Going self-employed as a wedding planner?

What to sort first

Your get-set-up checklist

1. 1

   Set your package pricing

   Decide what full planning, partial planning and on-the-day coordination each include and cost, or whether you'll charge a percentage of the budget, before you quote a couple.

2. 2

   Get your client agreement in order

   Have a clear written agreement covering scope, deposits, payment dates and cancellations. It's a starting point to think through, not legal advice.

3. 3

   Sort your supplier paperwork

   Organise the quotes, booking confirmations and agreements you use with venues and suppliers so nothing falls through the cracks on the run-up to the day.

4. 4

   Plan deposits and the payment schedule

   Decide how you'll take the booking deposit and staged payments across the months before the wedding so you're paid as you work, not all at the end.

5. 5

   Build a budget you can track

   Set up a simple way to track the couple's budget against every supplier quote and invoice so you always know where the money stands.

6. 6

   Look into the cover you need

   Make a note to look into the right insurance for working in venues and around suppliers. That's a prompt to look into, not insurance advice.

7. 7

   Make your work easy to find and book

   Plan how engaged couples, venue referrals and supplier recommendations will find your Instagram and Pinterest portfolio and send an enquiry.

Recommended LaunchKit tools

Tools that help you get set up

Not sure where to start? See everything for wedding planner or browse all LaunchKit products.

Common questions

Before you buy anything

Do I need to buy everything before I start taking couples on?

No. Most wedding planners start with the startup guide to get the basics organised, then add client agreements, invoices and a pricing tool as they go. It's designed to help you build up your setup at your own pace.

Are these legal or compliance documents?

No. They're downloadable templates and guides to help you get the business side organised across a wedding's long run-up, where a clear agreement matters when you're working with a couple and often two families. They are not a substitute for professional advice, and the client and supplier agreements are a starting point to think through rather than legal documents.

Can I use these if I'm already booking weddings?

Yes. Plenty of wedding planners who are already trading pick these up to tidy up their package pricing, agreements and budget tracking rather than starting from scratch.

How do I receive the files?

They're instant digital downloads. After purchase you can download the templates and guides straight away and start using them.

Which should I buy first?

Because weddings are often booked 12 to 18 months out, a good starting point is the startup guide, then the business documents for the couple agreement and supplier paperwork you'll lean on across that long lead time, and the pricing calculator to set your full, partial and on-the-day packages. From there you can add the other tools as you need them.