant is given the project brief. Participants are asked at the end of the course to produce an Wedding Planning Pitch Proposal with their recommendations to the examiners . This gives participants the opportunity to use the knowledge they have obtained during the Online course in a focused way and develops Wedding Planning Pitching skills.
Online Lecture Modules, Subject Expert Feedback Sessions after each Module, practical case studies, end of module assignments. etc.
Subject Experts
Fitzwilliam Institute Ltd. has a panel of Subject Experts.
Who Should Apply
Anyone working in Wedding Planning in a senior or support role, or those who wish to develop a career in this area. The course would also benefit anyone who plans to organise their own wedding. Selection is based on application.
Qualifications
Successful students qualify for the Diploma in Wedding Planning (Dip. Wedd Plan.). The Diploma is awarded at Distinction, Credit or Pass Level. The diploma is accredited by the Institute of Commercial Management and the Event Managagement Society and is both industry and internationally recognised.
