Personality Traits of a GREAT Wedding Planner
Becoming a wedding planner might seem like a dream job—full of fun, creativity, and celebrations. And although it certainly can be a super fulfilling and exciting career, like any career, it comes with its own challenges, and not everyone is suited to the role. The best wedding planners possess specific personality traits that help them excel in this fast-paced, unpredictable, and high-stress service-based industry. DreamGroup Weddings + Events has been leading the wedding planning way in Vancouver, British Columbia for over two decades.
DreamGroup prides itself in recognizing these success traits and setting this bar of expectation for our own planning team, as part of our “DreamGroup Fundamentals”. There’s a reason DreamGroup is known for our “Ridiculously Amazing” planning experiences. It’s not a coincidence, it’s a strategy. One that we have mastered, resulting in not just beautiful end results for our clients, but also thoughtful, integrity driven, and strategically led planning journeys that set us apart. Here are the key personality traits of a great wedding planner and what we look for when hiring planners to represent the DreamGroup standard:
The Hustle Gene
This is the ultimate must-have trait. You either have it or you don’t. We have learned through trial and error that it can’t be taught, but it can be mastered. A great wedding planner moves with purpose and urgency while maintaining composure. The ability to hustle ensures events run on time, preventing a domino effect of delays that can turn what would have been a perfect day, into a stressful or frustrating one.
Patience and Understanding
Be prepared to explain the same things over and over to new clients in helping them make decisions or understand why something is needed or warrants their attention. It may be your hundredth time, but it’s usually their first. You will also sometimes have to explain it again to their families or to those supporting the budget. You may get tired of it, but your clients should never feel your frustration. Remaining patient is essential. Personally, I love knowing more than my clients on my area of expertise and enjoy the opportunity to enlighten them. It makes me feel needed.
Energy and Enthusiasm
From delivering less than favourable news about vendor availability or explaining budget limitations, a wedding planner needs to keep things positive and productive. Encouraging couples through tough decisions and stressful moments is part of the job.
Open-Mindedness
This industry requires working with a diverse clientele, including same-sex couples, mixed cultures, ones with significant age differences, or sometimes those who have been married several times. A great planner sets aside personal judgments to provide exceptional service to all clients. Love is love and our job is to help everyone host a wedding beyond expectation no matter what it looks like.
Creativity
While you don’t need to be a master designer or super creative, thinking outside the box and envisioning possibilities beyond what’s in front of you is important. Every planner has their own unique style—find ways to incorporate your style and creativity into your work to benefit your clients.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Planning styles vary from client to client. To create a smooth and enjoyable experience, you should adapt to your clients’ personality and work style while maintaining organization and efficiency.
Perceptiveness and Sensitivity
Understanding subtle cues is essential. If a client is slow to respond, they may be uncertain or overwhelmed. This can affect their ability to make decisions in a timely manner. Adjusting how you present information and recognizing when to provide an elevated level of support can make a significant difference in their experience.
Thick Skin and Resilience
Not every client will love every suggestion you make, and that’s okay! A great planner doesn’t take rejection personally but instead keeps pushing forward with new ideas and solutions.
Reliability and Accountability
Clients must trust that you’ll follow through on commitments. If you say you will do something, then do it, and do it promptly. Being dependable builds confidence in your abilities and helps the planning process move forward smoothly. When a client trusts you, they will be able to make decisions more quickly and with confidence reducing the amount of follow up time a planner needs to spend managing various tasks.
Honesty
Being a “yes person” won’t benefit your clients. If a vendor isn’t the best choice or a plan isn’t ideal, you need to communicate that honestly while offering alternative solutions.
Assertiveness and Confidence
Confidence in your recommendations reassures clients and helps with the decision-making process. If it doesn’t seem like you truly believe in your own ideas and suggestions, your clients won’t believe it either. The best way to be confident is to surround yourself with qualified vendors worthy of your endorsement. It’s also important to ensure you know what you’re talking about when offering perspective and advice.
A Sense of Humor
Wedding planning can be stressful for couples as they make decisions, balance family dynamics, and spend money. Knowing when to use humor to defuse conflicts can keep the process enjoyable and help ease tensions.
Style and Presentation
Wedding planners are often a reflection of their clients’ expectations. A well-put-together appearance, good posture, and a confident handshake leave an impression and instill trust.
The Bottom Line
Being a wedding planner requires more than just a love for romantic moments and pretty flowers! That’s the easy part. The most successful planners understand that their role involves so much more. They know that the difference between an adequate planning experience and an exceptional one lies in the planner’s ability to do the job well. If you are considering a career as a wedding planner, take the time to analyze yourself and ensure you possess the traits that make for a great wedding planner.
Check out DreamGroup’s Engaged Vancouver Wedding Show, a thoughtful and strategic wedding show experience created for modern, busy couples by planners that know what a couple needs most when planning their wedding!
~ Personality Traits of a GREAT Wedding Planner written by DreamGroup Founding Planner Genève McNally.
