Career Options

Say 'I do' to a career as a wedding planner

In the 2001 movie, The Wedding Planner, Jennifer Lopez plays a compulsive-yet-sweet wedding planner.

LINDA WHITE -- Special to Sun Media
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Melissa Samborski, owner of One Fine Day Event Planning & Design Inc., was featured in a recent issue of Wedluxe & Elegant Weddings! magazine. She is also the instructor of the wedding planner course offered through Humber's continuing education department.

She knows exactly what to do to make any wedding a spectacular event, but her life is turned upside down when she falls in love with the groom in the biggest wedding of her career.

Sure, the movie is more Hollywood than reality, but eight years later, it's still inspiring people to follow in the lead character's career footsteps, reports Melissa Samborski, owner of One Fine Day Event Planning and Design Inc.

Samborski is also the instructor of the wedding planner course offered through Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning's continuing education department in Toronto.

"Many people who come to the course have watched that movie or watch reality TV," she says.


Since launching the 15-week course two years ago, Humber now offers it in its fall, winter and spring/summer sessions, as well as online. The course examines the role and best practices of the professional wedding planner, with special focus on the engagement, budget, invitations, etiquette, gifts, ceremonies, catering and cakes, dresses and honeymoon.

"The course provides a great foundation for aspiring wedding planners, from tips on establishing your own business to where to find a cake and photographer, and how to build a dinner menu," Samborski says.

What does it take to be successful? "People who have a lot of patience, are organized and don't mind giving up nights and weekends to work," Samborski says. She has been working as a wedding planner for the past decade.

The wedding co-ordinator is a relatively new career to Canada but demand is growing. "Some people want to hire a wedding co-ordinator just for the day of their wedding to ensure everything goes smoothly, while others want them to source everything," Samborski says.

"Many couples are getting married when they're a little older and more established in their careers. They see a wedding co-ordinator as someone who will save them time and money. The investment should really pay for itself."

Successful completion of the Humber course does not carry a certificate or a wedding planner designation. "Certification is not necessary to be successful," Samborski says. "It comes down to experience."

Karina Rigato took the course after planning her own wedding. "I really enjoyed the whole planning process, especially finding out about current trends," she says.

She will be shadowing her instructor at several weddings this summer.

"It's a really competitive industry and I hope getting some experience will help me get my foot in the door," Rigato says.

The Wedding Planners Institute of Canada also prepares aspiring wedding planners to work in the $4-billion a year wedding industry.

It offers four certificate programs: wedding consultant and co-ordination, destination wedding co-ordination, ecologically-conscious wedding co-ordination and ecologically-conscious wedding vendor. Courses are offered at universities across the country.

Other routes to becoming a professional wedding planner include event management programs.

QUICK FACTS


Wedding planners organize a large team that can include wedding dress designers, printers, wedding cake designers, caterers, florists, musicians, deejays and officiants.

In addition to operating their own businesses, they may find work with catering companies, resorts, banquet halls, golf and country clubs, bridal salons and other businesses that specialize in weddings.

linda.white@rogers.com



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