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More
About the Course &
How
it is Administered |
The Wedding
Consulting & Coordination Program offered by home-study through
the International Institute of Weddings is structured into two "sessions".
SESSION
I
The material in
Session I serves as an essential foundation for the subject matter
covered in Session II. Session I provides a thorough foundation of
understanding of the wedding consulting field and helps the student
to become better familiarized with the role of the wedding
coordinator in the year 2000 and beyond; it also explains the reasons
for the increasing demand for wedding coordinators, and how the
student can benefit from the manner in which the industry has been
evolving. The student is provided with a thorough understanding of
the numerous motivating factors and reasons prospective clients have
for considering the services of a wedding coordinator. Through this
in-depth understanding, the student is better able to market
her/his-self and serve the needs of her/his clients when she/he
establishes business operations. A discussion of the "psychology
of the bride" is also included to provide the consultant with a
better understanding of the wants, needs, desires, and goals of her
clients, which make for improved client/consultant relations and
allows the consultant to offer an elevated level of client satisfaction.
Session I then
moves into a new section devoted to the establishment of the business
foundation. Here the student is led, step by step, through the entire
process of setting the wedding consulting service on the ground from
a strong business perspective. A highly broad range of topics are covered.
These include,
*but are not limited to*, developing a business "concept"
and "formula", how to conduct market research in your local
area when developing your business, how to distinguish your self from
the competition by developing your own highly distinct business
identity, how to create strategic competitive advantages for your
business, how to select a powerful business name.
The student is
also led through the legal requirements for establishing the business
- this includes, *but is not limited to* name registration,
accounting, tax deductions for the home based wedding consultant, and
much more so that processes which can often be extremely confusing
instead become simplified and very straight forward.
The student is
further guided through the process of estimating her expected rate of
market share for her local area, and is given formulas to utilize in
calculating income projections. Further included are discussions on
building a portfolio (techniques which can be used even if the
student has no previous professional wedding consulting experience to
include), setting up the home office and consultation area for the
professional wedding consultant in a manner which instills confidence
in prospective clients, what needs to be considered in projecting a
professional image, and subtle techniques which can be utilized by
the consultant in persuading the client that you are the ONLY person
for the job of planning and coordinating her wedding.
Additionally
included is powerful and extensive instruction on the most successful
and industry-specific marketing and promotional techniques which can
be used by the professional wedding coordinator/consultant to attract
business; the student learns through the experiences of highly
successful consultants which methods are most cost efficient and
beneficial - which methods to avoid, and which methods they MUST use
in order to generate the greatest level of business among potential
clients. Several methods of how to get free advertising and promotion
in the field of wedding consulting are also revealed. The student is
taught how to make their business stand out from the competition and
how to develop a strong competitive advantage.
A highly
detailed explanation of all the various pricing and fee setting
methods used by wedding consultants is given, including precise
calculation formulas used within the industry. Students are further
instructed on developing contracts for the business (samples are
provided), how to develop a payment structure (typical structures
used for determining when to collect client deposits, subsequent
payments, and the balance due).
Finally, students
are provided with expert advice on breaking into the business and
landing the first clients even if they have no previous professional
wedding planning experience to offer. The course addresses &
offers powerful solutions for the age old dilemma of what happens
when you can't get your first client because you don't have
professional experience, but you can't get professional experience
until you can get your first clients! Students are provided with the
tricks of the trade for overcoming such obstacles are getting their
businesses rolling as quickly as possible.
Upon completion of
Session I at whatever pace the student is comfortable with, students
working towards their certificate for completing the program will be
asked to complete and submit an assignment. This assignment is
designed to demonstrate the student's level of preparedness for
successfully implementing the principals taught in Session I in a real-world
environment.
But most
importantly, the assignment is designed to essentially lead the
student by the hand, step by step through the process of putting all
of the building blocks of the business in place. It is literally a
'blueprint" for the successful establishment of the wedding
consulting business.
It has been
developed to really get the student "thinking" along the
necessary lines to obtain a successful start-up.
By answering the
questions in the assignment, the student eliminates all possible risk
of having left any stone unturned with regards to building a solid
foundation for business. Upon completion of this assignment, the
student should have an unparalleled sense of "clarity" and
direction about the consulting business she/he is starting -
something which is commonly absent among new consultants, and which
typically impedes their ability for success. The entire exercise is
also designed to make obvious any areas of weakness the student may
have so that further guidance and strengthening in those specific
areas can be provided by the instructor to increase the new
consultant's likelihood of success.
SESSION
II
After completion
of the Session I assignment, the student may then move on to Session
II. Session II provides instruction on the hands-on activities and
responsibilities of professional wedding planning, client interaction
and relations, and vendor/supplier relations. Detailed explanation is
given on all of the possible services, and levels of services which
may be offered by the consultant, so that the consultant may decide
precisely what she/he will, or will not, do for her/his clients.
You will be taken
through the process of assembling a vendor data base, networking with
and evaluating vendors, providing the client with vendor
recommendations, assisting the client with vendor negotiations, how
to review and advise the client on vendor contracts. You will receive
instruction on professional wedding budget development and
management. You will be taught how to design the various schedules
and time-lines required by the client. Crucial issues relating to
professional wedding planning at all of the various stages in the
planning process are discussed and explained. You will learn how to
coordinate a wedding rehearsal, how to negotiate and arrange
accommodations and travel for out of town guests if required, and
detailed instruction on the various activities involved with the
coordination of the actual wedding day will be given.
At the completion
of Session II, the student is asked to complete a final assignment
which will allow the instructor to assess the student's level of
readiness to begin professionally coordinating weddings for clients.
If any areas of weakness are spotted, the instructor will provide the
student with additional guidance in order to further prepare the
student for the launch of her/his business.
Upon successful
completion of the course, the student will earn a Certificate of
Completion in Professional Wedding Consulting and Coordination.
Individualized
Instruction
Through out this
program, an instructor works with you via email to monitor your
progress and provide any assistance you may require with the course
material. If you should require any clarification during your
studies, your instructor is on hand providing individualized
attention to assist and guide you in getting your wedding consulting
business/career off the ground.
About
the Course Developer
The wedding
consulting and coordination program offered by the International
Institute of Weddings was developed by wedding expert Linda Kevich.
Ms. Kevich has been a professional wedding consultant for ten years.
In addition to being the founder and director of the International
Institute of Weddings, she is creator and editor of the popular
wedding planning website, SuperWeddings.com. The site is widely
recognized for the quality content it provides to bride-to-be on the
subject of weddings, and is frequently used as a reference source by
wedding consultants throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and countries
around the world, including England, Australia, the Philippines,
Egypt, South Africa, the Caribbean, and Malaysia. Read
what brides-to-be and other visitors to SuperWeddings.com have to say
about the expert advice and information Ms.Kevich offers through SuperWeddings.com.
Ms Kevich has an
extensive background in the wedding industry which extends beyond the
field of consulting alone and into bridal marketing, merchandising,
bridal wear design, retail, mailorder, wholesale, manufacturing, and
more. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Human Ecology where her studies
included bridal fashion design, marketing and merchandising;
communications; family and marital studies; psychology; sociology;
and economics - all of which rendered her well equipped for her
subsequent career in the field of wedding consulting and in the
wedding industry in general. Ms Kevich is a wedding industry expert,
known for her innovative and powerful approaches to marketing to
brides-to-be. She has been a business consultant and coach to wedding
industry professionals since 1994. She works with new and established
members of the wedding industry from across the US and Canada in
developing and strengthening their business concepts, marketing
formulas, and advertising/promotional campaigns.
It is this level
of experience and expertise which she brings to students of the
Wedding Consulting and Coordination Program presently offered through
the International Institute of Weddings and the Professional
Development Division of SuperWeddings.com at the all-inclusive fee of
$495 US (plus shipping). Students are charged no additional fees for
the individualized attention they receive from either from their
instructor or from Ms Kevich during the course of their training and studies.
The Wedding
Consulting and Coordination Course offered through the International
Institute of Weddings and the Professional Development Division of
SuperWeddings.com is the most extensive and thorough program of its
kind offered at this price point - or anywhere close to it.
Comparable programs which offer this in-depth level of instruction or
the hands-on interaction between instructor and student are priced in
the $1500 - $2500 (US) range.
The International
Institute of Weddings and the Professional Development Department at
SuperWeddings.com are committed to providing the best value and
training available at the most affordable price possible in the field
of wedding consulting, however, the $495 (US) price-point is limited
time pricing only and will be subject to increases in the future
(after 30 days).
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